Latest design, new look, cutting-edge style. In an ever-evolving world of styles, fashions, and trends there’s always some new, better, must-have item, and social media makes sure we know all about it. Fast fashion has been talked about for a while now, and many designers are taking steps to become more environmentally friendly, but fast furniture is a lesser-known issue, which Coastwood is striving to combat with our NZ made furniture that’s built to last. Just like fashion, fast furniture is made to fulfil changing design trends, combining cheap materials and mass-production to cater for frequent, affordable home transformation. It’s an issue that many may not be aware of but certainly not something we can afford to ignore.
Stuff has recently bought attention to this growing furniture waste problem with its thought-provoking article: The fad that’s destroying the planet, one ceramic llama at a time. Tempting though it is to switch out that couple-of-year-old dining table for the latest cheap design or choose the least-expensive bed frame because you’ll probably move again in a few years, it’s imperative to consider the wider effects of these decisions. We’ve become accustomed to re-using that eco-friendly bag over and over, rather than the plastic one, yet we’re consciously purchasing furniture that will need replacing in less than five years. So, what happens to the old furniture that gets dumped?
“It’s estimated nearly 300, 000 mattresses and bases are sent to landfills every year in NZ. “
In Australia, an article by Handkrafted states that “the equivalent of 800,000 three-seater sofas, 1.65 million dining tables, 3.4 million coffee tables or 6.85 million chairs are thrown away by Sydney households every year. “
In addition to filling landfills, the fast furniture industry is contributing massively to deforestation, therefore climate change. With eye-opening stats like these, that are only set to grow if we continue in this short-term mindset, it’s up to us to change the way we buy and sell to slow the spread of this increasing phenomenon.
Switching to NZ made furniture is an obvious alternative to fast furniture that is much kinder on the planet. With quality materials and craftsmanship, locally made furniture is designed to last, dramatically reducing furniture waste. And we can assure you that it’s still very possible to have stylish interiors, without replacing your furniture every few years. Coastwood Furniture has numerous ranges of bedroom, dining and living furniture to suit every interior design style without the cheap and nasty quality. We’re committed to producing timeless designs that won’t go out of date even many years after they’re purchased. Every piece of our NZ made furniture is backed up with a 25-year quality guarantee, allowing you to create a beautiful new home design without contributing to the destructive pollution caused by fast consumerism.
