There are 69m pieces of wanted furniture in the UK – but don’t throw yours away!

The NLWA is urging people to upcycle unwanted items rather than dump them or buy new ones, in order to help avoid massive volumes of waste clogging up landfill sites

There are 69 million pieces of unwanted furniture in UK homes – but before you take yours to the dump, listen to what the North London Waste Authority (NLWA) has to say.

The NLWA is urging people to upcycle unwanted items rather than dump them or buy new ones, in order to help avoid massive volumes of waste clogging up landfill sites and to help reduce the number of resources being used, such as trees being cut down for wood.

It notes two-thirds of people believe at least one item of furniture in their home could be upcycled and made more attractive, useful or modern – however, 27% think they are not creative enough, a quarter don’t feel they have the right skills and others are worried about having the right equipment, space or time.

Managing Director of NLWA, Martin Capstick, said: “Rather than replacing unloved items with cheap furniture that’s unlikely to last, we’d encourage people instead to consider upcycling.

“It’s the perfect solution as it saves waste from landfill, helping us to tackle the climate emergency, and it can make us feel good about what we already have.”

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