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Did you know that around 22 million pieces of furniture are disposed of every year in the UK alone? The majority of that waste is sent to landfill, but the laws around how you can dispose of old furniture have recently changed. As one of the UK’s most reputable upholsterers we want to do our part to look after the planet, and perhaps even save you some money along the way! So, here’s our top 5 reasons you should consider reupholstering and reusing your old furniture.
1 –It’s Good for the Environment
As mentioned above, a huge amount of furniture is discarded every year. This uses a huge amount of resources, both in materials to produce that furniture and energy to then dispose of it. This is a linear process that contributes to pollution and waste production. By investing in household upholstery, we instead make that process and economy circular.
A circular economy is based on 3 core principles:
In a circular economy, consumption of finite resources is lessened and there’s also a focus on transitioning to renewable energy. Choosing to reupholster your old furniture, as opposed to disposing of and replacing it, helps contribute to this process. You can find out more about the circular economy concept here.
2 – The Laws Around Furniture Disposal Have Changed
New legislation has recently been introduced in the UK which has changed the way upholstered domestic seating containing POPs (persistent organic pollutants) is handled. This includes the following:
And many more. If your seating, or any part of it, contains leather, synthetic leather or foam, then it’s likely to be affected by these new laws!
This means that, if your seating contains POPs, it cannot be:
– Disposed of in landfill
– Mixed with other waste that doesn’t contain POPs
– Reused or recycled by a waste carrier
It can only be incinerated. By instead reusing your old furniture you are helping lessen an ever increasing flow of potentially harmful waste. The government website has plenty of useful information on the new laws.
3 – Getting Rid of Old Furniture Can Be Very Expensive!
We understand that the cost to reupholster a piece of furniture can be a concern for many people. However, with the introduction of new laws, disposing of unwanted furniture has become even more costly. Hazardous waste found in domestic seating, such as POPs, now requires a special license to handle, which drives up the cost of disposal. In fact, it can cost several hundred pounds just to get rid of an old sofa!
Instead of spending a fortune on disposal, why not consider a cost-effective reupholstery project with us? We offer both domestic and commercial upholstery services throughout the UK and are one of the top providers of reupholstery in the country. With the increasing costs of furniture disposal, it’s worth getting a free quote from us. You may be surprised to find that reupholstering your furniture is the cheaper option!
4 –You Can Create a Unique Style
If you are looking for sofa recovering you can customise it in a way to suit you. We offer you the choice of over 4000 different fabrics in a huge variety of colours and finishes, as well as free samples so you can be sure you’ve made the right choice. You can also choose from a variety of foams to give your seating the exact level of feel and comfort you want.
All of this means you can design your own seating, from the comfort of your own home (perhaps even your sofa!), without the hassle of having to search around for a pre-existing option from a shop. We’ll even come and collect your furniture, and deliver it back, so you can let us do all the hard work for you!
Why not check out this incredible chaise longue that we recently reupholstered? We think the results really do speak for themselves!
5 – Old Furniture Has Sentimental Value
Sometimes furniture has remained in a family for many years. Generations even! It can be a real shame to have to get rid when so many memories are often associated with it. As a family business, we know that even the most mundane of things can sometimes hold huge sentimental value.
If you have an old piece of furniture that you feel has reached the end of its life then please do let us know. You may be surprised at what can still be done! We can restore it to its former glory and extend its life for many years to come, either staying true to the original look or even giving it a total makeover!
Whatever your needs may be, our team are here to help. Just get in touch today and we’ll show you how we can bring an old family heirloom back to life.
We hope you enjoyed our top 5 reasons to reuse and reupholster your old furniture. It really is the best solution for everyone wherever possible. Do you have an old piece of furniture you need help with? If so then we’d love to hear from you. Please do get in touch or give us a call anytime and we’ll be happy to help.
