A green crib for under $200?

Graco/Bonavita have launched the first green crib to sell for under $200---the Dakota will be available at Wal-Mart exclusively until August 1. The crib runs $199, a changing table is $130.

What makes it green? Here's the official word:

The Dakota Collection is the first Graco Baby Furniture to be eco friendly.
It is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). All wooden
components are sustainable woods from responsibly managed forests and are
certified to the standards of the FSC by the Rainforest Alliance SmartWood
Program. All finishes are water based  and packaging is from recycled or
recyclable materials.

What do you think?

Comments

[Morgan]

We have been waiting for this crib for a few months now. It has not been available at Wal-mart (says coming soon)... but just recently saw it on sale for more money at simplybabyfurniture.com. Do you know if/when it might actually become available at Wal-mart?

http://www.simplybabyfurniture.com/28w21532.html

[Brier]

I like the looks, the eco-friendliness and the price is certainly right. Do you know where this is made (only says Imported on specs) - just wondering from the eco-footprint standpoint, where this has traveled. I'm curious about any updates as to the availability at Wal-mart. Still says coming soon on the web site.

[res]

It is now available at Wal-Mart.com.

[Marianna]

While I appreciate the posting about green items, I think that here, and in the book, it would make sense to consider the full carbon footprint in deciding what items are "green." Green is not just about sustainably harvested and healthy materials. It is also about how far the materials have to travel to get to your door. So a crib made from FSC certified lumber, sealed with bee's-wax that comes from China or Romania is less "green" than one that comes from locally harvested wood and that is manufactured near by. My bigger point is that green is not a black-and-white issue. When you call something "green" you need to be clear about how that is defined. I encourage you to be as inclusive as possible in your definition--otherwise you miss much of the environmental impact we have.

[Nikki]

"All wooden components are sustainable woods" sounds like it may not be all solid wood. Are there parts of this crib that are made of particle board, plywood, pressed wood or MDF?

[Judy]

The Forest Stewardship Council is run by the timber industry as a self-regulation scheme (in other words, it's the industry policing itself). The FSC has been criticized for example for supporting old growth logging - not green by any stretch of the imagination. There is a lot of debate over whether their certification has any value - see, for instance http://www.fsc-watch.org/ for further details.

[KR]

Does anyone know if this crib is available at any store to see in person? I've only seen it available online so far, but we're curious to see what it looks like in person.

[Ryan]

Judy is not entirely correct. I think she may be confusing The Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) with te timber industry’s Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). Either she's confused OR she's a timber industry lackey. I'm going with the later. FSC is fully independent.
http://credibleforestcertification.org/fsc_facts/fsc_attributes/

The FSC is the original international forest certification system. It was created in 1993 by forest managers and producers, conservation groups, and labor, indigenous, and other social interest groups from North America and globally. The FSC is supported and governed by a balance of business, environmental, and social interests, nationally and internationally, and remains the choice of most conservation groups that promote certification.

The FSC ensures that forests meet a set of globally applicable, independent, performance-based standards for ecologically, socially, and economically responsible forestry, i.e., the FSC Principles & Criteria (P&C). The FSC also requires forests to meet Regional Standards that provide greater specificity, help implement the P&C, and address differences in regions’ forest ecosystems and economic and social contexts.

The FSC is designed to provide direct accountability, a guarantee that forests meet its standards on-the-ground, and a rigorous chain-of-custody system to verify that labeled products are connected to certified forests. Independent certifiers accredited by the FSC verify whether forest managers follow the FSC’s standards. Marketing claims are strictly controlled.

The FSC achieves both relevance to, and independence from, forestry interests through a standards development and governance system that vests equal control in three membership chambers: environmental, social, and economic. The FSC is also predominantly funded by independent sources.

Fully independent and not overly influenced by timber industry. FSC:YES SFI:NO
Strong forest and environmental protection standards. FSC:YES SFI:NO
Strong community protection standards. FSC:YES SFI:NO
Product content monitoring (chain of custody) consistently required. FSC:YES SFI:NO
Consistent link between product labels/claims and certified forests. FSC:YES SFI:NO
Strong certification and accreditation process. FSC:YES SFI:NO
Transparency and public participation consistently required. FSC:YES SFI:NO
Certifies some of the most environmentally destructive timber companies in North America. FSC:NO SFI:YES