Susan Inglis is the executive director and a founding member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC), an independent coalition incorporated in March 2007 with the aim of promoting sustainable practices within the industry.
Under her direction, SFC has led the green revolution by working with industry leaders to establish standards and practices to measure furniture sustainability. The SFC 275 members in its short lifetime.
Inglis is also founder and owner of From The Mountain (FTM), a company that develops, sources, and manages the production of casegoods, home accents, and textiles handmade in Bolivia, Columbia, Peru, Serbia, Madagascar, Uganda and other international locales.
FTM is known for products which are handmade, unique, storied, connected to the greater world, and affiliated with green industries.
She has earned international recognition for her achievements meeting the specific needs of both for-profit marketers and not-for-profit foundations, often linking indigenous artisan groups to new markets and supporting international microenterprise development organizations.
Inglis has served as business development consultant and trainer for publicly-funded development organizations around the world.
As producer and sourcing agent/broker, she has developed or sourced home, gift, fashion, and natural products for some of America’s most innovative companies, including ABC Carpet & Home, Aveda, Egg by Susan Lazar, Grant Dawson Collection, National Geographic Catalog, Red Egg, Sundance Catalog, Tucker Robbins, Vietri, and more.
Inglis holds a degree in anthropology from the UNC at Chapel Hill. Asked what is the most important thing a person can do to encourage a more sustainable approach to business, Inglis gives a short answer: “Buy carefully.”
Specialties: sourcing handmades & sustainable manufacture
Show Highlights
- Why the largest furniture market in the world is in North Carolina?
- Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC) provides resources, guidance, and education for the industry and conconsumer. Their website is a valuable resource with the finder and scorecard features.
- WithIt is the best networking organization in the industry.
- SFC’s data initiative encourages transparency in supply chains and stimulates innovation towards the elimination of harmful chemicals.
- You can trust certifications and labels. Learn about GOTS, Global Organic Textile Standard and OEKO-TEX certification.
- Circularity is gaining in importance because in circularity many sustainability segments intersect to meet sustainability targets.
- Susan’s insights and contagious enthusiasm for the sustainability industry will inspire you.
“It is not uncommon for the material to come from one continent to be processed on another, to be manufactured into something on another for use by consumers on yet another.”
– Susan Inglis
Susan Inglis’ Show Resource and Information
- Lab Girl
- The Story of More
- The Overstory
- Sustainable Furnishings Council
- Sustainablefurnishings.org
- WithIt
Don’t forget to catch more episodes and resources for all of your green building news at the Green Building Matters website.