lonely old chair on street

5 Eco-Friendly Ways to Recycle Your Old Furniture and Reduce Waste

Think twice before throwing out your old furniture. There are so many materials that make up a piece of furniture and it would be a waste to just throw it all away. You can sell your old furniture to someone who can find a better use for it, or you can donate it to someone who needs it more than you do, or you can get creative and upcycle your furniture to something new and more useful. Here are 5 different ways to recycle your old furniture. 
Dont Waste Sell Furniture

Sell

If you’ve outgrown some of your old furniture, try selling it to put money towards new furniture. You can host a yard sale and invite family and friends to join or search if there’s a neighborhood yard sale event. You can also sell your furniture on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or Nextdoor. Selling your old furniture is especially worth the time if it’s still in perfect condition. 

Dont Waste Donate Uhuru

Donate

Donate your old furniture to charity or give it to someone who needs it. Freecycle, allows you to list unwanted items that local people can pick up from you if they are interested. If you live in the Bay Area, you can also donate to UHURU Furniture & Collectibles. They are a not-for-profit furniture resale shop supporting the local African American community.

Dont Waste Recycle Furniture

Recycle

Often you can recycle the material of the furniture itself. Search for places near you that recycle furniture. Urban Ore, located in Berkeley, recycles and sells old furniture. Their Building Materials receiving department accepts items like doors, windows, lumber, toilets, sinks, fencing, etc. Their General Store receiving department accepts clothing, furniture, and electronics.

Dont Waste Refinish Furniture

Refinish

All you need is a little imagination! Before getting rid of your old furniture consider refinishing it. Refinish old dressers with new paint and they will look as good as new. Pinterest has a ton of helpful DIY tips on upcycling furniture
 
b4after chair

Reupholster

Before getting rid of that old accent chair or sofa consider getting it reupholstered. A new piece of fabric might be just the thing you needed to bring that accent chair back to life. Contact your local upholsterer for tips and quotes on revamping your old couch, accent chair, dining room chairs, etc. If you’re in the Oakland area and interested in reupholstering a few pieces, contact Gonzalez Upholstery.

 
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