Why Recovering Your Sofa Is Better for the Environment

These days, it’s easy to buy almost anything quickly and cheaply—including furniture. But cheap doesn’t last. Ever heard the saying: “Buy cheap, buy twice”?

The rise of fast furniture means more items are being thrown away than ever before. But if you’ve ever seen a sofa dumped at the side of the road, you’ll notice it’s rarely a high-quality, solidly built piece—like a Multiyork. It’s usually mass-produced, low-cost furniture that ends up in landfill.

The Environmental Cost of a New Sofa

Did you know it takes 1,000 times more CO2 to manufacture a new sofa than to repair or reupholster an existing one?

And according to estimates, for every 1 tonne of sofas reused, around 1.5 tonnes of CO2 emissions are saved. That’s a huge win for the planet—and your living room.

Furniture Waste in the UK: The Shocking Stats

📊 According to the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the UK generated 222.2 million tonnes of waste in 2020.

🚮 Of this, only around 8.5 million tonnes were sent to landfill, showing how much still ends up there despite recycling initiatives.

In recent years, Wrap.org have been conducting annual surveys in order to understand the types and re-usability of UK waste.

WasteDataFlow (WDF) estimate that across the UK, 1,590,000 tonnes of bulky waste is sent to landfill annually. Around 42% of this waste consists of furniture, which equates to 670,000 tonnes of furniture disposed by householders in the UK annually. 

🛋️ Around 4 million sofas are thrown away every year.

But It’s Rubbish, Right?

Not necessarily. According to research from Wrap.org and the Furniture Re-use Network, many items thrown into landfill are actually in good condition—repairable, re-coverable, and reusable.

The Furniture Re-use Network (FRN) indicates that around 30% of bulky waste collected from households can be re-used.

Out of the 670,000 tonnes of furniture disposed of every year by British households, assuming 30% of this is re-usable this could stop an estimated 201 tonnes of waste going into landfill every year.

The Solution is Sofa Recovering: The Eco-Friendly Alternative

If your sofa is worn, dated, or no longer fits your décor, don’t throw it out. Sofa recovering is a cost-effective, environmentally conscious solution.

By choosing to recover your sofa:

• 🌍 You help reduce landfill waste

• 💨 You cut down on CO2 emissions

• 🛠️ You preserve the craftsmanship of your original piece

• 🛋️ You get a refreshed look without compromising on comfort

Whether it’s a beloved Multiyork or a family heirloom, reupholstering or recovering your furniture extends its life and keeps it out of the landfill.

Ready to give your sofa a second life?

Contact us today for a free quote and join the growing number of people choosing eco-friendly sofa recovering.

Contact us today for your quote!