Eco-Friendly Furniture Brands to Spruce Up Your Outdoor Space

sustainable outdoor furniture

Graphic by Giovanna Chung/KCM

These pieces will last you longer and save you money in the long run. 

Plastic can take up to 500 years to decompose, depending on the type — a staggering figure when you consider how many single-use plastics many of us consume on a daily basis. The good news is that consumer awareness of this problem is increasing, and more companies are adopting sustainable materials in manufacturing. 

While it’s easy to pick up a new set of plastic patio chairs year after year, it’s not only bad for the environment, but your wallet takes a hit, too. Repurchasing items is a great way to spend more money in the long run rather than investing in a quality piece up front. Sure, you’ll pay more for a metal dining set or waterproof wood furniture than plastic ones, but chances are you won’t ever have to buy another set of chairs or a new table in your lifetime.

When it comes to outfitting your patio this summer, you have more ways than ever before to find sustainable outdoor furniture that doesn’t sacrifice aesthetics. In fact, the market for eco-friendly furniture is expected to grow to nearly $60 billion in 2027, up from $37 billion in 2020, according to a research report. Read on for our favorite spots to shop for eco-friendly outdoor furniture that is high-quality, recycled and/or sustainably sourced.

The Best Eco-Friendly Outdoor Furniture Brands

Neighbor

When it comes to outdoor furniture, having something that will last you a lifetime is what makes the investment worth it. Strong materials ensure your furniture looks brand new season after season, which is why the founder of Neighbor wanted to make something that not only looked beautiful, but was long-lasting and easy on the environment.

By using materials like teak (which is naturally water repellant and rot-resistant), Neighbor ensures that their designs will last forever. They also invest in sustainable and responsible wood harvesting, only using wood from FSC certified forests, which help protect against deforestation, worker exploitation, and indigenous land rights.

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Yardbird

Yardbird

After launching a test pop-up in Minneapolis in 2018 and selling out of $1 million in inventory in only a month, the team behind Yardbird knew they were onto something. The sustainable outdoor furniture brand has a Restoration Hardware look with a twist: Wicker pieces from dining sets to chaise lounges are made with intercepted ocean plastic collected from beaches and waterways in the Philippines (this year alone, the company will use more than 200,000 pounds of it in its outdoor furniture). Prefer a wood look? Yardbird’s newest collection, the Winnie, is made with weather-resistant teak.

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Model No.

Model No.

This custom furnishings company is the first to produce furniture 3-D printed from agricultural byproducts, such as corn husks or beetroot. Not only does Model No. repurpose materials that would have otherwise gone to waste, but it also minimizes carbon emissions and the result is free of toxic chemicals and safe for both your family and the environment. The brand’s first outdoor collection includes two chair styles, a side table, and a gorgeous wood dining table that includes a removable center channel to stash your favorite canned cocktails or plants.

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FLOR

FLOR

Manufactured in LaGrange, Georgia, eco-friendly tiled area rugs from FLOR are the perfect way to brighten up your enclosed or covered patio space. Thanks to a “return and recycle” program (in which you can send rug tiles back to be made into new ones), FLOR has kept millions of pounds of carpet out of landfills each year. Beyond the feel-good story, these rugs are lovable for their subtle, woven textures similar to Jute. Natural-hued rugs unify an outdoor living space nicely, while more colorful iterations add a pop of brightness to any patio.

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AptDeco

AptDeco

One easy way to be easier on the environment when you shop is to buy secondhand. Enter AptDeco, an online marketplace that sells unique pre-owned furniture, including outdoor pieces, from top brands like Pottery Barn and Roche Bobois. This shop is perfect for anyone who prefers a more eclectic look — you may not be able to find a set of eight matching chairs, but you might score a hanging outdoor egg chair for way less than what it would cost you to buy brand new. To date, AptDeco has sold enough secondhand furniture to equal taking 350 million cars off the road or planing 762,000 trees. 

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Loll Designs

Loll Designs

Recycled plastics like single-use milk jugs are manufactured into durable outdoor furniture at Loll Designs, a Duluth, Minnesota-based company that’s been diverting post-consumer plastic from landfills since 2007. Decidedly modern pieces from rocking chairs to swings to dining sets add major style to any deck or patio, and the company makes equally fashionable planters to match. Adding to the appeal? The nonporous material of Loll furniture means it won’t collect dirt, and they’re specially formulated to resist fading (so bring on the sun!).

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Polywood

All-weather Polywood furniture, made from recycled high-density polyethylene, is built to last through the most extreme conditions, from hot sun to freezing snow. And you’d never guess each piece was once a shampoo bottle or a detergent container; the expansive collection of outdoor lounge sets, dining furniture, Adirondack chairs, glider benches, and more have a classic look and come in a variety of neutral colors to match any backyard. The impact is even more incredible: Polywood as a brand recycles more than 400,000 landfill- and ocean-bound plastic containers in-house daily.

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