A central feature of any home is its furnishings, those decorative touches that let the true personality of a dwelling and its owners shine through. But some furniture choices are better than others when it comes to safeguarding our families from common environmental pitfalls. Here are our suggestions for decorating your home in sustainable style: Choose furniture that contains as much solid wood as possible. Composite woods like plywood and particleboard are made from glues that contain formaldehyde, which is slowly emitted in vapor form as its host materials age.

It's difficult to imagine life without plastics, and the benefits they provide are far too numerous to count. Even so, precaution is warranted when using plastics, especially in the kitchen, where some of the toxic chemicals they're made from can leach into the foods we eat and drink. Here are ways to keep your family safe without sacrifice:

Meet the Seventh Generation Dirty Dozen, our list of top hazardous chemicals. Though it's nearly impossible to completely avoid all toxins in today's world, watching out for the key troublemakers will go a long way toward protecting your family's health. Alkyl phenoxy ethanols (APEs) & nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) Bisphenol-A Chlorine Formaldehyde Glycol ethers PBDE flame retardants P-dichlorobenzene Pesticides Phthalates PVC VOCs (as a class) Triclosan Alkyl Phenoxy Ethanols and Nonylphenol Ethoxylates WHAT