EPA Reports 9.8 Million Tons Per Year in Furniture Waste
In 2009, U.S. EPA reported that furniture accounted for 9.8 million tons (4.1%) of household waste. Furniture is the number one least-recycled item in a household, and it was only up until 2008 that there was a recovery (materials used for recycling) greater than 0.05% since the 1960s — 0.1%. And by 2015, it is estimated that we will spend $121.7 billion to re-furbish our homes with new furniture. As we are increasingly persuaded by TV shows to remodel our homes and to replace old furniture, we are also adding more to the landfill in record numbers.
