Many see second-hand furniture as only being a way to save money. While that is certainly a massive benefit, there are countless other advantages that have nothing to do with the cost of the items.
1) It preserves natural resources
Our furniture industry is extremely wasteful. On average, over 10 million tons of furniture waste end up in landfills annually in Canada and the United States. So much furniture is wasted as we tend to always buy brand new furniture from the store as opposed to purchasing furniture that already exists in acceptable condition. Continually buying new furniture requires a lot of resources, which is problematic as the depletion of natural resources is on the rise.
2) It minimizes the environmental footprint
The media is great at persuading individuals to buy more and consume more. The media makes it seem that our future has an expiry date, and past a certain time, the furniture item is no longer acceptable. Ontario disposal depots are predicted to attain capacity in the next ten years. Buying used furniture ensures good and quality items stay out of landfills.
3) More special
What’s special about buying furniture everyone has access to at the store? We all want our homes to look unique and special, thus purchasing used furniture provides a perfect opportunity to find a remarkable and rare piece. Moreover, when you buy second-hand furniture, you get more than the item itself. Every piece of used furniture has a back story and history that you have yet to uncover.
4) More community friendly
We often buy furniture from large national and international chains, which depend on supply from external countries. Second-hand stores are more local, thus by purchasing from them, you would be supporting your local community economy instead of continuing to the growth of already large and established furniture businesses.
If you are interested in donating your lightly used furniture to help those in need, the JRCC Furniture Depot is the perfect place. Please contact us at 416-222-7105 x500 for more details.