Do you have some used furniture that you just can’t find a use for anymore? Before you go and toss it in your local landfill, think again. There are much better ways in order to dispose of your used furniture, many of which are friendly to the environment and can potentially help out someone in need. Plus, many of these options involve not having to rope your friends and family into helping you move a heavy piece of furniture! Read on for the best options when it comes to getting rid of used furniture.

Donate It

Donating items that you can’t find a use for anymore is first and foremost the best option for getting rid of used furniture. Of course, you do not want to donate something that is heavily stained, scratched up, or quite obviously an item that nobody would want. However, if it is in decent condition, donating your furniture can help someone in need. Some donation centres will pick up your used item for you, although you’ll need to check with each individual centre.

World renowned furniture company La-Z-Boy shares their thoughts on donating furniture:

Sell or Trade It

If you’re looking to make a few dollars off of your item (especially if you paid a fortune for it in the first place!), selling or trading it for another item can be a great way to go. Selling is a great alternative to donating it, as you’re still allowing someone to purchase an item from you at a fraction of the original cost.

Recycle Coach tells us why the option of selling or trading used furniture is a far superior option to throwing it into a landfill. 

“Every time you toss out a used piece of furniture, you create more waste. And potentially waste more cash. Turns out, that old recliner might be worth something to someone. There are tons of classified websites out there with people looking to buy. Start with Craigslist. If you’re in Canada, give Kijiji a look, too. If this is something you’re not comfortable doing, try selling through your network of social media contacts.”

Recycle It

While you may feel confident enough about recycling certain items of furniture, you may be hesitant about trying to even attempt to recycle large items with multiple different parts, such as a sofa. Yes, it is possible to recycle your couch – or at least ensuring that as much of it as possible doesn’t end up in a landfill.

Here’s what junk removal service JDog Junk Removal and Hauling has to say on whether or not couches can truly be recycled:

“Because sofas contain many of the same parts as mattresses, they can be broken up into pieces and recycled. It’s pretty difficult to find a place that recycles couches, but junk hauling companies like JDog have the contacts to get it done. Or, you can dismantle it yourself, and recycle the parts. The wood, cotton fabric, foam core, and springs can all be taken to recycling facilities.”

Put It On the Curb With a “For Free” Sign

Having your furniture sit out on the curb for hours on end may not sound incredibly appealing – but hey, it works! Some may not care too much about the condition of the item, and will come and take it off of your hands with no effort from you.

Jeremy Anderberg of The Art of Manliness talks about why this can be a good option – with some items of furniture.

“This method can definitely work sometimes, but only in certain scenarios. You really only want to do this with moderately-sized items. Chairs, file cabinets, small-ish tables, etc. Bigger than that, and people driving by won’t be able to just quickly stop and throw it in their vehicle (which is really what you’re going for). You also want to ensure you’re in a high-traffic area. If you live in a sleepy cul-de-sac, it’s not a good tactic”.

We offer a wide variety of waste disposal options, with services readily available online. Reach out to us to see what we can offer you.