Have you watched The Story of Stuff?  Link to YouTube video, approx. 21 min  This video shows you the history of the products you buy and the effect on the Earth, or more simply, the product life cycle.

When thinking about the life cycle of furniture, from acquiring the resources to manufacture, transport, etc., one of the most important aspects is it's disposal (or not?).  Questions to ask retailers (and yourself) about the furniture or products you are about to ask are:  

• Is the product durable? Biodegradable? Recyclable?
• Can the parts be separated for recycling?
• Can it be made into something else?
• Can the product be returned to its manfacturer at the end of its useful life?

These questions are a small part of a larger checklist from ReGreen, the ASID & USGBC's effort to provide a best practice guidelines for sustainable residential improvement projects.