We are Green

Did you know that a new chest of drawers has a carbon footprint 16 times higher than its vintage equivalent ? With the UK on an ambitious path towards net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, a survey from the Antiques Trade Gazette has revealed that more needs to be done to raise awareness of the environmental impact of disposable ‘fast-furniture’. The poll found that whilst 82% of respondents do consider sustainability in some way when making a purchase, 45% are completely unaware that buying a new piece of furniture produces a higher carbon footprint than buying pre-loved or second-hand. When in fact, buying a new chest of drawers results in a carbon footprint 16 times higher than buying its classic antique equivalent. Almost a third of those surveyed (28%) believed that there was little to no difference in the carbon footprint of a new versus an old chest of drawers, with a further 17% believing that a new chest of drawers has a lower carbon footprint. Paul Savant, CEO, ATG, said, “We are being told about the environmental impact that humans have on the planet like never before, leading many people to rethink the way they use and recycle goods. Yet, despite its high carbon footprint, furniture is not given the same level of attention as other ‘fast’ goods such as food and fashion. We want to change this. “As a country, we throw away an estimated 1.6m tonnes of bulky waste and furniture every year. So there is still a lot of work to do to educate consumers about how their purchasing decisions – from fashion and food to furniture – impact the environment. And of course, buying second-hand or vintage is usually better for our wallets, too, as there are fabulous deals to be had,” John-Paul Savant, CEO, The Antiques Trade Gazette added. Although awareness of the sustainability of second-hand furniture is low, the ATG research found that 40% of respondents do buy second-hand items at least once a month and that the biggest motive is to find a bargain (43%). Encouragingly, the most popular second-hand purchase after clothes was found to be furniture (54%). So lets not wait buy second hand and save trees !