2 practical ways to ethically dispose of unwanted furniture

a_modern_sofa_sitting_in_a_large_landfill_877644af-8850-4020-97d0-00c36fac2819-1030x577.jpg

Guest post by Ella A, Rubbish Removal Colliers Wood

Unimaginable sums of money are spent every year by people who want to furnish their homes in compliance with the latest interior design trends. Furniture tendencies, however, change very fast so a majority of these people replace their furniture pieces with newer and modern alternatives regularly. Others, who cannot afford to revamp their homes as often, use the same furniture for years until it is no longer suitable for use. So, whatever you do, you will surely end up with a couple of furniture pieces you will have to clear out at some point in your life, but do you know how to do this in an ethical way? Here are two suggestions on how to ethically dispose of your unwanted furnishings.

Donate unwanted furniture

Unfortunately, many people do not have the opportunity to buy furniture to their liking. Actually, some families do not even have an adequate amount of furniture to live with due to financial constraints. Did you know that your furniture clearance can put a smile on somebody’s face and help them live with comfort and dignity? A family or an individual in need of furniture will truly benefit from your old mattress or dining table, for instance. Helping refugees, women & children exiting abusive situations, the formerly homeless and any other vulnerable population experiencing poverty live even a little bit better is definitely worth it. So, why don’t you just select your gently used furniture you no longer want in your home and give it to a furniture bank? There are furniture banks across Canada and the United States. Let’s summarize the advantages of donating unwanted furniture:
  1. it helps people and does not consume much effort.
  2. reduces your tax bill (most furniture banks offer tax receipts for the in-kind donation of furniture.)
  3. diverts waste from landfill.
  4. increases the free space in your home.

Recycle the remainders

There is no doubt that not every furnishing can be donated. Some of them are just no longer suitable to be used, because their life span has ended. Vulnerable members of our society are individuals with dignity too, so they do not deserve to have rotten, broken or decaying furniture. Such items should be simply disposed of, as they will do nothing more than clutter your space. Of course, just taking them to the landfill is not the best solution. People often forget that many furniture pieces can be recycled or reused. By doing this you may not directly help a certain individual, but you will contribute to reducing the waste we send to landfill. We may not be able to make the world better in one day, but every time we think about how to help the environment or somebody else other than ourselves, we will be a step closer to achieving this.

Have furniture you want to donate to a furniture bank?

Click here to find out if your used furniture is ready to donate or should be recycled. 

Did you enjoy this article?
Recent Posts

A win-win solution for retailers and communities The Housing First approach has proven effective in addressing chronic homelessness, but providing empty housing units is only the first step. To truly empower individuals and families to...

In our continuous effort to not only transform homes but also lives and the environment, Furniture Bank embarked on a rigorous Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis for 2023. This analysis, adhering to the Social Value International...

Related Posts

A win-win solution for retailers and communities The Housing First approach has proven effective in addressing chronic homelessness, but providing empty housing units is only the first step. To truly empower individuals and families to...

In our continuous effort to not only transform homes but also lives and the environment, Furniture Bank embarked on a rigorous Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis for 2023. This analysis, adhering to the Social Value International...

The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals offers a well-defined global framework for addressing the most pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges. By aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals, Furniture Bank is able to adopt a...