Recycling Old Furniture: What You Need to Know

Too often, old furniture ends up in a landfill.  This is not the best nor only option, since most of these items can be recycled or reused.

The fact is that there are a number of green junk removal options for your old furniture. These include recycling, of course, but also repurposing existing furniture items, selling them, or even donating them. The problem is that too many people are unaware that they have a choice.

We’ve probably all seen dilapidated couches or recliners lying on the side of a road where they’ve been illegally dumped off during the night. Not only is this illegal in most every state, it’s also unsightly and a hazard. Understandably, this is not the best way to get rid of your old furniture.

In the U.S. we spend over $120 billion on new furniture every year! This means that a vast amount of “old”, or discarded, furniture is generated as a result. Because few people have the room or desire to keep their old pieces around, deciding what to do with their unwanted furniture becomes a priority.

In fact, discarded or old furniture makes up almost five percent of the total household waste produced each year in America. How much is that? Well, in 2015 it was estimated that Americans tossed out over 12,000,000 tons of furniture.

And, unfortunately, almost three quarters of it ended up in landfills.

The Challenge of Efficient Furniture Disposal

Of course, not every single item of furniture can be recycled, or at least not completely. But the vast number of recyclable furniture items is broad. For example, you can recycle most all of the materials in these pieces:

• Couches
• Sofas
• Sofa beds
• Mattresses
• Chairs
• Tables
• Dressers
• Desks
• Bookcases
• File cabinets

Regardless of what items you need to get rid of, old furniture removal and disposal can still be a tough job. You might find, for example, that have to dismantle the furniture first just to get it out of the house. Depending on the material these pieces are composed of, you then have to figure out how you’re going to properly dispose of it all.

It’s highly unlikely you’re going to get these pieces into your trash bin or recycling bin. And most communities and municipalities do not allow for furniture items to be left on the curb. And even if they do provide this service, you are limited to their schedule for when the municipal waste management company will pick it up for you.

And you still have to do all the heavy lifting!

The other option for most people is to transport their old or unwanted furniture to the local landfill. In fact, as we already noted here, over 70 percent of people go this route. Unfortunately, not only is this somewhat costly, it is also far from efficient or environmentally sound. And, once again, you still have to do the lifting, hauling, and disposal.

Recycling for Furniture Disposal

It needs to be emphasized that recycling and reuse is the far better option for disposing of your old furniture really is the best option. In fact, apart from possibly selling your pieces, donating them, or simply giving them to friends or family, recycling is the best approach for getting rid of old furniture.

There are a few things you should consider, however, when recycling your old furniture. While it is a great option, you can’t always just put it all into a truck and taking it to your local recycling center. Many recycling service centers have limits on what they will take. In addition, because many furniture items are composed of a variety of materials, these often need to be dismantled first.

Some materials are easily recycled, while others such as certain foam padding materials, require special handling. All steel or aluminum pieces can become scrap metal, while all wood furniture is readily taken for recycling purposes.

We've created a handy information guide that details a number of facts, statistics, and information about furniture recycling, as well as some helpful tips for specific types of furniture recycling.

Often, where and how you recycle or repurpose your old furniture depends on where you live, what type of furniture you are disposing of, and the costs that may be incurred. But the good news is that you don’t have to take of all of it yourself.

In fact, there are professional services ready to help you dispose of that old furniture and knowing you have options is a great thing when faced with the task of old furniture removal.

A Green Resource for Getting Rid of Your Old Furniture

At Junk King, we pride ourselves on providing a green alternative and we make sure your old furniture items end up in the right place. This could mean going to a charity if your furniture pieces are still in good shape for reuse, or to a recycling facility to ensure that your furniture is disposed of in an eco-friendly way.

Either way, green junk removal for furniture and appliances makes great sense because there’s simply no easy way to get rid of them yourself. Recycling services from Junk King provides you with these benefits:

• We do the heavy lifting and hauling.

• No risk of damage to your own vehicle from loading items in the trunk or back seat.

• We know where to take pieces for disassembly, so all materials can be recycled or responsibly disposed.

• And you can make an appointment with Junk King, so you aren’t stuck with an old furniture or appliances still sitting in your garage or out on the curb!

Junk King provides an efficient, safe and eco-friendly furniture removal service so you don’t need to worry about the pick up or disposal of those old items. Not only that, but we make sure that your old furniture items end up in the right place: whether it be a charity if the pieces of furniture are still in good shape for a donation, or a recycling facility to ensure your furniture is disposed of in an eco-friendly way.

Why Junk King Recycles as Much as Possible

Being green is part of our company mission. We back that up by recycling, donating, or repurposing everything we possibly can. When it comes to appliance removal, we take the eco-friendly route by making sure the metal, plastics, and other materials involved get broken down and recycled properly.

If the item can be reused, Junk King will transfer it to a local donation center where it can find a new home.

Junk King can efficiently and affordably pick that old junk up for you. Call 1-888-888-JUNK or book online to schedule a free on-site estimate. Junk King, the best in old furniture removal and pick up, also makes sure that old furniture ends up where it can be reused responsibly.