How to Make Sustainable Furniture Choices
From: Custommade.com
For budget-conscious consumers, frequent movers, or first-time renters, furniture meant to stand the test of time doesn’t exactly sound feasible. A $30 coffee table, $200 bed frame, and $150 dresser may sound enticing, but as many of us have found out the hard way, these particleboard wonders weren’t exactly built to last.
The primary issue with cheap, dispensable, slap-together-in-a-1-2-3 furniture isn’t just what it’s made of (we’ll get to that shortly). The bigger problem: It’s easy to chuck it. When there’s a low upfront investment, we may not be as attached to a set of inexpensive side tables as compared to heirloom oak ones. If it teeters, wobbles, breaks, or doesn’t fit a room’s changing design aesthetic, the simple solution is to toss furniture to the curb and buy new, right?
Though bargain-basement furniture offers a temporary solution, investing in replacements every few years can put a damper on your wallet and the environment. Read on for tips, from choosing sustainably sourced materials to giving old items another go, to help make your home just a little bit more green, and not just in the short term.
Choose Sustainable Materials
When purchasing new or used furniture, look for hearty materials that can handle years of use (take into account normal wear and tear from kids, pets, and moves from one home to another).