For the last ten years, B2C Furniture has been committed. Especially to providing long-lasting furniture to empower consumers to make sustainable choices. All so they that won’t cost the earth. I mean or cost the earth its survival. With manufacturing insights, industry data highlights fast furniture’s environmental impact.
This calculator also showcases the difference. Especially between choosing chipboard materials (yes, that means your department store flatpack) and furniture made from hardwood (a naturally renewable energy source). Thereby shedding light on the consequences of these choices.
See for yourself: https://b2cfurniture.com.au/sustainability-calculator Fast furniture, short lifespan…
So, what is fast furniture? Low-cost, mass-produced, and poorly made furniture, ultimately resulting in an item that has a short life cycle.
Australian data explains that the average person will move house three times within ten years. Chipboard items often fail to survive the relocation and reconstruction. Furthermore contributing to the fast furniture cycle.
Rising landfills are a growing problem
As landfills rise, the problem of fast furniture worsens. Moreover, research uncovers how big of a problem this really is. Especially for countries including Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Most interestingly, ABC’s War on Waste shared a survey conducted in Australian metro suburbs. A survey which found more interesting that each household discards 24kg of furniture annually. Sadly, 85% of this will end up in a landfill.
The EPA estimates that the U.S. tosses 9 million tons of furniture every single year. The North London Waste Authority’s recent report says that the UK discards 22 million pieces of furniture each year, with the majority sent directly to landfills.
Luckily, materials like hardwood are less prone to damage than chipboard. This naturally renewable energy source can be repurposed once its time as a bed, coffee table, or chair has come to an end, giving it an impressive lifespan of approximately ten years.
How many trees does your furniture cost the earth?
A household with 30 pieces of unsustainably sourced furniture will cost the earth 33 trees over a 10-year period.
If every person in each country made the choice to buy chipboard furniture, it could…
- Cost Australia 861 million trees.
- Cost the United States over 10 billion trees.
- Cost the United Kingdom over 2 billion trees.
In addition and in contrast, the act of making eco-friendly purchasing choices. For they can:
- Save Australia 574 million trees – Save the United States over 7 billion trees.
- Save the United Kingdom over 1 billion trees.
For more information, please click here!
The data provided has been gathered from manufacturing partners and suppliers, providing industry insights into timber and hardwood materials.
