Overview
Furniture is usually made out of wood, metal, and plastic. These materials are sustainable and since they’re normally placed inside the house, they last longer. As a result, furniture is often reused rather than recycled. There are many facilities that will disassemble the items and then recycle the individual materials. Charitable organisations, such as Furniture Re-Use Network, will accept old upholstery, pass it on to someone in need, or resell it. Mattresses can also be recycled as the materials they’re made from are all recyclable: metal springs, foam, wood, and cotton. Please note that you may have to transport the items to the charity shop yourself.
How to Recycle Furniture
There are many options when it comes to handling your old furniture. You don’t have to go all out recycling, although that is one of the options. But first we’ll explore some less invasive choices. Here’s how to recycle furniture at home:
- Try repairing it. Repairs are the last bastion of hope for old furniture not to be discarded. You can often find a way to repair it because in many cases the damage is purely cosmetic. If you can’t handle it yourself, there are cost-efficient repair services you can easily find near you.
- Try reusing it. Sometimes repairs won’t do, but you can find new and creative ways to reuse old furniture in order to prolong its life expectancy.
- Donate what you can. Donations are a great way to ensure that somebody who needs it actually gets it. There are many charities who accept this kind of furniture so have a look around. Bear in mind that sofas, mattresses, and other upholstery must have a fire safety label. Otherwise charity organisations can’t sell them.
- Sell the furniture that’s in a good condition. Some people actually prefer to buy pre-loved furniture because of the history associated with it. If your furniture is in a good condition you can sell it. You can go to local stores or you can sell it online.
- Contact your nearest recycling centre. Sometimes, recycling is the only true option for properly disposing of your old furniture. If it comes to that, you should contact your local recycling centre so you can figure out what types of materials from your furniture you can salvage. You can usually recycle wood, plastic, foam, and textile.
- Deconstruct the furniture. The next step is actually deconstructing the furniture and separating the materials, sorting them by groups.
- Use a kerbside pickup or a furniture removal service to get the furniture where it belongs. The last step in the process is pretty straightforward. Figuring out the logistics is simple – you can count on your kerbside pickup or you can contact Rubbish Please to arrange a collection for your discarded furniture.
We can reduce the amount of furniture and mattresses sent to landfills by recycling responsibly – it takes more than 80 years for a mattress to break down!
FAQs
Q: Does the furniture have to be disassembled before it can be recycled?
A: Usually you won’t be asked to disassemble it yourself. However, some pick-up operators will require you to.
Q: If I separate my mattress into separate pieces, can I recycle them?
A: More than 90% of the components found in a mattress are recyclable. In the event you can’t find a recycling company that will take your used mattress, break it down yourself.
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