Save The Environment, Buy Vintage!

In a period of fast furniture run by big box stores and home shopping networks, fewer sustainable home furnishings are available to the consumer.  Fast furniture, made from particle board and laminate, and the synthetic décor items sold by these stores are not always cost efficient or environmentally beneficial.  They are overpriced, have a limited lifespan, are nonbiodegradable, and end up in landfills five to seven years after their purchase.  

The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) estimates that Americans throw out over 12 million tons of trash yearly.  80% of it is fast furniture made within the last 10 to 15 years.  Because of their inferior quality, fast furnishings have a short life span and cannot be repaired.  They damage quickly, lose their value, and cannot be recycled or passed down to another generation.  If the laminate surface of a particle board bookcase is damaged, for example, it is easier to toss out than to fix as particle board is impossible to repair.  Consequently, over 10 million tons of fast furniture ends up in landfills every year.  These mountains of trash contaminate soil, release greenhouse gases, contribute to air and water pollution, and have a negative impact on human health and wildlife ecology.  

That is why vintage, thrifted, and secondhand décor and furnishings are important.  Besides their durability, vintage goods are economical, beautiful, and play a significant role in preserving the environment.  Furniture and decor items made 80 years ago were intended to be passed down to later generations.  The woods and metals used to construct them were meant to last.  Thus, vintage items don’t require new resources or energy.  Polishing wood, tightening up bolts, and cleaning fabrics and textiles are easy ways to refresh vintage furniture and further extend their lifespan.  

Vintage furniture and decor are timeless, long lasting, increase in value, and can be reused, recycled, and repurposed.  Buying vintage is not only a more sustainable way to decorate your home, but a more environmentally sound way to spend money.  So, go ahead, save money and decorate your home with cool stuff.  

Do your part for the planet!  Buy vintage!