How Landlords can Upcycle and Recycle Unwanted Furniture | LOFT

HOW LANDLORDS CAN UPCYCLE & RECYCLE UNWANTED FURNITURE

The need to create more sustainable furniture solutions has never been higher. It’s been discovered that Brits throw away a staggering 22 million pieces of furniture each year, most of which goes straight to a landfill. This is despite the fact many materials could have been recycled or whole items could have been repurposed.

According to the British Heart Foundation, 30% of people have admitted to throwing away furniture, electrical items and homewares that could have been sold, reused or donated to charity.

Where possible, we recycle as much waste as we can. 89% of the furniture we take away is converted into electricity, and over 3000 mattresses have been recycled through our partnership with a specialist facility. We’re always looking at the best ways to reduce waste. People can upcycle and recycle unwanted furniture more easily than they might have realised. Our Interior Designers can even help you to make the most out of existing furniture by adding new accessories or through our staging service. In this article, we want to discuss how landlords can upcycle and recycle unwanted furniture without it affecting profit margins or carbon emissions.

UPCYCLING FURNITURE

Upcycling is a term that’s only recently come into use. It means to take an item that has little purpose or value, and giving it a new lease of life to make it more practical or aesthetically pleasing. Put simply, upcycling is about repurposing an item so it doesn’t have to be thrown away.

The concept of upcycling is on the rise, and if more landlords take part, we’ll find less furniture in UK landfills. We share our top tips below if you need some help getting started.

BE CREATIVE

For many landlords, upcycling isn’t just about being sustainable or saving money. It’s a chance to let your creative side flourish. When potential tenants visit furnished properties, they want to see something new and unique. Upcycling old or damaged furniture means you have the opportunity to craft a one-off piece that no other landlord will have on show.

If you have a broken table leg, the tabletop could be reused to create a shelving unit. Worn-out bookshelves and drawers can be given a new look with a lick of paint and some decorative stencils. We’ve even seen someone cut an old globe in half to fashion lampshades any explorer will love. Combine the lampshades with a repurposed suitcase-come-coffee table, and you’ll have a unique theme room for tenants to plan their next big adventure.

When it comes to upcycling, you’re only limited by your imagination. But, if ideas aren’t coming to you, there is a way you can find a wealth of inspiration…

WAYS TO RECYCLE UNWANTED FURNITURE

As we mentioned earlier, 30% of people have thrown away furniture that could’ve been recycled. Thankfully, this only means the minority of Brits are disposing of furnishing irresponsibly, and the rest of us are doing what we can to make a difference.

Landlords in particular can play a huge part in recycling unwanted furniture. If upcycling isn’t to your taste, recycling still provides you with an opportunity to create a more sustainable business model.

SELL YOUR UNWANTED FURNITURE

While your old furnishings might be outdated or well-used, the second-hand furniture market is bustling with people looking for a good deal. Many people are quite taken with the distressed look, as it can add character to certain decors. Others simply want to try upcycling for themselves, but they don’t have any old furniture of their own to use.

Choosing to sell your unwanted items means keeping them out of a landfill, which is great news for the environment. Chances are you won’t get all your money back through sales, but you could raise a fair amount to go towards the cost of your next purchase.

If you’re looking to sell, you can advertise through:

• Classified sites such as eBay and Gumtree
• Local newspapers and The Loot
• Supermarket, library and university noticeboards

It’s important to remember not all deals go smoothly. Someone may drive a hard bargain, you could be expected to deliver the items, or potentially, you may be holding on to your furniture for a while due to a lack of interest.

In these cases, you should explore other options.

DONATE UNWANTED FURNITURE TO CHARITY

Unfortunately, it’s all too easy for us to forget that the most vulnerable members of our community struggle to afford even basic furniture. Luckily, there are many great charities out there doing wonderful work for people in need.

We like to help out charities as much as we can, as well. For every bed frame sold through our next day channel, we donate £1 to help support Embassy and their emergency shelter tour bus. We’ve been able to help other homeless charities, too, donating over 2000 pieces of furniture so far to help transform lives.

Donating furniture to charity not only keeps items from being thrown away, it also does a world of good for others. Charities such as The British Heart Foundation have made a real impact in this regard. By selling second-hand furniture donations, they raise huge sums of money every year to go towards cardiovascular research while giving people a way to furnish their homes on a budget.

Several different charities partake in similar schemes, but remember, they will only accept donations that are in good condition and safe to sell. If your furniture is badly damaged or the fire safety labels have been removed, they may refuse to take your items. If in doubt, get in contact with a local branch or head office first.

PARTNER WITH LOFT

Landlords can have it tough when it comes to arranging furnishing solutions for tenants. Providing furniture is a worthwhile job, but it can be time-consuming. We’re here to make things as easy as possible for landlords.

When you purchase furniture or a landlord furniture pack from us, our trained team will deliver, assemble and install new pieces, and remove, replace and recycle unwanted furniture that would have normally been a struggle for you to dispose of. Being a landlord has its unique challenges, but the installation of furniture and the ethical removal of old pieces shouldn’t be problems you have to face. Instead of handling these issues yourself, let a furnishings partner take care of them for you.

WHY SHOULD YOU UPCYCLE & RECYCLE UNWANTED FURNITURE?

There’s never been a greater need for businesses across every industry to find ways of being more sustainable. Landlords who do their part help the planet, fulfil their social responsibility and potentially make or save money from their efforts.

Our aim is to make things easy for you, which is why our team will remove and recycle any old pieces of furniture you want to get rid of. We send 89% of recyclable waste to an RDF facility where it can be converted into electricity, and we’re partners with the Furniture Recycling Group to help recycle old mattresses.