International Journal of
Innovation, Management and Technology

Abstract

Industrial development usually has an inherentenvironmental impact due to the unsustainable practiceadopted to support this growth. Furniture industry is anexample of this trend since its growth is sustained by theexploitation of the forest from where the timber is extracted.High density polyethylene (HDPE) has been selected as asuitable alternative for wood because of its physical properties,economic benefits and environmental friendly characteristics.The reports will illustrate how furniture industry createsenvironmental pressure, aspects that will be affected byadopting the new sustainable philosophy, cost savingopportunities and example of best practices currentlyimplemented. HDPE based furniture are made from the samematerial used in containers for milk, shampoo, oil and otherproducts, which makes it highly recyclable. Furthermore, at theend of their working life the product can also be recycle,making them totally eco-friendly and economically profitable.Moreover, these products offer excellent resistance andlongevity characteristics that closely resemble and exceed theones found in real wood. Finally this sustainable practice hasalready been successfully implemented by many companiesaround the world for several years.