Carpets and paints have taken the rap on environmental issues, while babies' and kids' furnishings have gone largely unnoticed. Meanwhile, aisle upon aisle of pretty cribs and changing tables, dressers and rockers, toy boxes and mini-chairs-many of which will be tossed after just a couple of years-are depleting our forests, clogging our landfills, making giant carbon footprints in production, and offgassing volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Here's what you can do: Buy stuff that will last because it's durable, adaptable, and designed to grow with your kid; look for vintage pieces made of solid wood (but make sure they comply with federal safety regulations-cribs made prior to 1991 may not); pare down and improvise (do you really need all the items the baby store carries, plus every bell and whistle?); and seek out green pieces-some of the smartest, freshest designers in the U.S. and Europe have started making environmentally friendly children's furnishings.

Cribs and beds
A crib has to be strong enough for you to trust it with your sleeping child, even after thousands of hours of use. Simple designs made of solid hardwood tend to do the job best. They're also the soundest environmentally, as are cribs finished with nontoxic paint or sealant-a good choice healthwise, since the crib top rail is likely to double as a teething aid. Kids' beds follow the same principle: Simple designs spell longevity, while that novelty "race car" or "princess" bed's cute factor is age-specific.

The greening Many of the coolest cribs emerging from the drawing boards of young design firms are created to do double duty-add an optional piece here and there, and your crib serves as a changing table or gives you extra storage. They're also adaptable. As your kid grows, you can reconfigure the crib to be a toddler bed, youth bed, sofa, and even chairs (although you might have to buy the manufacturer's special kit to do so). Likewise, some youth beds transform into bunks. That's a saving of resources-yours and the planet's. For growable furnishings, check out Argington, ducduc, Oeuf, Stokke, and Nurseryworks.

Look for adaptable cribs and beds built with hardwoods from managed forests; some, including the new line from Q Collection Junior, are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council-the gold standard for forest sustainability. These tend to be fairly pricey, but budget versions are available (think Ikea).

Tables, chairs and storage
You can find pretty much any style in mini-furnishings for kids, and just as in the grownup world, what's hot now is clean-lined, modern, and playful. That means plastics are out and plywood is in; so is any natural wood, making a simple vintage piece a good find (toy chests must meet federal safety standards, and watch out for lead paint).

The greening For some time now, manufacturers have gradually reduced the level of VOCs in the formaldehyde-based glues that bind plywood and engineered woods (composite board, particleboard, or medium-density fiberboard (MDF); they've also paid more attention to sealing the woods to minimize offgassing-worth bearing in mind when you're shopping for retro kid stuff. Now, these woods are available with nontoxic glues, and some children's furniture designers are taking advantage. (Bear in mind, though, that even nontoxic engineered woods are eco-thieves, since manufacturing them uses plenty of energy; then again, there's far less wood waste.) You'll also find soft seating stuffed with eco-fleece-made from recycled soda bottles-instead of foam, which offgasses, from The Landing Pad; some very basic but totally green minis made from folded cardboard; and the odd, whimsical masterpiece of reuse.

Look for natural wood products or the words nontoxic glues.

Changing tables and dressers
Any solid wood dresser, repainted with nontoxic color if necessary, can work in a child's room, but if you're buying a new one, think about making it work as a changing table, too, and consider how it will look in a few years' time when the crib's turned into a bed and the bears have been displaced by robots. Clean design is one solution.

The greening The same designers who are making transformable cribs have come up with solid wood changing tables that are also simple dressers.

Look for those natural woods, or nontoxic glues if the product has MDF or particleboard components.

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