Environmental Damage
CO2 Impact
Discarding this volume of furniture causes immense environmental harm. A tonne of desks sent to landfill results in about 0.4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent emissions. Reusing 295,000 chairs prevents about 12,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually.
Incineration & toxicity
Daily furniture waste of 300 tonnes contributes substantially to resource depletion, carbon emissions, and landfill burden—sometimes incineration with toxic residues if not properly managed.
Plastic, Foam & MDF
The environmental cost extends beyond CO₂: furniture frequently contains plastic, metal, upholstery foam and composite wood that can leach chemicals into soil and groundwater in landfill settings. MDF and flat‑pack furniture are often non‑recyclable and simply degrade in holes in the ground, which is both wasteful and harmful.
The impact of buying new
Manufacturing new furniture consumes large quantities of wood, metal, plastics, textiles and results in the release of embodied carbon. "Embodied carbon" refers to the total greenhouse gas emissions generated throughout the lifecycle of a material or product — from raw material extraction, manufacturing, and transportation to installation, maintenance, and eventual disposal.
Slow down this stream of waste
Reducing this waste stream through reuse, refurbishment, and redistribution not only preserves valuable materials but supports a circular economy, lowers environmental impact, diverts strain on landfill infrastructure, and slows climate-warming emissions.