Global Promos

Green Glossary

A Look Behind The Labels

In stores, in our catalog and on westelm.com, look for west elm green products labeled with an elm tree icon, a handmade icon or our green packaging label. These symbols identify products that are either responsibly produced, rapidly renewable, recycled, certified organic or non-toxic.

We strive to get a little greener every day, whether working with nonprofit artisan groups or making sure our packaging is as socially responsible as what's inside. Here's a look behind our various labels.

Air-Padded Packing
Every box we ship is packed with air pads that contain 98% air and only 2% recycled plastic. Air pads are more environmentally friendly than petroleum-based packing peanuts, and they're easier to clean up, too.
Artisan-Made
The nonprofit Aid to Artisans (ATA) creates economic opportunities for artisan groups around the world by linking them with new markets and buyers. Our ongoing commitment has made west elm ATA's largest retail partner, as well as the proud recipient of ATA's 2009 Distinguished Partner in Craft award.
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Certified Organic Cotton
Our 100% organic cotton textiles are certified from seed to shelf. They're responsibly grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, and they're dyed or printed with environmentally safe dyes.
Craftmark-Certified
Craftmark, an organization that's part of the All India Artisans and Craftworkers Association, allows Indian artisans to certify their products as authentically handmade, and it connects them with broader consumer markets around the world.
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FSC-Certified
Devoted to safeguarding natural resources, the Forest Stewardship Council focuses its energies on establishing industry yardsticks for responsible forest management. Paper or wood products that carry FSC certification come from well-managed, sustainably harvested forests that meet strict environmental, social and economic standards. In 2006, west elm became one of the first major catalog companies to commit to printing entirely on FSC-certified paper.
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GOTS-Certified
Our GOTS-certified textiles meet strict criteria set by the Global Organic Textile Standard. GOTS covers everything from the harvesting of raw materials to manufacturing, packaging and labeling, and it prohibits the use of such materials as heavy metals, genetically modified substances, toxins and carcinogens.
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Handmade
Many of our products are made by hand in partnership with groups like Aid to Artisans or Craftmark. We also work with online marketplace Etsy.com to highlight unique pieces by Etsy artisans in our catalog pages.
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Non-Toxic
We strive to use non-toxic materials and finishes wherever possible, from textiles to paint. Just a few of west elm's non-toxic products include OEKO-TEX certified bedding and towels, and our GOTS-certified textiles.
OEKO-TEX Certified
A global testing and certification system, OEKO-TEX's Standard 100 is the dominant guideline for establishing human ecological safety of such products as bedding and towels. Focused on rigorous screening for chemicals and other substances, approval becomes stricter the more a product is intended to come into contact with the skin.
Rapidly Renewable
Whenever we can, we use natural resources that regenerate themselves in a short period of time, including jute, bamboo, hemp, bankuan and abaca. In order to qualify for the west elm green label, products made with these materials must also be finished or assembled with non-toxic materials.
Reclaimed Materials
Many of our products are made from reclaimed wood and other materials, spared from the landfill and reused with minimal alteration and maximum preservation of their original features and beauty.
Recycled-Packaging
We use only unbleached 20-40% recycled materials in all our shopping bags and shipping boxes.
Recycled Products
Recycled products are made from previously used materials that are reincarnated with new uses. Recycled post-consumer content is material that lived a former life as a different product before being reprocessed—and reimagined—for a new use.
Sustainably Sourced
Many west elm green products are made from wood or other materials procured from responsibly managed forests in ways that support biodiversity, productivity and healthy ecosystems-both today and into the future.