Did you know that most of the furniture used in homes and offices can be recycled? Many Stittsville residents already recycle common household materials such as paper, plastic, cans or glass bottles in the City of Ottawa bins provided for the end of our laneways on garbage collection days. But, there are numerous ways to recycle your old furniture as well. Millions of household items are sent to our local landfills every year, and recycling will help in bringing this number down.
Stittsville resident Karen Swerdfeger has dedicated her time to attain and make the public aware of methods to reduce our carbon footprint since she founded Eco West Enders in 2019. Karen has been a voice and strong proponent of recycling, often providing tips on recycling and the re-use of our familiar daily-use items.
Karen told us, “When our neighbours decide they no longer need a piece of furniture, we want to help them find a way to pass it along, not send it to landfill. But we know there are hurdles and we want to better understand what hurdles prevent neighbours from making those sustainable choices.”
There are many benefits of recycling that positively impacts the world we live in. It is important not only to us, but also to the environment and the economy. Why is recycling important? Our landfill sites are filling up fast, and in a few short years, we’ll have no space for waste. Recycling assists in controlling the waste produced. Recycling reduces the need for raw materials and also reduces the energy consumed, preserving natural resources for future generations. The cost of manufacturing new products is high. But if products are made using recycled items, the cost is reduced which then reduces financial expenditures in the economy.
The amount of waste we create is increasing because of the following reasons:
- Increase in our buying potential;
- Increase in population;
- New products and packaging developed with materials that are not environmentally friendly; and,
- Lifestyle changes
If your furniture is made of wood, metal or some other recyclable material, you can take it straight to your nearest recycling facility.
Eco West Enders is aiming to divert more furniture from our landfills but in order to accomplish that, the environmental group wants to know more about how our community residents deal with unwanted furniture. Please take a moment to answer their anonymous poll at: https://forms.gle/2VVhRrUiLz7PdDdb7.
If you are interested in discovering environmental tips or helpful information for our community, follow the Eco West Enders facebook page. To contact Karen or find out more about the group, send an email to ecowestendersottawa@gmail.com.