Britons Send over 50% of Reusable Furniture to Landfill Every Year

Did you know that…

22 million pieces of furniture are discarded each year in the UK, and the majority of this furniture is sent directly to landfill as per The North London Waste Authority’s recent report. Additionally, this research revealed that less than 1 in 10 people consider repairing their furnishings to extend their life span.

1.6 million tonnes of bulky waste – 42% of which is furniture and 19% textiles, equating to a total of 670,000 tonnes of furniture and 310,000 tonnes of textiles waste is disposed by householders in the UK annually and sent to landfill according to Wrap.

110,000 tonnes of furniture at Household Waste and Recycling Centres is re-usable in its current condition.

32% per cent of bulky waste is re-usable in its current state, and this figure rises to 51% if we take into account items requiring slight repair.

30% of adults throw away household items that could have been donated, sold or reused and a fifth of 16-24-year-olds don’t actually know how to recycle or donate, according to new research from The British Heart Foundation.

It is actually quite frightening when you start looking into the figures!

What companies are doing to combat this

Ikea has recently launched a strategy called People and Planet Positive to solely utilise renewable power in all its processes.

Silentnight have developed an Eco Comfort Breathe range of mattresses that all contain 150 recycled plastic bottles, which prevent them from reaching landfill or polluting the oceans.

Sustainable Furniture exclusively sells products that are ethically and sustainably sourced to limit the impact that humans cause on the planet by retail consumption.

Adventures in Furniture use only Forestry Stewardship Council certified or recycled timbers for any new products and work with their current manufacturers to certify their goods. 

What we are doing to tackle this issue

Here at Ian Mankin, we understand the importance of being able to reduce, reuse and recycle home furnishings when we are developing our new fabric collections. We don’t follow fashion trends but instead like to make sure that every metre of fabric that we design and weave uses natural and organic fibres of the highest possible quality and offer true longevity rather than a quick or impulsive interior fix.

We want you to feel that you can live with whatever fabrics you choose for years to come without getting fed up with them, and when you do eventually feel it is time for an update, consider upcycling or recycling your furniture rather than throwing it away!