Is flat-pack furniture to blame for the planet’s demise?
Hybrid’s blog on Antiques last week got me thinking about the waste caused by flat-pack furniture.
Surely in this throw away flat-pack world we live in the antiques market as we know it is a dead-duck and that is nothing short of criminal. Have a look through the latest Tesco Direct or Argos catalogue an you will meet a world of mass-produced furniture which we all know offers little value in the long-term unless it is not used. What is does offer is a quick-fix for householders and extra pound signs for the retailers.
Surely this is all wrong, surely in times of hardship for the planet we should be looking for long-term furniture solutions. We should be made to start looking away from the flat-pack furnitur. Stores selling nothing but flat-pack should be made to pay a levy for each unit of furniture sold.
Get tough if you want to save the planet. Excessively taxing UK car and lorry drivers will not save the planet. Perhaps offering safe and functional public transport would give us a reason to start using our vehicles less.
This may seem like a draconian measure, but if we (that is humans) are serious about staying on this planet, then we need to look at serious ways of protecting what we have left.
If people could change their ways from the buy it and dump it wasteful ways we have gotten used too, then we might actually have a chance.
We are all responsible for the trauma the planet is in, but it is fair to say there are those that are more responsible than others.
I am not stupid enough to think that simply buying less furniture will not save the planet. We are talking percentages, and it is these percentages that when added up, can make a difference.
Let’s look at how the following could add-up as a combined percentage:
Reduction of flat-pack furniture - 0.10%
Reduce global speed limits to 60mph - 0.30%
Ban junk mail - 0.10%
Compulsory use of recycling bins for all global property - 0.50%
Reduce paper bank statements and credit card statements to those who do not have online access - 0.10%
Use Fax to email services - 0.05%
Reduce excessive packaging - 0.10%
Prevent excessive energy consumption (see golf trolley battery blog)
These relatively easy to adminster changes could make so much difference. But I am not just talking about the UK, as a nation we are a minor pollutant when looking at the likes of China, the USA, India etc.
If globally the quick-wins above could be managed, then you get to see a little does make a lot.
Flat-pack furniture is a sin of modern society - we buy it cheap without a thought of sustainability and then burn it or take it to the municipal dump when we are finished with it. It’s not right and it’s not bloody clever either.
When I buy anything now I am looking to ensure it will last as long as possible. Take my recent purchase of bedroom furniture. I moved away from flat-pack and ensured the furniture I brought would stand a longer test of time and still be working in 10 years time.
Yes the furniture cost me more money, but is there a value on mine and your children having a future on planet earth? I think not
Written by EcoGirl on May 6th, 2008 with
no comments.
Do you agree with
EcoGirl? Read more
Eco Views green eco-friendly news.