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Did you know that in 2021, consumer spending on furniture and bedding sales were forecast to reach 119.8 billion U.S. dollars? That is about five percent more than 2019, where the sales amounted to 114.5 billion dollars.
Similarly, the New York Times reports that “Americans spent 18 percent more on food, cars, furniture, electronics and other retail products last year compared with 2020.” Though increased consumer spending might be good news for the economy, it also poses serious questions about what we are doing with the old furniture that is being replaced by new purchases.
In this short article, we take an in-depth look at the negative consequences that come with improperly discarding old furniture items. We then explain why Junk King of Alameda offers the best service for getting rid of old furniture in an easy, efficient, and ecological manner.
Where Do All of Our Old Furniture Items Eventually End Up?
For most people, once we are finally able to get our old couch down the stairs and out to the curb for the trash company to haul away, then we put that old couch out of our thoughts.
However, the final destination for the furniture items we throw away is often the local landfill or incinerator. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “generation of furniture and furnishings in MSW (municipal solid waste) was 12.1 million tons in 2018 (4.1 percent of total MSW), up from 2.2 million tons in 1960.”
Over 80 percent of all furniture waste eventually gets sent to the landfill, despite the fact that the majority of the raw materials in furniture can be easily recycled. And of the furniture that ends up in landfills, only 0.3 percent of that waste that was eventually recovered for recycling.
These statistics on furniture waste do not even include common household furnishing items like carpets and rugs. Those types of furniture/furnishing waste added an additional 3.4 million tons of waste in 2017.
The numbers above go to show that furniture waste is one of the most pervasive and abundant sources of waste being sent to landfills across the United States. Additionally, furniture waste is one of the least recycled items among the municipal solid waste that we produce.
The consequences of the growing streams of furniture waste are multiple. Due to their bulky nature, old furniture items take up large amounts of space in our already overburdened landfills. Studies show that several areas of California are facing serious shortages of landfill space, which could create a waste management crisis in the near future.
Furthermore, because most furniture items are made up of inorganic sources of waste, they contribute to enormous amounts of methane gas emissions. Methane gas is one of the most potent greenhouse gasses and contributes to global warming.
Another potential problem that arises with sending old and broken down furniture items to the local landfill is the fact that may be holding toxic waste elements that could leach into the local environment.
Some old furniture items may include toxic chemicals in the polyurethane foams, fire retardants used on the upholstery, and chemicals used to treat the wood base. According to one study,
“many of the coatings, adhesives, and solvents used in the wood furniture industry contain toxic chemicals such as toluene, xylene, methanol, and methyl ethyl ketone.”
These and other chemicals, if they leach into groundwater sources, can lead to serious public health crises.
How Junk King Can Help with Different Types of Items?
So how exactly can a homeowner or business owner in Alameda get rid of older furniture items in a safe and environmentally responsible way? Waste Management of Alameda County only offers one bulky item pickup per family each year, and you will be responsible for removing the furniture from your home or business and taking it to your normal trash pickup spot.
If that simply is not possible for you, or if you have several old furniture items that need to be taken out of your home, relying on the public garbage service is probably not going to be your best option.
Enter Junk King of Alameda. We are proud to be the top-rated junk removal company in the region, offering both residential and commercial junk removal services. Here at Junk King of Alameda, we can help you safely and legally get rid of all your used furniture items in an efficient and ecological manner. We are also proud to offer the lowest fees in the region. Furthermore, our furniture removal services are not only the lowest priced in the region, but we also go the extra mile to protect the environment.
We believe wholeheartedly that recycling is an elemental aspect of creating a greener future for our community. For that reason, our mission is to ensure that 60 percent of all the junk collected at each job site is either recycled, reused or repurposed, rather than being dumped into landfills.
In the specific case of old furniture, we have developed several strong relationships with donation centers, charities, thrift stores, and others that can refurbish used furniture to later sell at a discounted price to local residents. When you choose to hire Junk King for your furniture removal needs, you will most likely be directly helping a local family gain access to affordable or even free used furniture items.
A Commitment to Fair and Transparent Pricing for Your Furniture Recycling Needs
We also think that furniture recycling shouldn’t cost our customers an arm and a leg. To that end, we offer “fair and transparent” pricing. For your furniture removal needs, we offer four convenient ways for homeowners and business owners to find out how much their furniture removal needs will cost. For on-site pricing estimates, we can offer you an accurate assessment of the price.
Unlike other companies, our on-site pricing estimates are completely free, and come with no-obligation on your part. You can also call us toll-free at 1-888-888-JUNK. Our customer service representatives can help you plan the logistics for any large-scale furniture removal. For smaller jobs, you can simply take a photo of your items, text us at 737-888-5865, and we will text you back an estimate. Once you accept the estimate, all you have to do is wait for the Junk King truck to arrive.
Lastly, Junk King of Alameda also offers an easy-to-use online pricing estimator. Simply enter your zip code to ensure that you are in the right service area and provide a few more pieces of information regarding the junk you need removed.
Our pricing estimator allows you to receive a transparent cost estimate based on either the actual items you need hauled away, or the anticipated volume in the Junk King truck you plan on taking up.
We are the pioneers of recycling based junk removal right here in Alameda County and can help both individuals and businesses deal with their furniture waste in a responsible and efficient manner.
When you work with Junk King of Alameda, you can rest assured that your old couches, dining room tables, beds, and other used furniture items won´t end up in the landfill, but will either be recycled, reused, or donated. To Junk King, give us a call at 1-888-888 JUNK, or book online today!
