Many people today strive to reduce waste generation, with some working toward a zero-waste lifestyle. This can be beneficial for more than products; it’s advantageous for furniture disposal and other bulky items. The objective is to avoid the landfill.
Whether cleaning out, updating, or remodelling an existing design, homeowners have difficulty navigating the disposal of furnishings due to their weight, awkwardness, and transport. Even if taking it to the kerbside for the council to take requires lifting and moving to get it there for collection.
Many furnishings and larger objects consist of natural resources, making landfill disposal a waste of materials and energy. The eco-conscious approach is to recycle, but many people are confused about how to recycle bulky items. This is the best way to achieve a zero-waste lifestyle.
Approaching Bulky Items with a Zero-Waste Mindset
Many people who are uncertain what to do with furnishings and other large objects might not think a zero-waste approach to disposing of bulky items is possible. The last resort is sending these items to the landfill, where the materials can be harmful to the environment.
Since these items consist of natural resources, recycling the bulky objects is possible. Also, furnishings in good condition can be donated or gifted.
Conveniently, rubbish removal services are available throughout Sydney to do the heavy work for homeowners. You can learn more here. The teams will disassemble the furnishings, load and haul the pieces to recycling or donating centres, and dispose of the rest.
The teams aim to follow an eco-friendly approach to waste disposal, including bulky objects. You have a few choices for furnishing disposal to keep them out of the landfill. Let’s review.
Donate
Some rubbish removal companies will haul furnishings away to be disposed of by charity organizations. You can also reach out to close friends or loved ones to pick up bulky objects for efficient disposal, promoting a zero-waste approach to waste management.
Many organizations are short on donations, and some are willing to pick up what you have if you have difficulty getting it to them. The items should be in good, functional condition. They will get a second life with families in need.
In that same vein, you can reach people by sitting items by the kerbside with a “free” sign separate from rubbish. The items will slowly disappear as people who need the items pass by and find a way to transport the large objects.
Upcycling
Upcycling is another beneficial method of discarding furnishings and oversized objects with a zero-waste impact. Many people have a creative DIY flair, allowing them to transform unused furnishings into unique upcycled pieces they can find to use or sell.
If you can’t get an idea on your own, look through magazines or tutorials online to create different styles that would appeal to a vast audience if your intention is to sell the pieces. You can then post the items on various marketplaces. You can also look for thrift shops or flea markets to sell the items.
These pieces can be given as gifts for close friends or loved ones who might enjoy the furnishings and have a use for the bulky objects as well.
Auction
Auctions give sellers a vast audience for their items and the potential for a higher price point. The proceeds can be donated to a favourite charity. These sales offer buyers the opportunity to pick up furnishings they need at competitive prices. People nowadays prefer to buy at auction or second-hand instead of purchasing new due to the hefty prices of new pieces.
If you hope to sell your furnishings for the best prices, the priority when bringing them to auction is that they are clean and functional.
The recommendation is to hold the auction on a Saturday for the best turnout, with as many community members as possible participating. You should advertise the event on social networks and throughout the different neighbourhoods. When people see the auction will benefit charity, more will want to participate.
Schools/theatres/community centres/churches
Offer old furnishings and oversized items in relatively good condition to schools, theatres, or community centres. This might seem unusual, but these pieces can be used for various purposes.
In schools, the drama departments can use furnishings for their plays, their media centre, or their preschool or daycare centre, and they can also auction items for fundraising activities.
Theatres use them for their plays and leisure areas, as do community centres. In that same vein, churches can also benefit from donations, using furnishings and other bulky objects for leisure areas, meeting and conference rooms, and also for fundraising.
Trades
There are a few ways trading can work. You can go to the store where you purchased the items to buy new pieces and offer the old pieces as a trade to see if you can get a discount. This could work well, especially for appliances.
Many appliance stores refurbish old appliances and resell them for lower price points. This can also apply to electronics like laptops, tablets, game stations, TVs, and more.
Trading could also work with neighbours, close friends, loved ones, and coworkers in your community.
If you want to renovate or redecorate, everyone can put the items they no longer want along the sidewalk and people within the neighbourhoods could go from one house to the next shopping to upgrade their home.
The community would designate a day or a weekend to have the event, posting details on social networks.
Old Furniture Removal Tips
Whether decluttering, redecorating, or cleaning out your property, you will likely have bulky old furnishings to remove and dispose of. An efficient process using a qualified rubbish removal company will save time, effort, and expense. The teams perform quickly and efficiently while disassembling and loading the bulky items.
They will haul the rubbish and dispose of it in the most eco-friendly way, with recycling as their priority. Some will also take items to charity organizations for donation.
Read here for responsible furnishing removal tips. Here are some tips when ridding your home of old furnishings to ensure the process is hassle-free.
Inventory
Before booking a removal, assess the load of hard rubbish you have for the team to take. The company will need to know what they’ll be picking up to be prepared with the right tools and equipment. It will allow a hassle-free, organised removal.
Rubbish removalists
Contact the rubbish removal specialists. The teams will schedule removals based on your schedule, with some offering same-day services depending on your needs. Most companies strive for eco-friendly disposal, recycling as much of the load as possible to avoid sending items to the landfill.
The crews will handle every aspect of the removal and disposal, with you having minimal responsibilities. You won’t need to lift or move heavy objects, preventing injury. The company will disassemble the furnishings to make easier loading, hauling, and disposal.
When scheduling the removal, the company should be fully transparent with the details of the process and pricing with a quote for your project. They will let you know what to expect on the scheduled day.
Disposal
You can decide how you want the items disposed of. If you wish to donate to a charity or several charity organizations, that’s something to discuss with the rubbish removal company when contacting them for the removal.
The team strives to follow what the homeowner wants and aims for the most eco-friendly and responsible waste management.
Scheduling
You can book rubbish removal at your convenience. Most rubbish removal companies even schedule for the same day if you have an urgent need. This could be the case if you’re moving unexpectedly, like with a sudden job transfer.
In this situation, some homeowners decide to clear out their homes instead of moving bulky furnishings. These items are often in good condition, perfect for donation to local charities. Some removalists will drop the items off at local centres.
Preparation
When removal teams dispose of furnishings from your home, you’ll have minimal responsibilities. The crews will handle all aspects of the removal. The only prep you need to do is clear pathways leading to the doorway so the team can efficiently and quickly load the bulky items.
Any personal items should also be removed, preparing the items to be disassembled and loaded. The teams inform from the time you schedule and maintain a transparent process throughout until disposal.
Moving
While you might want to move the furnishings to simplify the process, it is better to leave the heavy lifting to the removal team. They have the knowledge and expertise to lift safely, with no possibility of accidents or incidents, such as injuries or property damages.
The team will bring specialised tools and equipment to make the process easier. The crews are careful to avoid scuffing walls and doorframes with the goal of a smooth, efficient loading process.
Disposing with removalists will leave you with a decluttered, refreshed living space and protect the environment from toxic waste in the landfills.
Final Thought
When homeowners decide to redecorate or remodel, possibly do a major clean out, they usually have furnishings and bulky objects to get rid of. Some of the materials can be recycled, or the furnishings can be donated to local charities.
When contacting rubbish removal companies, the teams will handle the entire removal process, from disassembling the pieces to loading and hauling them to the different centres. You won’t have any responsibility except to clear a path for quick and efficient loading.
With responsible waste management, you can protect the environment while transforming your space.