This planet isn’t ours -it doesn’t belong to any one of us
and certainly any one of us more than another. We’re simply here for a while
and trusted to take care of it as best we can. We are stewards of the planet, and
my greatest hope would be that we could leave our shared world in a better
place environmentally than we found it – and decisions that we make daily
impact on that.
One of the more daunting challenges we face is to change the
broad mind set so that what our society considers as waste is instead
considered a resource and as little as possible is wasted. Small changes like switching a light switch
off, using biomass heating, turning a heater down, and being economical with
how much paper we are using all help; but so do making environmentally and
financially sensible decisions in our homes and businesses.
I blogged recently about seeing the value of waste, but to
kick start this, we require a change in mind set in order to fuel a change in
behaviour - so that all of us can hopefully realise the benefits of using and
re-using things to our collective advantage.
So we should shop ethical, buy local and consider charity
shops when furnishing our homes…after all they do say charity begins at home…and
here are my top 5 reasons as to why…
1.
Giving a Little Back…
In a different way than popping your
pennies in a tin, shopping in charity shops helps you give something back, and
sometimes directly to the area in which you live and work. The number one,
irrefutable reason to spend your money in such a way that it goes toward
transforming lives should be pretty self-evident – by spending on what you’d
spend anyway in a certain place – you can change lives. It makes you feel good; but it unquestionably
makes a difference to others too.
2.
The Planet Will Thank You…
Every pre-owned piece you buy in a social
enterprise, charity or community shop is another thing saved from languishing
in landfill. We are all guilty of
chucking out things of value because they have become dated -from food waste to
furniture, in our homes and at work. Deciding to substitute a trip to Ikea for
(ahem...) one to New Start Highland for instance when furnishing your home
means that you can rest assured that most, if not all, of the pieces have been
awarded a second life. UK charity shops' reuse activity alone helps reduce CO2
emissions by about 7.3m tonnes every year, meaning your can be proud of what
you’re doing for your carbon footprint every time you walk out of the door
having made a purchase.
3.
Surely Charity Doesn’t Mean Quality??
If you bought a piece of furniture from a
reuse store– say a chair, side board or even bed, you will often be getting a
higher quality item, because you are avoiding mass made, substandard less
pricey furniture– usually priced as such because quality is compromised. Your
piece is higher quality, it looks better and it lasts longer. The only hurdle
you have to cross is that it’s not brand new. But where does that sentiment
come from? It raises the question of why we buy what we buy all together.
One of the things we need to do is turn
away from the thought that shops that are selling pre-owned furniture and
household items are just down market charity shops, full of someone else’s junk,
or bumf that people don’t want to carry on. It is a fairly daft sentiment when
you think about it. We don’t have that frame of mind when we buy a car or a
home. More often than not it was once someone else’s and we’re happy with that,
in fact we barely even think twice about it. And it happens even closer to home
than that. Think even of the water that comes out of your tap for instance? Or
the plastic bottle you would fill it in to. We are constantly using and reusing
things in life, why must we think differently when furnishing a home?
4.
It’s Great Value!
Salvaging furniture from the skip needn’t
just be an exercise in doing good for the planet and for your fellow planet
dwellers. What strikes me is that it also makes great basic business sense–
less time and resources to buy new = less money spent! Simple.
5.
It’s ‘in’
 |
| Creative re-use in the New Start Highland office |
Say what you want about my fashion
sense…buying green is ‘in’…and I know this not because I’m an avid follower of
what’s in vogue, but you can’t help but notice the trend when it’s under your
nose. Said trend for the upscale of furniture has even made its way to the New
Start Highland office, with some of the team reclaiming bits and pieces
otherwise destined for landfill , making them their own, and even coming up
with unique storage solutions while they’re at it. Call it reclaimed, retro, vintage or upcycled
– being able to flex your creative muscle and have a piece that is unique at
the same time is proving a popular way of furnishing your home. Charity shops
are a brilliant place to rummage around to find things that you could sand
down, paint up and make your own, especially if you have an eye for potential masterpieces.
So there you have it – 5 top reasons to
consider charity/ re-use shops for furniture… and build yourself a green home.
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