My house is filled with pieces of furniture I inherited, my husband built, or pieces I’ve gotten secondhand. My children say I hoard furniture, but I count myself lucky to have these quality pieces of furniture.
Today’s market is filled with fast furniture. The Spruce.com states, “Like fast fashion, fast furniture is produced quickly, sold cheaply, and not expected to last more than a few years.
What’s wrong with fast furniture? Sustainability expert and the author of “Give a Sh*t: Do Good. Live Better. Save the Planet” Ashlee Piper states “It’s quite a big problem … The materials don’t biodegrade or break down. We’re creating this Leviathan problem at landfills with the furniture that we get rid of.”
And fast furniture can be making you and your home sick. New furniture releases the highest concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the first year of its life, so if you have to replace furniture often because it doesn’t last, you’re sickening yourself and your home and dumping more unnecessary waste in our landfills.
According to the New York Times, Americans bought massive amounts of furniture during the pandemic, with sales on desks, chairs and patio equipment jumping by more than $4 billion from 2019 to 2021, according to a market data company, and a lot of it won’t survive the decade. The Environmental Protection Agency states Americans throw out more than 12 million tons of furniture each year, with 80 percent of it getting dumped in landfills, creating mountains of solid waste that have grown 450 percent since 1960. This produces methane gas and contributes to the climate crisis, as well as leeches contaminants into the groundwater. Gasp! And don’t forget the carbon emissions caused by manufacturing and shipping, contributing even more to the problem.
Both consumers and manufacturers are to blame. We consumers need to make better choices and invest in quality pieces that last generations. If you tire of a piece, find it a new home and not in the landfill. Manufacturers need to be more responsible in their quality, production, material sourcing, shipping and quite simply, they need to produce less.
Some manufacturers are starting to commit to more ethical practices and are joining the circular design economy, using only recycled or renewable materials and creating zero waste. Ikea actually vows to become fully circular by 2030. The furniture giant intends to keep prices low, but not at the expense of people and the environment. Ikea states by 2030, at least one third of all wood used in their products will be recycled. In 2021, Ikea launched a buyback and resell program through which unwanted pieces of used Ikea furniture can be returned, refreshed and given a second life.
In Wayfair’s most recent corporate responsibility report, it pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (mainly created by the production and shipment of its products) by 63 percent by 2035.
In October 2020, Pottery Barn launched its circular program, and its parent company, Williams-Sonoma, Inc., is committed to a 75 percent landfill diversion by 2025. It is making improvements across the board by using recycled materials, using easily recycled packaging materials and reducing packaging volume.
So, what do you do when you need furniture? If you can afford high quality, sustainably built and fairly-sourced pieces, go for it. If not, there are so many second-hand options to help you participate in a circular economy. Older furniture is often higher quality, built to last and intended to be handed down - that’s why it’s still around! If you’re ready for a project, you can find pieces that need a little work or a total overhaul. Look at all the local thrift stores, yard sales and online yard sales. Antique stores have lots from which to choose - some need work, some are already refurbished. There is nothing like the thrill of the hunt, investing sweat equity and reaping the benefits of saving the earth. Also, think outside the box for uses of furniture you may find, dressers make great vanities and tables can be desks. Don’t forget to look at thrift stores when you travel! We’ve stuffed many pieces into the car on their way home to a new life with us.
Join the slow design movement, focusing on quality and longevity over speed and quantity. It encompasses not only working with responsibly sourced materials, but also celebrating craft and wellbeing. As you purchase high quality furniture or refurbish an old piece, you’re building an emotional connection with the item. It becomes a holding container of memories and feelings. You develop an emotional attachment to it and are less likely to throw it out.
Let’s all move toward conscious consumerism in all our purchases. We need to make deliberate purchasing decisions that will have a positive social, economic, and environmental impact - shop with sustainability in mind.
Invest in pieces that will continue to stand the test of time, creating more memories for you while saving the planet. I’m going to reflect on that double win while I eat dinner at my parent’s dining room table.
by Tish Gailmard
Today’s market is filled with fast furniture. The Spruce.com states, “Like fast fashion, fast furniture is produced quickly, sold cheaply, and not expected to last more than a few years.
What’s wrong with fast furniture? Sustainability expert and the author of “Give a Sh*t: Do Good. Live Better. Save the Planet” Ashlee Piper states “It’s quite a big problem … The materials don’t biodegrade or break down. We’re creating this Leviathan problem at landfills with the furniture that we get rid of.”
And fast furniture can be making you and your home sick. New furniture releases the highest concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the first year of its life, so if you have to replace furniture often because it doesn’t last, you’re sickening yourself and your home and dumping more unnecessary waste in our landfills.
According to the New York Times, Americans bought massive amounts of furniture during the pandemic, with sales on desks, chairs and patio equipment jumping by more than $4 billion from 2019 to 2021, according to a market data company, and a lot of it won’t survive the decade. The Environmental Protection Agency states Americans throw out more than 12 million tons of furniture each year, with 80 percent of it getting dumped in landfills, creating mountains of solid waste that have grown 450 percent since 1960. This produces methane gas and contributes to the climate crisis, as well as leeches contaminants into the groundwater. Gasp! And don’t forget the carbon emissions caused by manufacturing and shipping, contributing even more to the problem.
Both consumers and manufacturers are to blame. We consumers need to make better choices and invest in quality pieces that last generations. If you tire of a piece, find it a new home and not in the landfill. Manufacturers need to be more responsible in their quality, production, material sourcing, shipping and quite simply, they need to produce less.
Some manufacturers are starting to commit to more ethical practices and are joining the circular design economy, using only recycled or renewable materials and creating zero waste. Ikea actually vows to become fully circular by 2030. The furniture giant intends to keep prices low, but not at the expense of people and the environment. Ikea states by 2030, at least one third of all wood used in their products will be recycled. In 2021, Ikea launched a buyback and resell program through which unwanted pieces of used Ikea furniture can be returned, refreshed and given a second life.
In Wayfair’s most recent corporate responsibility report, it pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (mainly created by the production and shipment of its products) by 63 percent by 2035.
In October 2020, Pottery Barn launched its circular program, and its parent company, Williams-Sonoma, Inc., is committed to a 75 percent landfill diversion by 2025. It is making improvements across the board by using recycled materials, using easily recycled packaging materials and reducing packaging volume.
So, what do you do when you need furniture? If you can afford high quality, sustainably built and fairly-sourced pieces, go for it. If not, there are so many second-hand options to help you participate in a circular economy. Older furniture is often higher quality, built to last and intended to be handed down - that’s why it’s still around! If you’re ready for a project, you can find pieces that need a little work or a total overhaul. Look at all the local thrift stores, yard sales and online yard sales. Antique stores have lots from which to choose - some need work, some are already refurbished. There is nothing like the thrill of the hunt, investing sweat equity and reaping the benefits of saving the earth. Also, think outside the box for uses of furniture you may find, dressers make great vanities and tables can be desks. Don’t forget to look at thrift stores when you travel! We’ve stuffed many pieces into the car on their way home to a new life with us.
Join the slow design movement, focusing on quality and longevity over speed and quantity. It encompasses not only working with responsibly sourced materials, but also celebrating craft and wellbeing. As you purchase high quality furniture or refurbish an old piece, you’re building an emotional connection with the item. It becomes a holding container of memories and feelings. You develop an emotional attachment to it and are less likely to throw it out.
Let’s all move toward conscious consumerism in all our purchases. We need to make deliberate purchasing decisions that will have a positive social, economic, and environmental impact - shop with sustainability in mind.
Invest in pieces that will continue to stand the test of time, creating more memories for you while saving the planet. I’m going to reflect on that double win while I eat dinner at my parent’s dining room table.
by Tish Gailmard
RSS Feed