One key to making greener furniture comes through in the old adage “Waste not, want not.” And in the case of flat pack furniture, it means using less material to create comfortable, durable and viable chairs and tables. We touched on the concept of the Real Good Chair and how it folds flat to minimize packaging and ultimately reduce waste. Flat pack furniture follows similar principles, but focuses more on the piece itself than the box it comes in.

The eco-friendly catalog of greener compact furniture includes desks and laptop stands made from a single piece of plywood, a fold up bookcase, and even an emergency shelter that looks like a cross between a 3D jigsaw puzzle and a set of giant Lincoln Logs.

Flat pack furniture seems to affirm that with the planet’s limited resources and space straining under the demands of a growing population, less is ultimately more. Look for manufacturers to adopt more of these unique green design principles once the costs of mass production drop down to a sustainable level.