The two most important things to consider when shopping for "green" furniture are: What is the product's impact on the environment and what it its impact on your health? Though many home furnishings are made from wood (a fast-depleting natural resources) and plastic (a non-biodegradable product), and many finishes and upholsteries can be made with toxins and VOCs, eco-friendly furniture is becoming more and more popular, more easily available, and more affordable. Here's what to look for:

Choose furniture made of certified hardwood. Look for the label of the Forest Stewardship Council. This wood comes from forests that are well managed, and re-planted, where no clear cutting occurs.

Avoid engineered wood, such as plywood and particleboard, which usually contain formaldehyde (an irritant and possible carcinogen). Formaldehyde can offgas and deteriorate the indoor air quality of your home. Low- and no-formaldehyde wood products are rare but are slowly coming onto the market and are usually labeled as such.

Avoid plastic furniture - which is non-biodegradable - especially products made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC). One exception is furniture that's made of plastic that's been recycled. This diverts waste from landfills and puts to good, durable use a material that would otherwise languish in a landfill for centuries.

Choose low-VOC and no-VOC finishes and paints. They don't emit the toxic fumes and particulates that can lead to poor indoor air quality. Such finishes are usually water-based, are only slightly less durable than high-VOC products, and are becoming more readily available, especially in lines of children's furniture.

Opt for natural fabrics (such as cotton or linen) or those made from recycled materials (such as polyester made from recycled soda bottles) when choosing upholstered furniture. To take it a step further, try organic materials that are colored using natural dye or low impact dye.

Avoid stain-resistance treatment. Also known as "Scotchguard," this and other "easy-care" coatings such as water- and wrinkle-resistance are almost always made with perfluorochemicals (PFCs), a likely carcinogen and part of a class of chemicals that never breaks down in the environment. Flame retardant should also be avoided, as it is generally made with polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDEs) or formaldehyde.

Choose natural fills and foam for cushions, such as latex, down, or wool. Polyurethane foam is a popular filling for cushions, but should be avoided if possible because it contains VOCs associated with upper respiratory problems. Also stay away from foam that has been treated with fire retardant.

Buy second-hand furniture. Americans throw away 8.8 million tons of home furnishings each year, some of it in perfectly good shape. Tag sales, auctions, ebay and craigslist are good sources of second-hand furniture. These items often also save you money. At freecyle, they'll cost you nothing. One caveat: old upholstered furniture should be cleaned to remove dust and particulates that could diminish indoor air quality.

Look for reclaimed materials. Higher end furniture designers sometimes incorporate previously used materials into new pieces. But this can be done in DIY fashion as well: an old door becomes a tabletop; some used shutters are mounted as a decorative headboard. The possibilities are nearly endless, money saving, and usually become great conversation pieces.

Shop for durability. Choose styles that will endure and materials of high quality. Keeping a piece of furniture for decades, and even passing it along to the next generation, is a great way to minimize your impact on the environment.

Look for locally-sources materials. Some eco-friendly furniture companies do their best to use raw materials that are harvested near the factory, which keeps the emissions associated with shipping to a minimum.

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