The ocean produces about half the oxygen we breathe, absorbs roughly 30% of the carbon dioxide we emit, and takes up about 90% of the excess heat those emissions trap, according to the United Nations. It is the planet’s largest life-support system — and also its least-funded one. Of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, the goal for life below water consistently draws the least money. Canada, which has the longest coastline in the world, is trying to flip that equation, and you can watch it happen close to real time.
Our guest this week is Kendra MacDonald, CEO of Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, a national, industry-led effort to grow what’s come to be called the blue economy. Under her leadership, the Supercluster has grown into a community of roughly 1,000 members co-investing in more than 150 projects. She came to the role after 25 years at Deloitte, where she served as Chief Audit Executive, and she runs it from St. John’s, Newfoundland. The model is built on co-investment: at least two companies put money in, often alongside Indigenous communities, researchers, and global corporations, so no single player carries the risk alone. The projects range from graphene hull coatings that cut a ship’s fuel use to wave-powered desalination and the $4.4 million Membertou Electric Lobster Boat, billed as Canada’s first zero-emission commercial fishing vessel, led by the Membertou First Nation.
Kendra’s thesis fits in seven words: you can go faster alone, but farther together. In our conversation, she’s candid about where that gets hard — most of these collaborations are small companies that don’t individually hold every capability, and the upfront work of sorting out who owns which piece of intellectual property is what separates the partnerships that succeed from the ones that stall. She’s just as candid about the catch: the Supercluster is funded by the Government of Canada to de-risk small Canadian firms, and when those firms succeed, they’re often acquired by international buyers — the value-capture problem at the heart of every public innovation program. That tension between strong science and thin capital, she says, keeps her up at night, and it points back to the blue-finance gap. It also shapes how she talks about aquaculture, which in 2022 surpassed wild capture as the world’s main source of farmed aquatic animals, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, and is now the fastest-growing source of animal protein. Kendra rejects the idea that ocean health and productivity are in trade-off, arguing that a healthier ocean is more productive. And just before we recorded, the Trump administration reopened nearly half a million square miles of the Pacific to commercial fishing, the third such rollback in little more than a year. One model treats the ocean as a commons to protect and co-invest in; the other treats marine protection as an obstacle to clear. She thinks the contrast opens a door for Canada to lead.
To learn more about the Ocean Supercluster, visit oceansupercluster.ca. MacDonald writes about ocean-economy investment on her Substack, Saltwater Signals, and she’s easy to find on LinkedIn.
- Subscribe to Sustainability In Your Ear on iTunes
- Follow Sustainability In Your Ear on Spreaker, iHeartRadio, or YouTube
Interview Transcript
Mitch Ratcliffe 0:10
Hello. Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening, wherever you are in this beautiful planet of ours. Welcome to Sustainability In Your Ear. This is the podcast conversation about accelerating the transition to a sustainable, carbon-neutral society, and I’m your host, Mitch Ratcliffe. Thanks for joining the conversation today.
The topic is accelerating innovation. When we talk about the climate fight, we usually picture it on land: forests and wildfires, EVs and the power grid, solar panels on roofs everywhere. But the largest climate system on the planet is the one we understand the least, and it covers more than 70% of the Earth. The ocean absorbs our heat, feeds billions of people, moves nearly everything we buy, and it’s been treated for most of human history as something to extract from rather than invest in. And that’s the starting point to change, and Canada is one of the places where you can watch that happen in real time.
My guest today is at the center of this epochal shift. Kendra MacDonald is the CEO of Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, a national, industry-led effort to grow what’s come to be called the blue economy. We’ve talked about it on the show several times. Think of it as a table where startups, century-old fishing and shipping companies, Indigenous partners, researchers, and global corporations all sit down together and co-invest in ideas that no single one of them could pull off alone.
Under Kendra’s leadership, that community now spans roughly 1,000 members working together on over 100 projects — everything from graphene hull coatings that cut a ship’s fuel use by making it easier to go through the waves, to wave-power desalination, and an electric lobster boat built in partnership with the Membertou First Nation.
Kendra came to this from 25 years at Deloitte, the global consulting firm, where she last served as Chief Audit Executive. She’s been named to her region’s Top 50 CEO Hall of Fame, and she leads all of this from St. John’s, Newfoundland — a relatively remote vantage point, she’ll tell you, that is a feature, not a limitation of her job. Her thesis in seven words: you can go faster alone, but farther together.
We’re going to test that idea today — on collaboration, on who actually captures the value when small companies scale up, and whether the blue economy can grow and stay healthy at the same time, as well as what it takes to lead through a decade of constant disruption. We’ll get to the conversation right after this brief commercial break.
Hey, welcome to the show, Kendra. How you doing today?
Kendra MacDonald 2:46
I am doing great. How are you?
Mitch Ratcliffe 2:48
I’m doing well, thanks for joining me. I appreciate it. You live in a remote location in Newfoundland; I live in a remote location in southern Oregon, and we both somehow stay connected to the world. How do you do that? From your perspective, your seat is quite connected. How do you stay in touch with folks?
Kendra MacDonald 3:05
Yeah, so, certainly virtual. I started this role late in 2018, and by 2020 we were in the middle of the pandemic, and so it became very natural to connect virtually. So I think that has helped — it’s helped us connect across the country, and people got more used to virtual platforms.
But I do also spend a lot of time in person. I’m just coming from — I was in Ottawa, and I was in Halifax, and next week I’ll be somewhere else. So I do try to get face to face with our members as well, which, from St. John’s, Newfoundland — we’re a big country, so St. John’s to Victoria is about a nine-hour trip. Sometimes it’s easier to get to Europe than it is to get across the country. But I do spend a lot of time trying to get with our members, all over.
Mitch Ratcliffe 3:49
Your members are all related to the ocean, but why does the ocean belong at the center of the conversation now? For someone who doesn’t live near a coast, what’s the connection they should feel between the ocean, their personal health, and well-being?
Kendra MacDonald 4:01
That’s a great question. I mean, I think, in terms of — let’s talk about us as people first. Why the ocean matters: if you think about where your goods come from, over 80% of the goods that we get, whether we’re ordering from Amazon or ordering from wherever, they’re coming by sea. So there’s a huge amount of shipping that happens on the ocean. You think about the internet — most of our internet, if you’re getting it from some kind of overseas site, 98% of that is subsea cables that are going underneath the ocean.
If you look at then what the ocean means for the planet: 70%, but two-thirds, of the planet is ocean. About 50% of the oxygen comes from the ocean, so no matter where you are on the planet, oxygen matters. That’s really important, whether you’re close to the coast or you are not. It absorbs 90% of our excess heat, so a lot of the heat regulation is happening in the ocean. But 30% of our carbon — I don’t know about you, I learned in school all about the rainforest. I didn’t learn very much about the ocean, but the ocean actually plays a huge role in terms of being a carbon sink and absorbing excess carbon.
And then, I guess the last one, maybe 80% of our biodiversity on the planet — although some would argue there’s a lot of it undiscovered — but about 80% of biodiversity actually sits in the ocean. So when you talk about health, and we think about a lot of the natural solutions that we’re starting to see, whether that is natural fabrics going into fashion or natural ingredients going into beauty — we’re starting to see seaweed coming into both nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals, as well as fertilizers, for example. All of those natural ingredients — increasingly, we’re turning to the ocean.
Mitch Ratcliffe 5:40
How does the Ocean Supercluster function to address all of the different kinds of issues that you just described?
Kendra MacDonald 5:46
So that’s a great question. We don’t equally address all of them. Where we really are focused, in terms of trying to grow the ocean economy for Canada, is acceleration of technology commercialization. So the bulk of our projects are in technology commercialization. About 50% of our projects are what’s called domain awareness, or ocean observation — so, how do we understand things better. That has a different flavor.
We are cross-sectoral, so we touch aquaculture, shipping, offshore energy, and we would see different flavors of those technologies being applied. So if you’re an aquaculture farm, you want to make sure that you’re using an underwater drone, for example, to be able to inspect your nets, to make sure that you don’t have escapes. You might be sitting in the Arctic, and you want to better understand what’s happening with the coastline, or be able to monitor diversity.
Increasingly, we’re seeing this trend toward dual-use technologies in defense, for example — so technologies that you can use to find a whale, you could also use, potentially, to be finding a submarine. And then, if you look at offshore wind: how do you do surveys better? How do you remotely monitor infrastructure in the ocean? So there’s all these flavors of how do we better understand the ocean to make better decisions, and also to be able to operate more sustainably across all of these different sectors.
Mitch Ratcliffe 7:03
Now, of course, you just described systems in which there are many stakeholders. Who’s involved in all of these conversations? What’s the structure of the investments that allows communities to participate?
Kendra MacDonald 7:14
Yeah, so we are a co-investment model, so we need to have at least two companies that are co-investing. In a lot of cases, we would also have broader collaborators. So if you look at, for example, in the aquaculture space — aquaculture touches a number of communities all along our coast. We would have a project, for example, on the West Coast that would include an Indigenous community as the final operator and participant in the project. So you’ll see the technology providers, you will see the users of the technology, and then, depending on where it is, you will also see a community problem that the solution is trying to solve.
Mitch Ratcliffe 7:55
When you joined this industry, were you surprised by the way it actually operates? Is it different than land-centered business?
Kendra MacDonald 8:05
Yes. And no. So, my background — I worked with a large consulting firm, was part of Deloitte. I’m an auditor by background, so I spent a lot of time looking at systems, and I was actually a systems auditor — so, on the information technology side of how information is produced to get to the financial statements. And so I had spent a lot of time looking at digitalization of industries. You’re seeing increasingly digital, whether it’s media or transportation — these trends — and so that same trend is coming into ocean, where you’re seeing more and more instrumentation to be able to get more information, make better decisions, all the same things that we are trying to do in a number of sectors.
Where it gets more complicated is the environment that you’re operating in. So we don’t have a data network now the way that we would — I know there are still remote parts on land, so we don’t have as good a bandwidth — but they get much more remote when you start going on the ocean. You’re trying to now put technologies into salty water, high pressure, low visibility, and so the operating conditions become much more difficult for the types of problems that you’re trying to solve.
Mitch Ratcliffe 9:14
This is a national sovereign wealth fund, or a variation thereon. Sovereignty is playing a greater and greater role in geopolitics right now, and you’ve said you can go faster alone but farther together. How does Canada need to work with the rest of the world in order to really leverage the investments that you’re making?
Kendra MacDonald 9:33
So, great question. We are part of what’s called the Blue Tech Cluster Alliance, and Canada right now is chairing that. That includes a number of clusters around the world — so right now it’s Canada, the US, Japan, Ireland, the UK, France, Norway, Portugal, and Spain. I think I got all nine; hopefully I didn’t miss anybody. And so we are constantly looking at how do we create conditions so that the companies can engage with each other and work together to be able to solve global problems, because if you look at the ocean, it’s all interconnected. Decisions that you’re making in one country do eventually work through, around the entire world.
And so, for these big challenges that we’re trying to solve for — can we work together to be able to move faster? Can we bring more breadth of thinking to a problem? I was somewhere the other day, and I said, you know, in some cases we’re competing, in some cases we’re cooperating. And so we’re trying to do that at a national scale, and we are also trying to do that at a global scale. So you are seeing more and more focus on what we call, in our defense industrial strategy, sovereign capabilities — so how do you build the sovereign capabilities, but how do you also work with your partners to be able to learn from each other and be able to go further together.
Mitch Ratcliffe 10:53
Collaboration like that isn’t easy. Where do you find that it becomes more difficult? What are the big challenges you’re facing right now?
Kendra MacDonald 11:00
Yes. So collaboration is, I would say, like any other relationship, right? Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. And I would say the devil is in the details. If you think about your personal relationships — or for me, with my husband — did we spend enough time in advance talking about how we wanted to raise our kids, or where we wanted to live, or whose career was the priority? All of those things. So that plays in. Now, you’re probably not signing on for life when you’re collaborating at a business level, but you need to spend the time really looking at: is what we’re trying to achieve consistent? How do we incent the teams? Are we going to get to a common outcome?
When we collaborate with other governments, for example, you look at political cycles, and at IP sharing — so are we very clear on background IP that we’re bringing, foreground IP, how that IP is being shared or held going forward? We are co-funding, so we fund a portion, the companies fund a portion. Are we clear on who is funding what? What happens if it starts going over budget? What happens if we’re not achieving the outcomes on the timelines that we intended? What happens if one company is achieving their outcomes, but the other one’s not?
And so it really does require a lot of discussion. We now have over 150 projects. You’ve got those that come to the table, I would say, with a light-touch thinking on their collaboration; you’ve got others that spend a lot more time thinking through it. And those ones that spend a lot more time thinking through it — not only do they have a better chance of success, we will often see them recognize the benefits. Because I think one of the key benefits of collaboration: we have a lot of small companies working together, and they don’t have all the capabilities to do everything. We are in a world where getting some of these capabilities is challenging, especially technical expertise. And so now, if you can work with a partner, you can deliver a bigger solution to a broader problem, and that helps you be able to get further than you would be able to get on your own.
Mitch Ratcliffe 13:04
97% or so of your projects are actually led by smaller startup businesses. How do you keep those small firms from getting swallowed when they sit down at the table with a multinational who might be a partner?
Kendra MacDonald 13:15
Yeah. So I would say, when we first created the Supercluster, that was one of the big concerns — that you would have these collaborations between small and large, and so the small would be at high risk of losing their IP. I would say we haven’t seen that, partially because we don’t have a lot of large companies; we have a lot of small working with small, so they are more hyper-aware of this challenge. But also, the model was really designed to allow the companies to choose how they bring their IP in, and then how it’s shared going forward. A lot of our larger companies — and maybe it’s just the nature of the companies that we work with — they’re really interested in being first customer or having early access to the data, but they’re not necessarily trying to take over the IP of the company in terms of how it’s designed.
We also do actually have an IP director and some pretty strong guidelines within the program, so that IP director is someone that companies can consult. To make sure that — smaller companies don’t necessarily have the IP expertise — so, how do we help them in thinking through the types of questions they want to be asking? How do we make sure we have an IP chart in every one of our agreements that lays out the background IP and the foreground IP, and then someone that helps the companies to be able to work through that? So it’s not perfect, but we haven’t actually seen, knock on wood, at this point, a lot of concerns around IP going to the larger companies. What we do see is we shine a light on these companies, and then they get internationally acquired. So that is the actual question: how do you maintain the benefits to Canada, in a program that is Government of Canada–funded, in a situation where you’re seeing them scale with funding that comes from somewhere else?
Mitch Ratcliffe 15:00
So would you describe that governance model as templated, applied across all deals, or are each of them negotiated? Is the governance negotiated individually?
Kendra MacDonald 15:09
So I would say there is flexibility within a frame. You have flexibility in terms of how you do the sharing, but everyone has to think through the sharing. Same thing with governance — so we have a steering committee model, and you can think about who’s on that steering committee, and you have some flexibility. And then there is some common reporting. So there is definitely a common structure, and then you have some flexibility within your particular project on how you want to operate with your partners.
Mitch Ratcliffe 15:38
Earlier, you mentioned that sometimes collaboration doesn’t work, and that learning is really important to the progress that the industry can make, even though the individual entity didn’t make the success expected. How do you integrate that kind of learning, and what’s your tolerance for risk in the context of the lessons you need to learn about such a big topic that we understand so little about?
Kendra MacDonald 16:02
Yeah, so that’s a great question. We do a number of member education sessions, and talking about experience with collaboration is one of those things. Certainly we spend more time, for example, on collaboration with Indigenous communities, because speed — and speed of trust, and how you engage — is very important for the success of the project. It’s important always, but when you get into more complexity around different cultures, we try to do some education and some help and some learnings there.
And then I would say our evaluators, now that we’re 150-plus projects in, they are getting better at the types of questions to ask. There is a presentation that is done by the various participants, and so you can ask very pointed questions and get a sense of: are these three individual companies that are giving you a presentation, or are they companies that have actually thought this through together — are they synchronized in terms of their responses? You can tell that there is sort of some magical sauce that is already being demonstrated, in how they work together in that presentation.
Mitch Ratcliffe 17:10
I think we have the lay of the land — or maybe the better way to put it is the contour of the shore. I want to take a quick commercial break, folks. We’re going to be right back to continue the conversation.
Welcome back to Sustainability In Your Ear. Let’s continue my conversation with Kendra MacDonald. She’s CEO of Canada’s Ocean Supercluster program, and it’s a national, industry-led innovation cluster focused on transforming Canada’s ocean economy through collaboration, technology, and, importantly, sustainability. Kendra, let’s talk about some phrases that listeners should understand, and the first one is sustainable aquaculture, which makes some environmentalists nervous, given the history of the industry. What does getting sustainable aquaculture right look like, and how do you hold the line on that?
Kendra MacDonald 17:58
Yeah, so I think a couple of things are important to understand around aquaculture. The first is that it is already one of the most sustainable sources of animal protein in the world, when you compare it to land-based agriculture, for example. The second is that it has already tipped — so if you look at since 2022, we actually get more of our fish coming out of aquaculture than coming out of wild fishery. So we are predominantly aquaculture around the world. And then the third one, and the World Bank, I think, just came out with this recently: we’re expecting to see possibly up to 22 million new jobs by 2050 in aquaculture. So it continues to be the fastest-growing source of protein.
Now, having said that, agriculture has been around much longer, and so has developed maybe more sustainability practices. Aquaculture is trying really hard to catch up really quickly. And so we need to make sure — and any of the aquaculture farmers I talk to recognize they want to make sure — that it is sustainable. So you are seeing a lot of technology solutions that are being brought to make sure that it is doing more good than harm, whether that is genomics, for example. We have a project on the West Coast that is looking at how do you look at genomics data to be able to improve animal health. We have a project that is looking at alternative sources of food — so how do you create a different food out of methanol as an input — because fish feed is part of the big footprint of aquaculture.
How do you reduce the die-offs, which is another big risk? That’s tied to environment, so now you’re seeing a change — the heating of waters that happens really quickly, and then you end up with a die-off. So how do you manage the cages? How do you manage the environmental monitoring and tracking to be able to reduce that risk? So it is already a sustainable source of food; we need to do much better, or continue on that journey as fast as we can, to make sure that the aquaculture farms are minimizing their input. So it is definitely a concern to continue to monitor, but I think there’s been a lot of progress made and will continue to be made.
Mitch Ratcliffe 20:16
We’ve had a few folks who work in the area on the show, and of course it remains controversial as to whether or not we’re recreating the concentrated animal feeding operations that we have on land in the sea. The next phrase that I want to ask you about is the blue economy, and that can sound to a lot of people like a license to industrialize the ocean. How do you think in terms of keeping growth and protection from becoming a zero-sum trade-off in the projects that you fund?
Kendra MacDonald 20:42
Well, that’s a great question. So, just as we launched in 2018, the High Level Panel on Sustainability for the Ocean at that time had 18 countries — it continues to increase in terms of the number of countries that are involved — and they really talked about protection, production, and prosperity as interlinked. And so that is one of the things that we really focus on. It’s not always that we have our environmental objectives and our economic objectives linking, but actually, a healthier ocean is also a more productive ocean. So that’s one of the things that we focus on: if we can improve the health of our ocean, that actually also improves the economic output of the ocean, which is really important.
I think the other piece that is really important is — and the High Level Panel came out with a report that said about a third to half of the solutions around improving the overall sustainability and health of the planet come from ocean solutions, whether that is offshore energy or more sustainable protein or carbon dioxide removal. So we need ocean to be a really important part of the overall health-of-the-planet conversation. So what excites me is, because they come together, a lot of the solutions that we see are, as a minimum, trying not to cause harm, and in a lot of cases trying to leave the ocean better than they found it, in terms of the solutions they’re developing.
Mitch Ratcliffe 22:05
We touched on sovereignty in the first segment, and I want to ask about this in the context of the fact that most of the ocean is not owned by anybody — it isn’t claimed by anybody. How do we avoid a tragedy of the commons as we move toward a more comprehensive aquacultural solution to humanity’s food and protein needs? In particular, are there treaties? Are there agreements that we need to have in place, or are we setting the stage already with the legislation and agreements that are in place now?
Kendra MacDonald 22:38
Yeah, so there are a number of agreements that are in place, and this is not my area of expertise, but, for example, I just completed my master’s, and I did one of my courses on maritime law. So you look at hundreds and hundreds of years of law trying to govern international shipping, which is very international in terms of moving through international waters as well as moving through international ports. You are seeing it now — so in January, they approved, through the United Nations … a lot of the agreements need to be agreed to, obviously, by multiple countries, and so the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction agreement was approved. So, how do we manage and protect biodiversity in our common waters?
You’re also seeing the conversation play out in the Arctic, as more waters are becoming more accessible — and so what does that mean in terms of rights and access? I haven’t seen it play out as much in terms of food, particularly; I see it much more in terms of things like carbon dioxide removal solutions and protection of biodiversity. But how we use those waters as they become more accessible, as we have more technology, as we have more instrumentation, and how we work together, is really important, and it does require international agreement. And so, how do we get — especially in this moment in time that we’re in — how do we get the international alignment that we need to protect our ocean and manage what happens in the deep ocean, at the same time as we have a shift in the geopolitical environment?
Mitch Ratcliffe 24:07
The times we’re in are challenging. The Trump administration, the week that we’re speaking, removed fishing protections in three protected marine areas, with — for lack of a better word — a rogue regime stirring up the entire sustainability conversation globally. Is this an opportunity for Canada to step forward, in Mark Carney’s terms, for a middle power to consolidate a bloc and really begin to lead the world in a different direction?
Kendra MacDonald 24:35
So, I think so. I think that Canada was working hard to step forward already, and this allows us to provide additional leadership in this space. We have seen, with the Ocean Supercluster and just the growth in the blue economy overall, that Canada has some really strong capabilities. You talk about marine protected areas as a perfect example — so we have worked hard in terms of increasing our marine protected areas. Now, looking at how do you monitor and actually ensure the effectiveness of those areas — I think that’s really important as well.
But yes, I think we are seeing more interest in working with Canada, and interest in Canadian technologies. I used to say, you know, internationally, no one’s really paying attention to what’s going on in Canada. I think that has changed in terms of what we are seeing, and so there is an interest. I think the US is still an important part of the Canadian conversation — they are important neighbors, they are an important market — but I do think that Canada has a strong … we’re seeing the whole climate conversation moving, but we have a strong reputation for clean tech, and I think clean tech and ocean tech very much align, and so there’s an opportunity to lead a broader conversation around the world.
Mitch Ratcliffe 25:49
Is more capital flowing to Canada now that the United States is a place where international investors are treading more carefully?
Kendra MacDonald 25:57
That’s a great question. Certainly, the flow of capital is a huge focus for us, and continues to be a challenge for our companies. So I think, on the one hand, there is more interest. On the other hand, you are seeing a slowdown in access to capital overall, you’re seeing a change in some of those models, and you’re seeing — certainly in sustainable solutions, in some of these big areas — the whole blue finance conversation is really accelerating. So Sustainable Development Goal 14, which is life below water, is the least funded of the Sustainable Development Goals. And so there is a tremendous focus on being able to increase the creativity of financial models — it hurts my accountant heart to say “creativity” — but trying to find better ways to bring philanthropic dollars and the capital markets together to be able to fund some of these solutions.
So that is a beyond-Canada challenge. Capital continues to be a challenge. How do we help our companies scale in Canada? We don’t have the funds focused on the blue economy the way that you are seeing them now emerge in a number of countries, certainly in Europe, for example. But more broadly, there’s a bigger push to be able to get more investors to be focused on the blue economy — opportunities, but also challenges.
Mitch Ratcliffe 27:16
When I was doing some of the reading to get ready for this conversation, I noticed that you said the shipping sector’s decarbonization efforts are not as slow as they used to be, which is sort of faint praise. What’s actually changed, and how do you see Canada leading that movement versus being one of the followers — or is being an important follower more important?
Kendra MacDonald 27:36
Yeah, so I think we are not as big a player in the international shipping space, but what is driving that is international regulations. You have seen a bit of a slowdown in terms of the push to decarbonization, but the International Maritime Organization is really pushing for decarbonization. You are also seeing the bigger companies, as they’re focused on their supply chain and decarbonizing throughout their supply chain, that that also puts a push on the shipping companies in terms of dealing with decarbonization.
You are also seeing an acceleration of some of the solutions that are being developed to help, because it’s considered a hard-to-abate industry. The alternative fuels conversation continues to move forward, so you are seeing this focus in the short term on how do you improve operational effectiveness — so something like better prediction of weather. If you can change the route just a little bit, you can actually save on diesel, and that obviously helps with emissions. We have a project in ports that is actually looking at how do you park the boats more effectively in the ports to be able to reduce emissions, how do you move the cargo around more efficiently to be able to reduce emissions. So there’s an operational effectiveness piece, but then there is this broader agenda of how do you get alternative fuels that are significantly less emissions.
Mitch Ratcliffe 28:55
We’ve been talking in various ways about systems throughout this conversation, and you’ve made a lot of comments about women’s leadership and also the AI readiness gap, which, if we can solve it, will allow us to see into those systems much more deeply than we do now. What are you seeing in those areas, and what would you say to a female leader who is hesitating at the edge of a hard decision right now — where they don’t necessarily feel like they have the data, or they feel like they have the data, but not the commitment of a group of stakeholders? What’s your advice?
Kendra MacDonald 29:26
Yeah, so I would say dig in and try it. I wouldn’t necessarily say that for the big-ticket item to start with — so ideally you are doing some testing and things before you get to that item — but adoption is a huge challenge when it comes to AI. And I can speak to that, certainly, from a Canadian perspective, because Canada are leaders in AI research, and yet we are much slower to adopt the technology. And that’s not just an AI problem; we see that in a lot of technologies that Canada has developed, that they’re slow to adopt. But we know that AI is fundamentally changing, or going to fundamentally change, the way that businesses operate.
I think we’re in an interesting moment in time where companies are looking and saying, well, I’m not sure I’m getting the value of the spend, I’m not sure that we’re actually measuring the productivity savings, I’m doing pilots, but I don’t necessarily have enterprise-wide impact. And so if you, as a female leader, can really cut through the noise, continue to experiment, and really try to reinvent — I heard a futurist speak the other day, and they said, you know, use a comic strip to reinvent what the world could look like. So how do you fundamentally reinvent what the world could look like, and then start experimenting to be able to get there?
But I think the key thing is, nobody should say — no one is an expert. We don’t have a lot of experts; we’re all learning through this journey together. So make sure that you stay on the learning journey, and don’t just stay on the side waiting for it to all play itself out, because then you will be too far behind.
Mitch Ratcliffe 30:59
Do you feel like AI is a key to unlocking the major challenges that we face, or is the jury still out?
Kendra MacDonald 31:07
I think, in my experience — you talked about the internet — in my experience with technology, it is less about the technology, and it’s more about being able to articulate the challenges. I think what AI allows is a very powerful technology that can tackle these challenges, maybe in a way that other technologies previously couldn’t. I went through the blockchain and cryptocurrency, when that was happening; the internet, when it came in — it was going to fundamentally change businesses. I think the hard part is actually defining the problem. And so I think if you can better define the problem — I don’t think it’s just about the technology, I actually think it’s about the business models. It is about the overall systems and processes that surround it.
If we focus only on the technology — and I think that’s the moment that we’re in, as companies are trying to find their AI strategy — well, it’s not. It’s a business strategy that’s enabled by AI. You might not need an agentic AI; you might just need a much more powerful database and analytics tool that doesn’t take you right out on the edge of the technology, but would be much more efficient in solving your problem. And so that’s the trick: stepping back and saying, what is the problem we’re trying to solve? Globally, what are the problems that we’re trying to solve? And then how do we bring these much more powerful tools to be able to solve that problem in a different way?
Mitch Ratcliffe 32:24
What does Canada’s ocean economy look like in 2035 if things go the way that you would like them to go? And what’s different? What does it mean for the rest of the world, not just for Canada?
Kendra MacDonald 32:37
That’s a great question. So we’ve actually set ourselves an ambition, 2035, which is five times growth. Canada has the longest coastline in the world, and we have the fourth-largest ocean territory, but we don’t even contribute world-average percentage to our GDP. So we are definitely under scale, and so we’re working very, very hard to be able to grow our ocean economy. And so I think, if we do that — although if we grow by five times, it’s still a relatively small percentage of the $3 trillion US dollar economy that’s expected by 2030, and in fact even bigger; they’ve got now projections out to 2050.
And so I think, in that situation, Canada is — certainly in terms of the Arctic conversation, half of our coastline is in the Arctic, and the Arctic will continue … I mean, imagine what the Arctic looks like in 2035. So industry is different, community is different, and I think we can be a big part of the leadership in that conversation, but also with the capabilities that we have around ocean technology, and making sure that we are relevant to industries all around the world. So it means a lot more domestic activity in Canada. It means using our own waters to be able to have aquaculture — aquaculture is a very small percentage of our overall coastline — so stronger domestic, but also stronger leadership in terms of exporting those capabilities to the rest of the world, and being a key player in the Arctic conversation.
Mitch Ratcliffe 34:02
What keeps you up at night when you’re thinking about Ambition 2035? What are the things that need to go right that are absolutely critical to the success — not just of that plan, but of our transition to a more sustainable economy overall?
Kendra MacDonald 34:16
Yeah, so our ability to scale solutions is maybe the number one thing that keeps me up at night, in terms of how do we ensure that we are not just bringing solutions to a certain size and then they’re going somewhere else to scale, or they’re not scaling at all. So we have — I talked about this challenge — how do we get enough blue financing to be able to scale the solutions that we need, whether that’s food, whether that’s energy, etc., across the sectors? I think it’s quite lumpy in terms of which ocean sectors get funding and which ones do not. And so, you know, there’s lots of great ideas out there, but can we scale the ones that we need for the planet that we want, fast enough?
Mitch Ratcliffe 35:04
How do we scale while also recognizing that local ecosystems are unique? In other words, how do we avoid turning the ocean into the monoculture environment that land-based agriculture is?
Kendra MacDonald 35:17
Yeah, so that’s a great question. I think community. So I had the opportunity to spend some time in South Africa, with Ocean Innovation Africa, and the number of things that they are doing in the ocean economy — and I spent some time in Northern Canada, and it was surprising, the parallels in the community conversation. And so, how do you make sure — the ocean touches so many communities, it is rural and urban, it is all along our coasts — how do you make sure that how you do that is inclusive of those communities, and the needs of those communities, and is right-sized for the needs of those communities?
So if you look at here, we have Fogo Island and the Fogo Island Inn and the Shorefast Foundation, and one of the things that they’re focused on, in working with communities, is there’s not a same-size-fits-all in terms of meeting community needs, economic development, inclusion, and capacity building — but that we need to be thinking that through as we build out these solutions. I think communities is a key part of this, but I think ocean is a key part of the solutions for sustainable, prosperous communities.
Mitch Ratcliffe 36:29
The Ocean Supercluster does a lot of work. It’s really interesting. How can people follow along as you continue to move this rock up the hill?
Kendra MacDonald 36:36
Absolutely. So you can certainly find us easily on oceansupercluster.ca, and we have a newsletter that you can sign up for to get more information. I also personally write on some of the opportunities — certainly investment opportunities — in the ocean economy. I have Saltwater Signals, which is my Substack that I write, and so between those two, you should be able to find lots of information. If, for whatever reason, you can’t, I’m also very easy to find on LinkedIn, so feel free to reach out to me and get more information.
Mitch Ratcliffe 37:08
Kendra, thanks so much. It’s been a fascinating conversation. Really appreciate the time today.
Kendra MacDonald 37:12
Thank you.
Mitch Ratcliffe 37:19
Welcome back to Sustainability In Your Ear. You’ve been listening to my conversation with Kendra MacDonald, CEO of Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, a national, industry-led effort to grow the blue economy by getting startups, century-old fishing and shipping firms, Indigenous partners, researchers, and global corporations to co-invest in projects. You can learn more about the Supercluster’s roughly 1,000 members and 150-plus projects at oceansupercluster.ca — Ocean Supercluster is all one word, no space, no dash. And Kendra writes about ocean economy investments on her Substack, which is called Saltwater Signals.
The ocean covers more than 70% of the planet, produces about half the oxygen we breathe, and absorbs something like 90% of the excess heat and a third of the carbon that we put into the atmosphere. We’ve spent most of human history treating the ocean as a place to extract from rather than to invest in or to preserve, and frankly, it was a pretty big thing, and we were overawed by it. But now we have a better understanding of how the systems work. Kendra’s model is a wager that the way to change that is structural, not inspirational. You can go faster alone, she says, but farther together. And the interesting part is what “together” actually requires, and that’s where I want to spend these few minutes.
First, she said, the devil’s in the details. Collaboration in the blue economy doesn’t succeed because everyone loves the ocean; it succeeds because partners do the unglamorous upfront work of establishing who owns background IP, who owns foreground IP, who funds what, and what happens when a project runs over budget — as well as what happens when one company hits its milestones and the other doesn’t. These are the kinds of rules of the game that make it feasible to play for small and large companies, communities, and investors. Kendra said her Ocean Supercluster evaluators have gotten good enough, 150 projects in, that they can sit through a pitch and tell whether three companies actually planned together or just showed up in the same room and tried to make a sale. The ones who did the hard prenuptial work aren’t only more likely to succeed, they are more likely to capture a larger share of the benefit.
That’s a lesson that travels well beyond saltwater. It’s the same discipline that Kevin Shaffer of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District described when we talked in January about how wastewater utilities build successful cross-sector partnerships. The value is real, but only if the governance is there first.
Then there’s the limits of any early-stage accelerator. The capital can only go so far, and Kendra gets points for raising that issue before I did. The Supercluster is funded by the Government of Canada to de-risk small Canadian companies, and it works. In her words, the program shines a light on those companies, and they get acquired internationally, scaling on capital from foreign investors. That’s the value-capture problem at the heart of every public innovation program: the country that pays to nurture a technology isn’t guaranteed to be the country that profits when it scales.
It connects to the bigger gap that she flagged: blue finance. Sustainable Development Goal 14 — that’s life below water — is the least funded of all the SDGs, and the funds dedicated to the ocean economy that are emerging in Europe haven’t really emerged in Canada yet. You can build the best pipeline of companies in the world and still watch the returns sail off into another harbor, or have no financing show up in the first place, so that things don’t get off the ground. That tension between strong science and thin capital is the thing that she says keeps her up at night, and it should keep policymakers up at night as well.
Finally, the reframe I want all of us to think about is that health and productivity are not a trade-off. In fact, they cannot be if we’re going to survive as a species. The fear baked into the phrase “blue economy” is that it’s a license to industrialize the ocean, and Kendra’s answer is that a healthier ocean is a more productive ocean, and she frames protection and prosperity as interlinked rather than opposed. And I don’t think that’s rhetoric.
Mitch Ratcliffe 41:17
Aquaculture quietly passed a milestone in 2022: for the first time, farmed aquatic animals outproduced wild-caught fish — that is, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization — and the sector is now the fastest-growing source of animal protein on the planet. Whether that growth recreates the worst of factory farming or leaves the water better than it found it depends entirely on whether we accept her premise that the two goals pull in the same direction. And that’s also the circular economy logic that Elizabeth Blankenship Singh of Overlay Capital described during another interview earlier this year. She said the system only works long-term when doing the right thing and making money are united in a clear mission.
There’s a sharp edge under all of this, and it’s why the timing of this conversation matters. The week that we recorded, the Trump administration in Washington signed a proclamation reopening nearly half a million square miles of Pacific Ocean to commercial fishing, and that was the third such rollback in 16 months. So you have one model that treats the ocean as a commons to protect and co-invest in, and another that treats marine protection as an obstacle that must be cleared out of the way. Kendra thinks this opens a door for Canada — with its longest coastline in the world and a credible clean-tech reputation — to lead a different conversation than the one that’s starting in Washington. And perhaps so, but leadership in the blue economy will be measured the same way Milwaukee’s Kevin Shaffer measures a utility’s value to the community: not by what you announced, but by what’s still standing two or three decades from now. Canada has set itself a 2035 goal to grow its blue economy fivefold, and we’ll be watching to find out whether the capital shows up to match that amazing coastline.
Hey folks, if this conversation gave you something to think about, please share it with one person who would find it useful, because you folks are the amplifiers that spread more ideas to create less waste, and word of mouth is how this show reaches its next listener. You’ll find more than 500 episodes of Sustainability In Your Ear waiting for you in our archives on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Audible, or whatever purveyor of podcast goodness you prefer. Please subscribe and leave a review, and pass an episode along. Thanks for your support. I’m Mitch Ratcliffe. This is Sustainability In Your Ear, and we will be back with another innovator interview soon. In the meantime, folks, take care of yourself, take care of one another, and let’s all take care of this beautiful planet of ours. Have a green day
The post Sustainability In Your Ear: Kendra MacDonald Steers to the Blue Economy at Canada’s Ocean Supercluster appeared first on Earth911.
https://earth911.com/podcast/sustainability-in-your-ear-kendra-macdonald-steers-to-the-blue-economy-at-canadas-ocean-supercluster/
As you furnish a new space, or just invest in a new piece or two, you may be looking for non-toxic furniture brands to ensure clean indoor air and a safe environment for yourself and/or your loved ones.
Building materials and furnishings are one of the major causes of indoor air pollution, according to the EPA. So non-toxic furniture is a key aspect of creating a healthy home.
What is Non-Toxic Furniture?
If you’re here, searching for non toxic furniture, you’re probably somewhat familiar with the fact that most furniture contains either proven or potentially harmful chemicals and you’re looking for a better way. But what exactly is a better way?
Well, there’s actually quite a bit to consider, so here’s a quick list.
Scroll to the bottom for a much more in-depth explanation on all of these elements!
- No Flame Retardants
- No Formaldehyde (Many, though not all, composite woods that use adhesives contain formaldehyde. Some terms to look out for are plywood, particle board, engineered wood, or MDF.)
- Free of Toxic Water Repellents or Stain Guards (These commonly contain Perfluorochemicals, otherwise known as PFCs)
- No PVC / Vinyl (Common in fake leather or “vegan leather” fabrics)
- Zero VOC finishes (Or low-VOC)
- Uses Natural & Organic Materials (such as Dunlop latex instead of polyurethane foam, organic cotton, hemp, and linen instead of synthetic fabrics, and responsibly-sourced solid wood)
- Non-Toxic Certifications (such as GREENGUARD, which tests against chemcial emission limits or OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 which tests for harmful substances in textiles)
Is All Eco-Friendly Furniture Non-Toxic?
A lot of eco-friendly furniture is also non-toxic, but that isn’t always the case.
Some furniture brands advertise their products as eco-friendly because they use engineered wood or particleboard made from repurposed sawmill or other wood waste. But, in many cases (though not all), the adhesives used in engineered wood can be toxic, off-gassing high amounts of formaldehyde.
Recycled materials are another complicated one: we can recycle materials that were originally toxic, and so these recycled materials may still emit harmful chemicals.
If you want a guide to eco-friendly furniture specifically, check out my guide to sustainable furniture.
Is Secondhand Furniture Non-Toxic?
While used furniture isn’t necessarily non-toxic (unless you find used furniture from a brand using natural and organic materials) products do off-gas over time, and so depending on how old the furniture is, you are likely going to be exposed to fewer toxic chemicals than if buying that same piece of furniture new.
I just always like to check that the furniture has come from a smoke-free home. (And you might want to ensure it’s pet-free too, if you have allergies/sensitivities). You may also want to clean the furniture with non-toxic cleaning products, especially if buying preloved furniture with upholstery.
Something I’ve experienced with upholstered furniture is that even if someone is selling from a smoke-free, pet-free home they might have sprayed the furniture with strong fabric fresheners. So if there is any upholstery that is removable, I like to take it off and wash that before using the preloved pieces in my home. If it is not removable, it’s nice to leave it outside for a week or two.
If you don’t have any area to do this, I might recommend putting it in a room with the door closed and a window open with your indoor vents in that room closed.
[Related: Tips for shopping secondhand furniture & home goods]
Similarly, not all non-toxic furniture is eco-friendly. For instance, a brand might use natural materials that are irresponsibly sourced, such as harvesting wood from ancient or old growth forests. And there might be plastic materials that were tested to be low in harmful chemical emissions, but using fossil fuel fabrics isn’t exactly sustainable.
The good news is, though, that there are many brands that are low-tox and environmentally responsible.
What to Watch Out For When Shopping for Non-Toxic Furniture
First and foremost, be aware of “non-toxic furniture” ads with no explanations. The term non-toxic isn’t regulated and there isn’t even a standardized definition across the furniture industry. So be cautious of brands that pop up in Google Searches for “non-toxic furniture” — companies may be advertising for those keywords but not actually have non-toxic furniture.
Always look for further details on why a company is claiming to be non-toxic: What certifications do they have? What materials do they use? What finishes do they use on the products?
The second most common culprit of greenwashing in non-toxic furniture is “blends”. A lot of companies will call the upholstery on their furniture “Performance Linen” or “linen blend”, but when you look at the actual fabric content, or ask follow up questions, it’s actually only 5-9% linen and primarily polyester.
Vegan leather is another common term used in furniture. While “vegan” might sound sustainable and healthy, when it comes to leather it usually means it’s made of polyurethane (PU) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Which is, yes, plastic. Beyond toxicity, these plastic leathers are much less likely to last. And nearly impossible to repair when they do get damaged.
I’d also look out for the misuse of certifications. For example, OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 is a certification that only applies to the textiles in a furniture piece, like the cushions and upholstery fabrics. It cannot cover materials like wood or metal. So this doesn’t mean the whole furniture item has been tested against toxic chemicals — it only applies to the soft elements of the furniture.
Non-Toxic Furniture Companies To Know
These brands are leading the way when it comes to safe, organic, and non-toxic bedroom furniture, living room furniture, dining room furniture, and office furniture. There are even some brands who have certified non-toxic furniture, as an extra level of verification.
The price ranges of these brands vary, so you’ll find something that matches your needs — you’ll find everything from heirloom-quality premium furniture to affordable non-toxic furniture. Browse through this guide for some highlights and visit each brand’s website for further details.
This guide contains affiliate links and partners. As always, all brands meet strict criteria for sustainability and are brands we love, that we think you’ll love too!
1. Medley
Best for: full range of non-toxic furniture across every room
Made-to-order from quality materials in LA, Medley’s non-toxic furniture for the bedroom, living room, dining room, and office is sturdy and sustainably made.
Medley’s furniture frames are made with FSC-certified domestically-sourced alder hardwood and their tables are crafted from FSC-certified solid walnut and maple. Any plywood used is low-VOC CARB 2 compliant.
The brand offers a few natural fabric options including hemp and OEKO-TEX 100-certified wool. For cushions, you can choose between organic Dunlop latex or, for a less expensive option, they also have a CertiPUR-US®-certified poly foam. (Keep in mind poly foam is synthetic.)
Categories: Sofas & Accent Chairs, Bed Frames, Nightstands, Storage, Dining Tables & Chairs, Benches & Desks
Price Range: $595 (poufs) – $10,290 (sectionals)
Shipping: Contiguous U.S. (or contact Medley for a quote)
2. Avocado
Best for: most non-toxic certifications in one brand
Another brand in the world of non-toxic furniture is Avocado. This B-Corp creates wooden furniture using either 100% solid FSC-certified maple hardwood, solid walnut, or 100% reclaimed solid Douglas fir. The furniture is completed using zero-VOC finishes and fumeless wood glue.
Avocado also offers several certified non-toxic furniture pieces that have been GREENGUARD Gold certified for low emissions and Formaldehyde Free certified by UL Environment. Their wooden furniture is made in Avocado’s own FSC-certified LA woodshop.
Avocado doesn’t have as many options as some of the other companies on this list, but what they do have is beautiful.
Categories: Bed Frames, Dressers, Side Tables & Nightstands, Benches
Price Range: $349 (side table) – $3,999 (full bed frame)
Shipping: Contiguous U.S.
3. Savvy Rest
Best for: organic bedroom and living room furniture
A leader in organic and natural furniture, Savvy Rest is a certified B-Corp with living room and bedroom furniture made from sustainably-sourced, safe-for-you materials.
Savvy Rest uses responsibly- regionally-sourced solid wood and zero-VOC stains (or leaves pieces unfinished). Their upholstered furniture is crafted from certified organic cotton and hemp fabrics, as well as natural Dunlop and Talalay latex.
The company isn’t able to accept furniture returns, which may be a deterrent for some. But if you want to support a sustainable employee-owned small business with your non-toxic furniture investment, this would be my pick.
Categories: Platform Beds, Sofas & Chairs, Tables & Benches
Shipping: Contiguous U.S. (Or contact for quote)
Price Range: $400 (bedside table) – $3,999 (sofa) | Use code CONSCIOUSSTYLE20 for 20% off!
4. Cisco Home @ Urban Natural
Best for: heirloom-quality furniture with organic upgrade
Cisco Home is a furniture company using responsibly-sourced materials to craft heirloom-quality furniture in Los Angeles.
While their default furniture options don’t necessarily include all-natural materials, you can click “Make it Organic” and Cisco Home will build your furniture entirely from their better materials: FSC-Certified woods, organic latex, jute, hemp, organic cotton, and wool.
Categories: Sofas & Sectionals, Chairs & Seating, Benches & Ottomans, Beds & Benches, Coffee Tables
Price Range: $975 (ottoman) – $9,000+ (large sectional)
Shipping: Continental U.S.
5. Thuma
Best for: versatile minimalist furniture
Categories: Beds, Dressers & Shelving, Bedside Tables
Price Range: $495 (nightstand) – $6,675 (corner sectional)
Shipping: Ships within U.S. and Canada (international customers can use freight forwarder)
Simple, functional, and sustainably made from repurposed rubberwood, Thuma’s non-toxic furniture checks a lot of boxes. Their dresser is also modular so you can expand or shrink it to fit your needs.
Thuma’s pieces are made with solid wood and many are GREENGUARD Gold Certified, which means they’ve been tested for low VOC emissions. (Just be sure to check the description of each product, because not all items have that certification.)
6. Natural Home by the Futon Shop
Best for: futons and natural wood furniture
As the name suggests, this furniture brand sells futons and futon frames, but they also offer other natural furniture, like side and coffee tables as well as couches and sectionals. They even have a natural “vegan leather” couch made from cork! (I like the blue cork one, but the natural cork is a pretty specific aesthetic that’s not for everyone.)
The Futon Shop has Amish furniture handmade from solid wood (maple, walnut, oak, or cherry) that was harvested from sustainably managed forests and hand-rubbed with a no-VOC natural linseed oil finish. Each piece is handcrafted by Amish craftspeople in Pennsylvania.
Categories: Bed & Futon Frames, Dressers, Sofas & Sectionals, Side Tables & Coffee Tables
Price Range: $699 (ottomans) – $5,449 (custom sofa)
Shipping: Contiguous U.S. (custom quotes elsewhere) | also offers free in-store pickup
7. Healthier Homes
Best for: natural material non-toxic seating, storage, and accents
Healthier Homes offers a curated selection of non-toxic furniture crafted with quality and sustainability in mind. Their selections of seating, tables, and accent furniture is made from solid wood, natural fabrics and metal, all finished with eco-minded non-toxic finishes — or left unfinished. (They sell non-toxic paints and furniture lacquer too.)
My favorite picks from Healthier Homes are their rattan wooden furniture (like consoles and nightstands) as well as their midcentury loom and teak chairs.
Categories: Chairs & Stools, Tables & Benches, Desks
Price Range: $185 (bench) – $4,799 (dining table)
Shipping: Contiguous U.S.
8. Copeland @ Urban Natural
Best for: designer furniture with non-toxic certifications
Founded with sustainability at its core, Copeland crafts hardwood furniture — using woods mostly sourced within 500 miles — made-to-order in its’ Bradford, Vermont factory. This factory has a solar array and is heated completely by wood waste. Most pieces are finished with a GREENGUARD certified finish.
But that doesn’t mean sacrificing on the kind of design you might get from mainstream high-end furniture companies like Arhaus.
Categories: Beds, Desks, Side Tables & Coffee Tables, Dining Tables & Chairs, Dressers & Buffets
Price Range: $256 (shelf nightstand) – $6,865 (storage bed)
Shipping: Ships within contiguous U.S. (contact for overseas logistics)
9. West Elm GREENGUARD Certified (some items)
Best for: wide non-toxic selection at a mainstream retailer
Furniture retailer West Elm has a diverse selection of non-toxic furniture that is GREENGUARD Certified. This certification indicates that the furniture has been tested to meet certain chemical emissions and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
However these pieces are not GREENGUARD Gold certified, which has higher standards and their upholstered furniture uses the kind of vague materials I talked about before like “performance linen” that’s mostly polyester. I wanted to include this brand, though, because they are a traditional retailer with physical stores and wide selections.
Categories: Beds & Cribs, Dressers & Storage, Consoles & Hutches, Desks & Chairs
Price Range: $99 (kids chair) – $6,995 (sectional)
Shipping: U.S. and select other countries
10. Sabai
Best for: repairable non-toxic sofas and seating
This B-Corp certified furniture company has versatile seating as well as side tables for a non-toxic living room. I love how their expansion kits make it simple to turn a sofa into a sectional and their Repair program helps you extend its life.
Sabai uses FSC-certified wood for the furniture frames, domestically sourced maple for the legs, CertiPUR-US certified foam for the cushions, and recycled fiber fill for the pillows. For the upholstery fabric, you can select between OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified recycled velvet, GREENGUARD Gold upcycled poly, OEKO-TEX® Certified natural hemp/cotton blend (that would be my pick!), and cactus leather (made with cactus plant, but is combined with plastic).
Categories: Sofas, Sectionals, Sleepers, Chairs, Side Tables
Price Range: $495 (side table) – $6,295 (sectional)
Shipping: Contiguous U.S.; ships to HI & AK for fee
11. What We Make
Best for: reclaimed wood furniture
What We Make is an impressive sustainable non-toxic furniture brand based in the Chicago area. They use reclaimed barn wood to make each furniture item made to order.
The non-toxic furniture brand shares that they finish their pieces with an oil-based VOC-free finish that doesn’t contain hazardous chemicals.
Categories: Bathroom Vanities, Desks & Office Furniture, Bookcases & Storage, Coffee & End Tables, Chairs, Stools & Benches, Dining & Pub Tables
Price Range: $425 (bar stools) – $6,425 (bathroom vanities)
Shipping: Contiguous U.S.
Honorable Mentions
My Green Mattress: The mattress brand has a simple, and pretty affordable non-toxic bed frame made from untreated domestically-grown Poplar wood. It’s free from wood stains and adhesives. They didn’t make the main guide since they sell just one furniture product, but it’s here in case you’re looking for a bed frame.
Green Cradle: This brand has the basics covered for a non-toxic nursery — cribs, dressers, nightstands, armoires and bookcases made from 100% solid maple, red oak, cherry wood, and walnut hardwood with a zero VOC finish (linseed oil). Similar to above, the limitation of selection at Green Cradle means it’s not on the main guide, but its still a strong non-toxic option if you need nursery furniture.
IKEA (some pieces): Is IKEA non-toxic? Well, the answer is a bit mixed here. IKEA has taken many efforts to produce furniture with lower use of harmful chemicals and transitioned out all intentionally-added PFAS earlier than many other brands. However, they do use a lot of particleboard. While they say they take efforts to minimize the formaldehyde in their products, there are no specifics on this. So, I’d approach the brand with a bit of caution and prioritize their solid wood pieces if non-toxic furniture is important to you.
Dive Deeper: Here’s how I vetted for non-toxic furniture:
These are some considerations for what to look for when shopping for non-toxic furniture for your space.
No Flame Retardants
There are hundreds of different types of flame retardants. Evidence shows that flame retardants are associated with harmful health impacts, such as reproductive toxicity, cancer, neurological function, impacts to the immune system, and adverse effects on fetal and child development.
Once commonplace to meet California’s fire safety standard, fire retardants are now banned by the state at certain concentrations and in certain products — and a growing number of states are also taking action against them to some extent.
So furniture without flame retardants should be considered a very baseline measure.
No Formaldehyde
As one of the 25 most abundantly produced chemicals in the world, exposure to formaldehyde is a common concern in furniture as well as a number of other consumer products.
The health impacts of formaldehyde exposure include:
- “Corrosive injury to the gastrointestinal tract”,
- Irritation to the eyes, skin, and respiratory tract
- Malaise, headache, irritability, memory and dexterity issues, sleeping disturbances
- Can cause skin disorders and asthma-like symptoms in those who’ve been previously sensitized
- And formaldehyde has been determined to be a probable human carcinogen
And as the EPA states, the primary way you’d be exposed to formaldehyde is by “breathing air containing off-gassed formaldehyde”, often the formaldehyde that has “off-gassed from products, including composite wood products”.
No Perfluorochemicals (PFCs)
If you’re familiar with the DuPont scandal, you’re familiar with PFCs. While typically associated with non-stick cookware, PFCs are also used to repel oil and water on a number of other types of products, including textiles like upholstered furniture.
Why are PFCs a problem? Well they’re persistent not only on products, but in the environment and in people and animals. PFCs can be released directly from manufacturing facilities into the air and water or they can be released from any products you have at home containing PFCs and into your indoor air.
Exposure to PFCs has been associated with several adverse health effects including cancer, liver toxicity, hormone disruption, developmental toxicity, and harm to the immune system.
No PVC (Vinyl)
Many fake leathers (which sometimes come with the euphemism “vegan leather”) are made from PVC. PVC is known as the most toxic and environmentally damaging plastic.
The chemical used to make PVC, vinyl chloride, is a known carcinogen, linked to increased risks of several types of cancers, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Low VOC or Zero VOC Finishes
VOCs, or Volatile Organic Compounds, include a wide group of chemicals. Examples include: benzene, ethylene glycol, methylene chloride, tetrachloroethylene, toluene, and xylene.
While each chemical will have different levels of toxicity and may cause different health impacts, VOCs have been connected to many health issues, including damage to the liver, kidney, and central nervous system; headaches, fatigue, dizziness and nausea; and eye, nose, and throat irritation. Some VOCs are even suspected or known carcinogens.
In an ideal world, you would be able to find furniture that is completely free of VOCs.
A common nearly zero VOC finish is linseed oil, or flaxseed oil. This natural finish is food safe and free of harmful chemical solvents, heavy metals, or other toxic ingredients.
Low-VOC furniture can also be a good option, especially if you’re able to off-gas it outdoors or in your garage for a few months before bringing it into your home.
Organic & Natural Materials
This is an obvious one! Preferable materials include organic cotton, hemp, linen, sustainably and locally sourced wool, responsibly-harvested wood (ideally locally sourced and native to the region), and Dunlop latex.
Some certifications to know are Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Global Organic Latex Standard (GOLS), and OEKO-TEX Standard 100, which tests for harmful substances in textiles.
Other Non-Toxic Certifications
One common certification is the GREENGUARD certification, which are products that have been “scientifically proven to meet some of the world’s most rigorous third-party chemical emissions standards”.
The GREENGUARD Gold certification is the next level. It includes criteria for additional chemicals and requires lower total VOC emissions. It limits the emissions of over 360 VOCs and chemical emissions.
Your Non-Toxic Lifestyle Journey
There is a lot to consider when shopping for non-toxic furniture! Hopefully, this breakdown of elements and red flags to look out for was useful and this list of non-toxic furniture brands gave you a good starting point in your research.
Keep in mind that the journey to green living or non-toxic living is just that — a journey. So, don’t stress if you can’t convert 100% of your home to non-toxic decor and furnishings right away.
Less toxic furniture is still better than conventional super toxic furniture. And implementing air filters or just keeping your windows open each day for an hour can also do wonders. Don’t feel pressured into perfection. Take it slow and do what you can, based on your time and budgetary constraints.
If you’re here, you’re already doing great!
Note: This curation is based upon publicly available information and while we do our due diligence, Conscious Life & Style cannot guarantee the claims of the companies featured. See our Website Disclaimer for more.
More Guides Like This
Non-Toxic Home Tips: How to Make Your Indoor Air Healthier Now
The Best Non-Toxic Cookware Materials and Brands
5 Actually Sustainable & Non-Toxic Sofas
The post 11 Best Non-Toxic and Low-VOC Furniture Brands for a Healthier Home (2026) appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.
11 Best Non-Toxic and Low-VOC Furniture Brands for a Healthier Home (2026)
Today’s quote is from environmental advocate David Brower: “The wild places are where we began. When they end, so do we.”
Earth911 inspirations. Post them, share your desire to help people think of the planet first, every day. Click the poster to get a larger image.
This poster was originally published on June 19, 2020.
The post Earth911 Inspiration: When Wild Places End appeared first on Earth911.
https://earth911.com/inspire/earth911-inspiration-when-wild-places-end/
I’ve been writing about sustainable fashion for over a decade — and furniture for about half as long. And I will tell you: finding sustainable, non-toxic sofas is one of the toughest categories to curate across the entire home, apparel, and textiles space.
While wood furniture — like tables or shelving — is fairly straightforward from a materials point of view, sofas include many materials to create the frame, cushions, and upholstery. And companies aren’t required to disclose every component.
So there is a lot of greenwashing happening in the furniture space. Let’s get into it.
What Makes a Sustainable and/or Non-Toxic Sofa?
Unsurprisingly, the same toxic chemicals that are unhealthy for us are just as terrible for the environment. After all we are part of — and interconnected with — the rest of the planet and natural world. Here’s what to look out for when shopping for a non-toxic sofa or sustainable couch:
Non-toxic sofas will be free of flame retardant treatments.
Flame retardants are toxic chemicals — once required by law — that were and continue to be used to treat polyurethane foam in sofas and other furniture. Now, many companies are shifting away from using flame retardants as awareness of their harmful effects grows. Toxic-Free Future has more information on toxic flame retardants.)
Sustainable sofas are made with responsibly-sourced and safely treated wood.
Wood is a renewable material, but it’s still important to ensure that the wood was harvested from responsibly-managed forests and is not contributing to deforestation. Deforestation is is a major contributor to climate change and biodiversity loss.
While not perfect, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification is the most widely recognized certification for sustainable forestry management. You may also see “Sustainable Forestry Initiative” (SFI) as a certification on wood, but leading environmental organizations like the Sierra Club conclude FSC has significantly stronger environmental standards than SFI.
What about plywood?
Pressed wood, such as plywood, is typically made with glue that contains formaldehyde, a chemical that has been linked to cancer risk in studies and listed as a known or probable carcinogen by multiple health groups.
Solid wood furniture is not always financially accessible, though (or realistic if you’re on the move often — it can be heavy!) so look for plywoods with no added formaldehyde if you go that route. You will never find zero formaldehyde wood — even if a company claims it. That’s because wood contains trace amounts of formaldehyde. To be clear: the naturally occurring levels are nowhere near the added levels, but it’s just something to be aware of.
Finally, look for low- or zero-VOC (VOC stands for volatile organic compounds) finishes on the wood. These might include synthetic finishes with zero emissions or natural finishes like linseed oil or beeswax.
Eco-friendly couches have upholstery made with organic, recycled, and natural fabrics.
Many companies make their sofas with harsh chemical-laden fabrics such as chrome-tanned leather and polyester. Watch out for “vegan leather” as this almost always means it’s made with plastic leather, or pleather. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is particularly toxic, plus it won’t last as long or be as repairable as leather.
When possible look for organic cotton, linen, or hemp fabric that is not treated with toxic chemicals. The top of the line label to look out for is GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certification.
These fabrics are not widely available for sofas though, so you might also consider sofas made with recycled synthetic materials. Not ideal, but we can only purchase from what is available and what is within our budget and do the best we can.
But one term to watch out for? Blend.
There are companies calling their sofas “Performance Linen” or “Linen Blend” — and when you dig deeper or inquire about the material composition it’ll be 95% polyester and just 5% linen. (I wish I was exaggerating.)
I get that natural fibers on an entire sofa are expensive, and that couches need to be durable, but saying “linen blend” when there’s a marginal fraction of actual linen fibers feels beyond misleading to consumers. So I want to make sure you all are aware of this and can be smarter shoppers!
Non-toxic couches haveh natural and/or non-toxic foam.
Most foams are petroleum-based (poly-foam), which is as unsustainable as it sounds. You can look instead for natural fillers such as organic cotton, responsibly-sourced wool, and GOLS-certified organic latex where possible. If not feasible, look for the CertiPUR-US® seal on synthetic foam, a certification that tests for a host of toxic chemicals like formaldehyde, toxic flame retardants, heavy metals, among many others.
“Sustainable” and “eco friendly” mean nothing.
Be aware that vague terms like “sustainable”, “natural” or “eco friendly” with no further details don’t mean anything. These terms aren’t regulated and any brand can say it — I often see brands use one marginally lower impact material and then call the entire product “sustainable.”
What About Secondhand Sofas?
Investing in sustainably-made furniture can be quite expensive, but shopping used is a great way to find eco-friendly sofas and other furnishings for far less.
A sofa on the secondhand market is most likely not “non-toxic”. But since the most off-gassing happens when furniture is new, your exposure to many of these chemicals will be reduced compared to what it would have been if you bought that same piece of furniture new. That said, you’ll want to check if the sofa is coming from a smoke-free home. And pet-free, if you have allergies.
What are some places to find sustainable sofas secondhand?
Checking out your local furniture resale shops, consignment stores, and any nearby estate sales or garage sales is a great place to start. I found my sofa on Facebook Marketplace and have found many other furniture pieces on OfferUp and estate sales. (EstateSales.net is my go-to for finding sales near me.)
And if you’re in the US you’ve likely seen people leave their unwanted furniture out on their curb. This is called “stooping” and yup, it’s totally free. Of course you’ll want to do a thorough inspection of the sofa and you may have to be prepared to do some reupholstering since you never know exactly why someone left the sofa out. The condition might be less than desirable, but it’s free, so you may be willing to invest in some repair costs.
For more curated secondhand and vintage sofa options, check out:
Eco-Friendly and Non-Toxic Sofa Brands
If you’re in the market to purchase a new eco-friendly sofa, check out these sustainable and/or non toxic sofa companies.
To be clear: the brands in this guide aren’t necessarily perfect, especially if they’re on the more affordable side. But they are the top of the pack of the dozens of brands I researched for this guide. As I said: finding sustainable and non-toxic sofas is one of the toughest challenges I’ve had with my guides.
Since each brand uses a different set of materials and has slightly different standards, priorities, and values I’ve included those details next to each brand. Though I encourage you to also do your own research to find which brand would be best for you. Especially because some sofas were chosen for their sustainability credentials, some for their non-toxic credentials, and some for both.
Here’s the thing though: I will tell you when there are caveats or where a a brand might be falling short. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy from them if you love their sofa, but I think it’s best if we’re honest about those limitations and discuss the nuances and range of sustainability rather than overpromising with broad claims and little to back it up.
This is something I’ve found to be lacking in virtually every sustainable product roundup and review across the internet and it’s frustrated me as a reader. So we’re changing that.
Note that this article includes affiliate links. As always, we only feature brands that meet high standards for sustainability that we love — and that we think you’ll love too!
Best Sustainable Sofa: Savvy Rest
Materials: Natural Talalay Latex, GOTS-Certified Organic Cotton or Hemp, Organic Wool Batting, Jute Webbing, Natural Coir, Zero-VOC Finishes, Maple Hardwood
Savvy Rest makes their sustainable organic sofa with the crème de la crème of natural and certified organic non-toxic materials. And each sofa is hand-crafted by skilled woodworkers in Virginia using Verified Sustainable Appalachian Hardwood.
The company also has a legal status as a Benefit Corporation and an employee-owned company.
Price Range: $3,999 – $6,148 (Use code CONSCIOUSSTYLE20 for 20% off)
Shipping: Free White Glove delivery in continental U.S. Contact for quotes outside 48 contiguous states.
Best Non-Toxic Sofas: Medley
Materials: FSC-Certified Wood, OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 Certified Fabric, CertiPUR-US® or Organic Latex Foam, VOC-Free Glue, Jute
Medley is another company walking the walk on sustainability. But it ranks at the top specifically for a non-toxic sofa option, rather than the top sustainable one, because they offer natural options — but also certified non-toxic synthetic options for a less expensive sofa.
For example, Medley’s sofas come with GOLS certified organic natural latex or CertiPUR-US® certified synthetic foam. And all of their fabrics are OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 or GREENGUARD Gold certified, but you can select between 100% cotton, 100% linen or for a less expensive option: 100% polyester. Each sofa is made in the US.
Price Range: $2,295 – $4,595 (check out Medley’s “Re-Lounge” collection for discounted options)
Shipping: International; Contact Medley for a quote for shipping outside of the US
Best for Sleeper Sofas: Sabai
Materials: FSC-Certified Wood, CertiPUR-US® Certified Foam, Organic Cotton + Hemp Fabric Option, Recycled Polyester, or Cactus Leather
Beyond using more responsible and recycled materials, this B-Corp certified BIPOC-owned furniture brand has programs to extend the life of their couches with their Repair Don’t Replace program and Revive resale program. Worth noting: the default option for the sofas is usually their upcycled poly, so if you want a natural option, be sure to select “Hemp Blend” which is a 55% organic hemp, 45% cotton blend.
Their Sleeper Sofa is a highlight — Apartment Therapy ranks Sabai’s Eclipse sofa as the “Best Sleeper Sofa” for its streamlined design and fuss-free set up.
Price Range: $1,745 – $6,295
Shipping: Ships within the U.S. (shipping is carbon offset and packaging is 100% recycled)
Best Organic Sofa: Cisco Home
Materials: FSC-Certified Wood, Organic Latex, Natural Jute/Hemp/Cotton/Wool Fabric
A leader in the eco-friendly furniture space, Cisco Home has been handcrafting organic sofas for decades and was a founding member of the Sustainable Furniture Council.
Something I want to call out though: you’ll need to select “Make it Organic” on the product page for your sofa (or sectional) to be made with their more sustainable materials like FSC-certified wood, organic latex, and other natural materials like jute, hemp, organic cotton, and wool.
Price Range: $3,850 – $14,379
Shipping: Ships within contiguous U.S.; white glove delivery available with fee
Best for Futons: The Futon Shop
Materials: Kiln-Dried Wood Frame, GOLS-Certified Organic Latex (optional upgrade), GOTS-Certified Organic Wool (optional upgrade)
The Futon Shop has an impressive set of organic sofas and non-toxic sectionals made from natural safe materials with the option to upgrade to organic materials like GOLS-certified organic latex and GOTS-certified organic wool.
Their sustainable couches and non-toxic sofa beds, all made in San Francisco, have frames made from responsibly-sourced kiln-dried wood and are available in fabrics like hemp and organic cotton.
Price Range: $1,525 – $5,500
Shipping: Ships within the continental U.S.
Are There Affordable Sustainable Non-Toxic Sofas?
You may have just gone through that list and thought: umm none of those are even remotely in my budget Elizabeth! And I feel you. That’s why I bought my own couch secondhand.
I do think if someone is going to spend $2,000+ on a couch, it should be a sustainable, non-toxic one — because they exist and there are beautiful options. So why not? But if you are not going to invest that much, here’s how you can still find a slightly more affordable and more eco-friendly option.
More Affordable Sustainable Sofas:
Secondhand is your friend. I’ve already listed plenty of options for finding secondhand furniture, but did you also know you can find open box sofas at many major retailers? This is an especially good option if you’re willing to pay more than typical secondhand prices for the convenience.
Wayfair’s Open Box section has returned sofas up to 40% off new. I also happen to live near the first-ever “Wayfair Outlet” that sells returned items. My husband and I have purchased several pieces there that have all been in good condition. (Though not everything at the outlet is.)
Ikea as an “As Is” selection of returned or gently used products. They do not ship these products, so you’ll have to check what’s available at the store near you. We bought a TV stand as well as outdoor furniture through Ikea’s As Is. Ikea also sells discontinued products that are in as-new condition.
West Elm Open Box Outlet Deals are similar to Wayfair offer discounts in that they offer up to 40% on returned items. Given West Elm’s furniture virtually never goes on sale, this can be a great opportunity to get a better price on the company’s pieces.
We purchased a genuine leather mid-century modern style recliner from West Elm’s Open Box section that was $500 off the original. The damage was very minor so we were happy with this purchase. Plus leather is very repairable — unlike “vegan leather” or pleather.
Medley Re-Lounge is my favorite option from this list because it’s one of the sustainable non-toxic sofa brands featured here! You can access their sofas for 25-40% off new prices. Plus since Medley is typically made-to-order furniture where you might need to wait for months, another benefit is that these returned sofas ship in just 1-2 weeks.
Most of the furniture on any of those sites won’t be in perfect condition — unless it’s simply a discontinued product — but you’re likely saving several hundreds if not over a thousand dollars. So for me it’d be a tradeoff I’m willing to make. The furniture will wear slightly in a few months anyway.
More Affordable Non-Toxic Sofas:
If your priority is non-toxic, and not sustainability, your options may expand to include cheaper fabrics like polyester that have been tested and certified for low toxicity. I would look for OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified fabrics. And it’ll probably have to be synthetic foam (again the certification for that is CertiPUR-US®).
Pottery Barn has a GREENGUARD Gold selection with options under $1,300. Their “Performance Linen” is likely a blend of primarily polyester, but again — for a more affordable low-tox option you are likely looking at a polyester that has been tested against some of the most toxic chemicals.
West Elm also has a GREENGUARD Certified selection with some sofas under $1,000 and many under $2,000. (Again, I’d check out their Open Box section for discounts.)
Crate & Barrel and Joybird also have GREENGUARD Gold certified sofas, but they are more expensive than Pottery Barn and West Elm.
IKEA is certainly not perfect, but they have some low-tox options. The company phased out PFAS in their textiles in 2016 and has been actively working towards lowering the formaldehyde emission levels from pressed wood products. Their Stockholm 2025 couch has solid wood legs and natural fabric upholstery (cotton and linen). The backrest and armrest are coir and natural latex though the seat cushion just says “latex foam” so we’ll assume that’s synthetic. The back and armrest cushions are recycled polyester.
Burrow is a company I used to include on the main list, but every time I went on their site, I saw less information about sustainability. They do use CertiPUR-US® certified cushions and do not intentionally add any PFAS to their products, but I noticed their claims around responsibly-sourced wood are gone. Nor do they have any further certifications about the fabrics such as OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100. So its an option, but it would be low on my list.
More Guides for Your Sustainable Living Room
Ethical Home Decor Brands to Curate a Beautiful, Conscious Space
Furnish Your Home Sustainably with these Eco Furniture Brands
The Most Gorgeous Fair Trade Artisanal Rugs
The post 5 Actually Sustainable and Non-Toxic Sofas for Restful Relaxation (2026) appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.
5 Actually Sustainable and Non-Toxic Sofas for Restful Relaxation (2026)
-
Climate Change12 months ago
Guest post: Why China is still building new coal – and when it might stop
-
Greenhouse Gases12 months ago
Guest post: Why China is still building new coal – and when it might stop
-
Greenhouse Gases2 years ago嘉宾来稿：满足中国增长的用电需求 光伏加储能“比新建煤电更实惠”
-
Climate Change2 years ago嘉宾来稿：满足中国增长的用电需求 光伏加储能“比新建煤电更实惠”
-
Climate Change2 years ago
Bill Discounting Climate Change in Florida’s Energy Policy Awaits DeSantis’ Approval
-
Renewable Energy9 months agoSending Progressive Philanthropist George Soros to Prison?
-
Carbon Footprint2 years agoUS SEC’s Climate Disclosure Rules Spur Renewed Interest in Carbon Credits
-
Greenhouse Gases1 year ago
嘉宾来稿：探究火山喷发如何影响气候预测