Furniture

There are big ethical issues in buying furniture, including the environmental impacts of sourcing and manufacturing, and the conditions for the workers producing the furniture.

When buying new furniture:

• Try to source furniture locally to cut down on the carbon footprint from transport.
• Look for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) symbol [click on the Sustainable Timber tab in the ethics menu] on wooden furniture – it guarantees the wood has been sustainably sourced. B&Q and Homebase both sell FSC certified furniture, whilst IKEA has had its sourcing policy endorsed by WWF.
• Avoid tropical hardwoods such as mahogany, teak, redwood, rosewood and ebony – such products are quite likely to have been sourced from virgin rainforests.

Sourcing second hand furniture:

• Buying second hand is always a good option because it means there is no ecological cost from the manufacturing. Even better – second hand furniture can be free! ‘Freecycle’ is a network connecting people who want to get rid of a range of items with people who are be looking for them. Go to www.freecycle.org.
• Car boot sales are a great place to find second hand furniture and some charity shops specialise in furniture too. If you find any near you, why not let us know so we can advertise them here!

When getting rid of old furniture:

• In Manchester, The Copperdale Trust will come to your home to collect your unwanted furniture and household items. It is a youth exchange in Wythenshawe for young, deprived kids and is always looking for more household items to help set them up in their own homes. They can be contacted on 0161 437 1363 or you can drop the items into: Copperdale, Solway, Wythenshawe, Manchester, M22 9XR
• If you are not ‘Freecyling’ furniture, there are many charitable organisations across the UK who take unwanted furniture and pass it on at affordable prices to those who need it most. The ‘Furniture Re-Use Network’ (www.frn.org.uk ) is a national body which supports, assists and develops charitable re-use organisations across the UK.
• There are safety rules on electrical goods – remember to check with a charity before delivering electrical goods as they may not be able to accept them.
• Manchester city council has a list of Furniture Re-Use Schemes within Manchester.