Sustainability advocacy organization Cascale announced that it has acquired the nonprofit Sustainable Furnishings Council, which works to promote sustainability in the home furnishings industry. Cascale, which was previously known as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, said the acquisition will allow the organization to expand beyond apparel to the wider consumer goods industry.
The organizations announced the acquisition this week at Cascale’s 2025 annual meeting in Hong Kong, with Cascale co-founder and former Patagonia executive Rick Ridgeway and Sustainable Furnishings Council executive director Scarlette Tapp delivering the news.
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“From the beginning, Cascale has worked to unite industries around a shared vision: Tackling climate change and supporting decent work throughout the value chain,” Ridgeway said. “Sustainability cannot be siloed — it must be systemic, spanning every sector that touches people and the planet.”
The Sustainable Furnishings Council is a member organization based in High Point, North Carolina, focused on promoting sustainability in design, production, sale and use of furniture to minimize negative environmental, health and social impacts. The group works to achieve that goal through educational initiatives such as the SFC Academy, as well as other programs such as the Wood Furniture Scorecard, The Green Leaf Award and the What’s It Made Of initiative.
“For nearly two decades, the Sustainable Furnishings Council has worked to embed sustainability in the DNA of the home furnishings industry,” Tapp said. “Cascale will ensure that this legacy will not only continue, but scale globally — supporting businesses that are committed to reducing their environmental footprint and improving social outcomes.”
The Sustainable Furnishings Council counts among its membership a wide array of home furnishings manufacturers, designers, retailers and industry organizations, such as Room & Board, Saatva, Kravet and the International Textile Alliance.
The Sustainable Furnishings Council will continue as a membership organization for a transitional period with its services provided by Cascale. Cascale will continue to offer the organization’s educational opportunities, as well as initiatives such as the Wood Furniture Scorecard. Additional Sustainable Furnishings Council’s programs, such as the Eco-Insight Assessment Tool, will also be available to Cascale members worldwide.
“Cascale is evolving as the leading industry association for sustainability in consumer goods,” said Harsh Saini, Cascale interim CEO. “We’re expanding our capacity to drive climate action and decent work across a broader value chain — from fashion to furnishings and beyond.”
This acquisition comes on the heels of Cascale’s February pickup of the Better Buying Institute, which resulted in the 2025 Garment Industry Scorecard, a joint analysis that measures buyer performance across key purchasing areas. Cascale’s membership includes more than 300 brands, retailers, manufacturers, sourcing agents and more from the apparel and textile industry, including Nike, Carharrt, Gap and Inditex, among others. Many current members also deal in home furnishings, such as Amazon, Lovesac and Target.
“This milestone marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for SFC,” said Michela O’Connor Abrams, MOCA+ CEO and SFC board chair. “Cascale’s global reach and cross-sector leadership bring new energy to our mission and greater impact for our members, who have long been pioneers in sustainable design and manufacturing.”
