Eco-Friendly at The Roomplace

Make your choice Green!

What do you consider when you are choosing a place to buy furniture? We’re sure you probably think about the quality, cost, delivery options, financing, warranties, selection and reputation of the brand and/or furniture retailer. Is it fair to say that those are the most important factors? Maybe not. Have you ever considered not purchasing furniture from a retailer because they aren’t green, as in eco-friendly?

With the changes in the earth’s atmosphere, the concept of “going green” has gone from being a craze to being a lifestyle change for many people. Blue recycling bins can be found virtually everywhere, along with people who are willing to play their part to save our environment. However, saving our environment only begins with the small things that can fit into a can. What about larger items, such as a mattress, living room furniture or bedroom furniture? Do you think recycling furniture is eco-friendly?

How do I dispose of old furniture?

There are quite a few ways you can dispose of your old furniture to make room for a new set. If your furniture is still in decent condition, one of the best and most eco-friendly ways to get rid of it is by selling. This might take a little longer than calling a junk removal company, but it’s better for the planet. Plus, it will give you some extra money to spend on new The RoomPlace furniture. When you have furniture that’s in less-than-great condition, consider recycling. Not all furniture is easy to recycle, but you can usually find a way to do it depending on the base materials. For example, metal can be taken a scrap dealer.

How do I dispose of old mattresses?

If you’ve been browsing our selection of The RoomPlace mattresses and are wondering what to do with your current one, you have a few options. Mattresses aren’t something you usually want to sell, and depending on your state, there can even be some legal restrictions for selling a used mattress. This doesn’t mean you have to take a trip to the dump, though.

Here’s an interesting fact: While mattresses are one of the most difficult items to recycle, “95% of the material in mattresses is recyclable. Metal springs can be recycled and the steel reused. Polyurethane foam can be shredded and used for carpet pads and insulation. Wood in foundations can be processed by wood chippers used for fuel or mulch. (Source: Enviro-Recycle)” Powered with that knowledge, let us ask what do you think about recycling your old mattress. Would you go through a few extra steps to make sure your mattress is disposed of in an eco-friendly way? Or better yet, will your furniture retailer recycle your old mattress?

Do I have to call a private service to get rid of my old mattress?

You don’t always have to use a private service to dispose of your mattress. The furniture store you’re buying from will likely pick up your old mattress when they deliver your new one. However, it’s what they do with your mattress that matters.

While many companies prefer just throwing away that old mattress, The RoomPlace and our 300,000 square foot Distribution Center is playing a role in protecting our planet by being eco-friendly and recycling it. In fact, we are not only recycling mattresses, but The RoomPlace also recycles the packing materials such as the cardboard, Styrofoam and the plastic that is used to protect your bedroom or living room furniture prior to delivery.

Now, this is no small feat as the Distribution Center is responsible for supporting 21 stores within the Chicagoland and Indiana area. That means literally tons of recyclable material enter and exit those doors daily. For a better understanding of how much is recycled on a monthly basis, let’s review the numbers:

The Room Place recycles 41.835 tons of cardboard per month on average.

Fun Fact: Recycling 1 ton of cardboard saves 9 cubic yards of landfill space and 46 gallons of oil. (Source: Earth911)

Monthly The Room Place recycles 675 pounds of Styrofoam per month on average.

Fun Fact: A male Siberian Tiger (Amur Tiger) typically weighs between 450 – 675 lbs. (Source: Pittsburgh Zoo)

1,116 pounds of plastic is recycled through The Room Place’s Plastic Bailer Per Month.

Fun Fact: 1,116 pounds is equivalent to lifting 11 couches or 13 love seats from the Bravado Collection. By the way, the Bravado Living Room Collection is made of eco-leather and from an eco-friendly manufacturer.