From a young age, we have all been told to recycle – water bottles, paper, boxes etc. But did you know this also applies to your furniture?
The recent trend is attributed to the steadily rising rates at which landfills are filling up, and the dangers this presents to the future of our planet. Furniture can take years to fully break down, meaning it sits in a landfill for years, polluting and damaging the land. By recycling your furniture, or buying furniture which uses recycled materials, you are preventing more furniture from going to the landfill and ensuring that less natural resources are used in producing new furniture. This is essential in the fight to ensure a healthy planet and a bright future.
It’s not just consumers who have heard the call to action and responded. Furniture companies are joining the cause and increasingly using more sustainable practices in producing their product. Companies such as Ikea have started using organic cotton from farmers who do not use too much water, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides, and have also started using recycled materials in their wood products. Another company, Emeco, has been using recycled materials since WWII, producing chairs and tables out of salvaged aluminum for warships and sailors; today, they still make durable furniture out of salvaged metals and items, but for hotels and restaurants.
Even offices and office suppliers, such as Renovo, have committed to ensuring their offices are 100% recycled; this means that their desks, chairs, and other office materials will not be replaced before maximum use is extracted from them, and that they will be donated or reused/repurposed in some way.
So, why should we bother? And why are furniture companies themselves kicking up a fuss? The answer to these questions is simple: there is a clear environmental benefit, which affects everyone. Ultimately, recycling furniture helps more people than it hurts. Buying recycled furniture is not the only way to go – donating your furniture also ensures that it’s given a second life and helps others who are in need.
The JRCC Furniture Depot encourages you to recycle your furniture, and donate it. You’re helping the environment, you’re helping yourselves, and you’re also helping others. If you are interested in donating your furniture to the JRCC Furniture Depot, call 416-222-7105 x500 today!