Renewables are now making up a majority of the net public electricity generation in Germany, according to a new report by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE).
As Fraunhofer ISE reported, renewable energy sources accounted for 62.7% of the net public electricity generated in Germany in 2024. Wind energy made up the most of this share, comprising 33% of net public electricity generation at 136.4 terawatt hours (TWh). While onshore wind energy declined slightly, offshore wind power increased to 25.7 TWh compared to 2023’s 23.5 TWh.
Meanwhile, solar power in Germany reached a new record of 72.2 TWh in 2024 and exceeded the country’s photovoltaic target to install 13 gigawatts (GW) of solar for 2024, with 13.3 GW installed by November 2024 and an estimated 15.9 GW installed by the end of the year.
Total solar power production increased by 18% compared to 2023, and solar energy made up 14% of the total net public electricity generation, according to Fraunhofer ISE.
Solar expansion and production increased rapidly last year, despite weather conditions that were often not ideal for solar power generation, PV Magazine reported. While Germany experienced its hottest year on record, as Yahoo! reported, the country experienced heavy rainfall and thunderstorms in July, which was also the month with the most solar energy production of 2024. Heavy rain and storms continued into the fall.
In addition to rising renewables, reliance on hard coal and lignite for public electricity generation declined by 27.6% and 8.4%, respectively. Lignite, or brown coal, is one of the most polluting and carbon-emitting types of coal to use for power generation, according to Greenpeace. Reducing the combustion of lignite and hard coal in favor of renewables is helping to lower emissions in Germany.
“Due to the increasing share of renewable energies and the decline in coal-fired power generation, electricity generation is lower in CO2 emissions than ever before; since 2014, emissions from electricity generation have halved (from 312 to approx. 152 million tons of CO2 per year),” Fraunhofer ISE stated. “Carbon dioxide emissions from German electricity generation were 58 percent lower than at the start of data collection in 1990.”
While renewable energy expansion and generation is on the rise in Germany, the country still has more targets to meet to reach its overall clean energy goals. According to Fraunhofer ISE, onshore wind expansion, which met 2.44 GW installed for 2024, fell behind schedule of the 7 GW planned. Further, while lignite consumption declined, it still provided 71.1 TWh for net public electricity generation, nearly the same amount as solar. Natural gas consumption for electricity also increased 9.5% in 2024 compared to 2023.
To boost the continued increase in renewable energy capacity and reduce the use of fossil fuels, Germany has worked to expand battery storage. In 2024, the country increased installed battery capacity from 8.6 GW to 12.1 GW. Storage capacity increased from 12.7 gigawatt hours (GWh) to 17.7 GWh.
The German Federal Government has set a target for carbon-neutrality by 2045 as well as goals to end coal-fired power generation and meet 80% of gross electricity consumption with renewable energy sources by 2030, as United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) reported. In June 2024, the government’s climate advisors announced the country was not on track to meet its 2030 goals, Reuters reported.
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https://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy-germany-2024.html
As a longtime book lover, I may be biased, but I think a full bookshelf is one of the most beautiful additions to a space. There’s nothing better than seeing a showcase of your favorite reads alongside a TBR list.
A bookcase, though, can of course be used for all sorts of purposes from placing your favorite photos of family and friends to showcasing treasured vintage finds.
Whatever the case, this guide will help you find the right sustainable bookshelf for your living room, office, or wherever you like to cozy up with a good read!
So what make a bookcase more sustainable? What makes a bookshelf non-toxic?
First of all: sustainable and non-toxic are two overlapping — but distinct — criteria. And both of those terms can come with a lot of opinions and varying definitions.
When it comes to sustainable bookcases, I look for:
- Responsibly Sourced Materials: most bookshelves are made primarily with wood. While natural, unsustainable wood sourcing can be a cause of deforestation, so we want to see that the wood was from responsibly managed forests or made from reclaimed or repurposed wood. Some bookshelves may feature metal, in which case recycled materials here are important.
- High Quality Construction: sustainability includes longevity — how long will you be able to use that furniture piece before it goes to the landfill and gets replaced? Look for transparency around craftsmanship and woodworking processes. Another sign of quality is the length of warranty a company has for its products.
- Ethically Made: this one is straightforward in theory — were the people making it paid fairly and working in safe conditions? — but is unfortunately not always easy to find information. In this category, I look for transparency in practices, what relationship the brand has with the manufacturer (some produce in-house which is the best case scenario for transparency!), where it was made, and how well the makers were paid.
Ideally a sustainable bookshelf would also be non-toxic — as toxic chemical fumes aren’t exactly sustainable! But this isn’t always the case. For example, if a company prioritizes upcycled materials, they don’t necessarily have control over what inputs were part of the original materials. And sometimes a company focuses more on ethical artisan partnerships and sustainable wood sourcing, more than, say, using non-toxic finishes.
But when it comes to non-toxic bookshelves, this is what I look for. (Note that non-toxic doesn’t necessarily mean safe for all chemical sensitivities. Nor does it mean zero potentially irritating chemicals.)
- Solid Wood (where possible): MDF or pressed wood contains glue to stick the various wood pieces together, which can contain added formaldehyde. I prefer solid wood, or if it is engineered wood, I’d make sure the company is transparent around the type of glue used and/or they at least have a product certification like GREENGUARD. (More on that in a second.)
- Low or Zero VOC Finishes: most wood furniture is completed with some sort of finish to provide a protection against scratches or moisture. Many of these finishes are synthetic, and some can contain high levels of toxic chemicals. Look for a natural finish like linseed oil or beeswax or a low VOC synthetic finish.
Relevant Certifications
You’ll see a few certifications referenced throughout this guide. Here’s what each one covers:
- FSC Certified = the wood sourcing was responsibly managed; this is not a finish, foam, or textile guarantee.
- GREENGUARD / GREENGUARD Gold Certified = the finished product was tested for low chemical emissions, including VOCs, with Gold representing the stricter tier.
- Fair Trade Certified
= verifies that a factory meets standards for fair wages, safe working conditions, and ethical labor practices. - Cradle to Cradle Certified (Gold) = evaluates a product or material across material health, circularity, clean air/climate, water/soil stewardship, and social fairness.
Where to Find Sustainable Bookcases and Shelving
I’m always a secondhand first proponent, and that goes for furniture, too. While your local thrift store might not have used bookshelves, check for dedicated furniture resale shops near you or estate sales. (I use EstateSales.net to find ones near me.) You can also find gently used pieces on online marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp or AptDeco.
If you can’t find something you love secondhand, and you don’t want to DIY your own bookshelf, then the next best choice is to shop from one of the sustainable furniture companies below. (If you’re simply looking for a bookstand, I’d suggest browsing Etsy for a collection of solid wood, bamboo, and reclaimed wood book stands and cookbook stands!)
Note that this guide includes affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you purchase through these links which helps us continue to run this website and create resources like these. As always all brands meet strict sustainability criteria and are brands we love — and that we think you’ll love too!
1. Medley
Best for: low VOC wood bookcases
Medley’s bookshelves are elegant and elevated, perfect for a living room. Each piece is made with 100% solid FSC-certified hardwood for the tops and sides, though low-VOC CARB 2 compliant plywood is used for the shelves.
Every eco-friendly bookcase is handcrafted in the US (California or North Carolina) and completed with a low-VOC wood finish.
Price: $2,395 – $2,995
Materials: White Maple, American Walnut Wood
Conscious Qualities: Made-to-Order, US-Made, FSC-Certified Wood, Natural Finish
2. Thuma
Best for: non-toxic modular bookshelf
Thuma’s eco-friendly bookshelf is made from upcycled wood sourced from rubberwood trees no longer being used to source rubber. The brand’s bookshelf is also GREENGUARD Gold certified.
What makes Thuma’s bookshelf stand out to me, though, is its modularity — their Pillar Bookshelf can be set in 10 different configurations. And if you start with just a few shelves but later decide you want a larger bookshelf, you can simply buy an additional shelf or two to add on to it!
Price Range: $550 – $3,300
Materials: Upcylced Rubber Wood
Conscious Qualities: GREENGUARD Gold Certified, Repurposed Materials, Adaptable
3. West Elm GREENGUARD Certified
Best for: low-tox bookcases and bookracks for kids
This furniture retailer has plenty of adorable, but functional, bookshelves for a playroom or kids’ bedroom. From cubby bookcases to mid-century bookracks, you’ll find plenty of options that are not only GREENGUARD certified, but made in Fair Trade Certifiedfactories, and/or with FSC-certified wood. Note that the company’s bookshelves are made with engineered wood, though.
West Elm also has GREENGUARD certified bookcases large enough for the adults too!
Price: $399 – $2,897
Materials: Solid Wood, Reclaimed Wood
Conscious Qualities: Fair Trade, FSC Certified, and GREENGUARD Certified Options
4. Urban Natural
Best for: a variety of eco-friendly bookshelves
This natural home retailer has sustainable bookcases in all shapes and sizes. From traditional bookcases to open-back asymmetrical shelving units, Urban Natural has options for any interior aesthetic. Each brand they carry values quality craftsmanship, responsible production, and sustainable sourcing.
Price: $1,099 – $5549
Materials: Solid Teak, Maple, Cherry, Walnut, Birch (varies by brand)
Conscious Qualities: FSC-Certified Options, USA-Made Options, Low VOC Finish Options (varies by brand)
5. MasayaCo
Best for: sustainably-sourced wood bookshelves
MasayaCo has a stunning collection of sustainable shelves and bookcases handcrafted by artisans in Nicaragua. Not only is each piece of furniture made from responsibly harvested wood, but MasayaCo plants 100 trees for each order — and has planted 1.3 million trees to date. Plus they keep 40% of the reforestation projects completely untouched, to ensure the ecosystems have the chance to truly thrive.
The company shares that with the right care, their teak wood pieces can last up to 75 years. Note, though, that the finishes used aren’t disclosed, so if that’s one of your priorities, this might not be the top pick for you.
Price: $675-$1,295
Materials: Teak
Conscious Qualities: Artisan Made-to-Order, Reforestation Projects, FSC-Certified
6. Healthier Homes
Best for: affordable non-toxic bookshelves
With shelving options starting at under $250, Healthier Homes is a more affordable option for finding sustainable, non-toxic bookcases and shelving.
Most of their wood furniture is made from Parawood, rescued from rubber tree farms after the trees stop producing latex. And their wooden bookcases come unfinished, so you can have full control over the color and any chemicals used. (The company also sells zero VOC furniture paint.)
Price: $238 – $2,160
Materials: Repurposed Wood, Metal, Zero VOC Finishes
Conscious Qualities: Repurposed Materials
7. What We Make
Best for: reclaimed wood bookshelves
Illinois-based furniture company What We Make crafts non-toxic bookcases with a VOC-free finish.
The shop offers both modern Scandinavian styles (pictured here) using solid oak and industrial style sustainable bookshelves made with a stainless steel frame and the reclaimed wood salvaged from 100+ year old Midwestern barns.
Price: $2,025 – $5,055
Materials: Oak, Reclaimed Wood
Conscious Qualities: Made-to-Order, Repurposed Material Option, Zero-VOC Finish
8. Greenington
Best for: bamboo bookshelves
Greenington is a furniture company with pieces crafted from sustainably hand-harvested Moso bamboo. Greenington sources mature bamboo — reached in just 5 years — for maximum strength and durability. And because bamboo is technically a grass, not a tree, it regenerates after being cut without any replanting.
The company uses every part of the bamboo culm, for zero waste production, winning the Sustainable Furnishings Council Green Ribbon Award in 2020.
Price: $809 – $2,139
Materials: Moso Bamboo
Conscious Qualities: Zero-Waste Production, Sustainable Materials
9. Crate & Barrel FSC-Certified
Best for: certified responsibly sourced wood shelving
Crate & Barrel’s FSC-Certified collection features bookshelves made with materials like solid oak, mahogany wood, teak, and rattan. And you can find a range of styles and finishes in their collection, from natural oak to espresso and driftwood.
It’s worth noting that the company’s bookshelves do contain veneer and engineered wood as well. There are also select products that are also GREENGUARD certified, but not all of them.
Price: $1,399 – $4,949
Materials: FSC-Certified Wood, Some GREENGUARD Certified Pieces
Conscious Qualities: Natural Materials, Responsibly Sourced
More Guides to Browse:
Sustainable Tables and Coffee Tables to Gather Around
The Best Non-Toxic Furniture Brands for a Healthier Home
Sustainable Storage Furniture: Dressers, Media Consoles, and More
The post 9 Sustainable Bookcases to Showcase Your Latest Reads appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.
Put your feet up and relax with the eco-friendly and non-toxic ottomans, benches, and poufs from these incredible sustainable furniture brands.
What makes an ottoman, pouf, or bench sustainable?
There are a lot of considerations that go into making sustainable furniture. Some brands may meet more of these criteria than others, and some criteria may be more or less important to you.
You might also engage with sustainability differently depending on your lifestyle, budget, aesthetic preferences, among other factors. But here’s a general idea of what to look for:
Look Secondhand
Used ottomans and benches are going to the most sustainable option since these furniture pieces have already been produced! Plus you’re preventing that furniture from heading to a landfill. You could browse an app like OfferUp or check your local Facebook Marketplace.
You can also check secondhand furniture sites like AptDeco and Chairish
Shopping for new sustainably-made ottomans and benches? Check out the following tips:
Eco-Conscious & Durable Materials
With the rise of fast furniture, the quality (and the sustainability) of materials used in furniture has declined. I’m consistently blown away by the incredible condition of so much vintage mid-century modern (1930s-1970s) furniture out there!
A sustainable ottoman (or sustainable bench) would be made durably so it lasts and would be constructed from responsibly sourced materials such as FSC-Certified and/or locally sustainably-harvested wood, recycled fabrics and organic natural fabrics for the upholstery, and non-toxic — ideally zero VOC — finishes. This guide has more non-toxic furniture brands.
Responsibly Made
Look into where the brand is producing their ottomans, benches, and/or poufs. Is it in their own workshop or a nearby production facility? Is it in a fair trade artisan workshop? A brand should have full transparency and traceability of their supply chain.
They also should ensure workers are earning living wages and work in safe environments. (This is where the overlap with non-toxic comes in — when there are toxic chemicals used in furniture, supply chain workers are exposed to these toxins in far greater quantities than consumers.)
Circular Practices
The EPA estimates that 12 million tons of furniture are thrown out annually. Yikes. A brand selling sustainable benches and ottomans would ideally consider the following:
- Quality construction so the furniture lasts a lifetime (or several)! If you’re moving a lot, it’s also worth considering how easy that piece of furniture is to move around and deconstruct/reconstruct if necessary. Though this probably is less of a concern with a smaller piece of furniture like a pouf, bench, or ottoman.
- Repairability. Is that material repairable? Does that brand have replacement parts? Is it a material that could be refinished or reupholstered easily? For example “vegan leather” (typically plastic) is very difficult to keep up or repair.
- Secondhand program or resellability. It would be incredible if the brand had a resale program for their furniture. Not many brands do, though. So you might also just think about if the style and quality of the piece would make it easy to sell again if you do think you might outgrow it.
Where to Find Sustainable Ottomans, Benches, and Poufs
Phew, that was a lot! But don’t worry: we’ve done the hard work of sifting through brands to curate the best options available right now. Check them out!
Note that this guide includes affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you make a purchase which helps us continue to run this site. We only feature brands that meet strict standards for sustainability we love, and that we think you’ll love too.
1. Medley
Best for: non-toxic ottomans and poufs
Medley has sustainable poufs, ottomans (including storage ottomans!), and benches handcrafted in the US to the highest quality standards. To back up their claims, Medley has a lifetime warranty on frames, 10-year warranty on fillings, and a 5-year warranty on fabric upholstery. Their benches and ottomans are made from domestically-sourced FSC-certified Alder hardwood and non-toxic fabrics (including GREENGUARD certified fabrics and natural fabrics like cotton and linen.
Conscious Qualities: US-Made, Quality Warranty, Natural Materials
Price Range: $595 – $1,985
Ships: International
2. Savvy Rest
Best for: organic ottoman made with all-natural materials
Savvy Rest has a non-toxic ottoman made from solid maple hardwood, GOTS-certified organic cotton and/or hemp upholstery, and Cradle to Cradle GOLD-certified Talalay latex. The brand also has a sustainable bench crafted by skilled woodworkers in Charlottesville, Virginia from sustainably-sourced maple. All of their furniture is available unfinished or with zero-VOC finishes.
Conscious Qualities: Non-Toxic, Organic & Natural Materials, Built In Virginia
Price Range: $1,149 – $1,498
Ships: Internationally
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