No two councils across the UK have the same policy for removing bulky waste and unwanted furniture.

Extreme differences between policies were highlighted within the research, which found some council policies charging as much as £20 for the removal of a single item, compared with other boroughs which offered free removal for up to five items.

The research is part of our bid get the nation to consider reupholstering and repairing furniture instead of simply discarding it.

Birmingham, Bradford, Leicester, Lincoln, Manchester, Liverpool, Oxford, Preston and Wakefield offer the free removal of unwanted furniture, but with varying restrictions on the number of items and in some cases, type of waste.

Worcester and Cambridge were revealed as the most expensive, charging £16.10 and £20 respectively for the removal of just one single item.

The cost to remove a fridge freezer also varied dramatically between councils, with Canterbury charging the most at £25 while others offered the service for free.

Discounts for those on income support, housing benefits and pension credits were offered by some councils and not by others and in some cases, the time of year affected a council’s policy. In Chester, collection is free during the months of March and April but for the rest of the year there is a charge of £15 per collection.

Chris Plumb at Plumbs said: “According to latest government figures, the UK sends more than half its waste to landfill – that’s a huge 62 million tonnes a year in England alone. By reupholstering furniture, consumers are taking direct and effective action to help reduce our landfill problem.”

“The collection and subsequent reuse or recycling of furniture by councils is key to reducing landfill, yet our research shows that there is no consistency across UK councils with some waste policies coming out more favourable than others.”

If your sofa is starting to look worn and weary, the cushions are saggy, and the fabric is wearing thin you are faced with a choice, throw it away or buy new?

As more homeowners invest in green living and recycling old furniture becomes more popular, reupholstery is an environmentally pleasing way to give old worn out furniture a brand new look.

Buying a new suite does not necessarily mean better. Imported foreign-made suites means your money goes towards a massive amount of raw materials from across the globe including tropical hardwoods, production energy and transport costs. Chances are however that the suite you’ve already got is better made than the new one.

Economic and social trends often have an effect on interior designs and trends. We believe 2010 will see a shift back to preservation and exploration of the past.

This year bold floral and spring blossom will be reflected heavily in fabrics used in reupholstery. Soft greens will be the choice colour and teamed with pale pinks, make a winning combination for a spring palette.

Here at Plumbs we recommend going for a bold floral print or a coastal theme when choosing fabrics for reupholstery.

Spring blossom in soft jade is bang on trend this season, use to reupholster an old sofa or a tub chair and combine it with plain walls to make a daring floral statement in your living room. For something a little less daring try an ocean blue fabric paired with creams and yellows to bring a splash of summer into your living room.

The reupholstering process itself is an intricate and delicate procedure and we pride ourselves on the craftsmanship involved. Sofa and chairs with button effects look particularly pleasant. The art of deep-buttoning gives the item an indulgent, voluptuous look made fashionable in the Victorian era.

Here at Plumbs our advice is to think before you throw, furniture can easily be given a brand new look by reupholstery.

Reported today – http://www.cabinet-maker.co.uk/news/view/id/1327

Plumbs backs sofa scrappage scheme

Furniture re-upholstery specialist Plumbs is backing the sofa scrappage scheme, which encourages consumers to trade in their non-compliant products for new British-manufactured sofas and chairs.

The scheme, launched by The Association of British Furniture Manufacturers (BFM), aims to reduce the number of sofas in UK homes which are made from highly flammable material, pre-dating 1988 safety regulations.

It’s tough to turn on the TV and avoid shows encouraging us to make money by getting rid of our belongings – Flog It! Cash in the Attic! Car Booty! All tap into our desire to end up on telly and end up with what’ll hopefully be a tidy sum in our pockets! But what if your treasured possessions are just that? New research shows nearly three quarters of people say they believe furniture has sentimental value.

• 73% of people believe furniture has sentimental value
• A fifth of people would never sell an old family treasure to try and make some cash
• Two thirds of people would rather bring a piece of furniture back to life and have a piece of family history than by something new
• But despite feeling sentimental, around 30% of people don’t think their kids or relatives would take a piece of furniture if it was handed down!

There’s no denying that seeing a piece of furniture owned by a relative can evoke memories of being a child, or times gone past and 45% of us say we have a piece of furniture in the house that has been passed down through the family. While a fifth of us say we’ve hung onto a furniture heirloom because they like the look of it and about 14% say there’s a story attached to it.

But while it seems that many of us are furnishing our homes with memories, it could be the end of the line for many items, as a third of people don’t think their kids would want any furniture hand-me-downs!

So is it all the fault of the “Throw Away Generation”? Do the younger generations think doing-up an old tatty sofa is too much hassle and may cost more in the long-run? The study from Plumbs Upholstery has found that two thirds of us say that we tend to keep furniture for up to 10 years – even though some people claim they’re bored of their furniture within 6 months!

It appears that the recession hasn’t put the pinchers on how much we shell out on furniture, with more than half of people saying they spend between £300 and £1,000 per year on furniture and furnishings. But it does seem that the recycling message IS getting through as the statistics show over 40% would consider investing money to bring an item of furniture back to its former glory.

So, do you have a sofa that’s seen the elbows of several generations? Did you have some furniture handed down from parents in your first home that was abandoned in a skip once you started to earn more money? Do you wish you had it now? Or do you think £500 for a three piece suite is such a bargain that the memories don’t count?

Alice Beer talks to BBC local radio stations about Plumbs and keeping that in-herited piece of furniture rather than throwing it away.

A survey has revealed that two thirds of UK homeowners would rather bring a piece of furniture back to life and enjoy a piece of family history than buy something new.

Latest government figures say we in the UK send more than half our waste to landfill. That is a huge 62 million tonnes a year in England alone. Now the aim is to reduce landfill by at least 50% over the next 10 years…..

Read More Here…

It is being report that Repair Shops & Re-upholsterers are seeing an uplift in profits even though the economy and other businesses are taking a battering. This is understandable with people wanting to repair items rather than buying new but with Re-upholstering furniture being possibly more expensive than buying new, it’s a little more confusing.

This is possibly down to people becoming more aware of the quality of cheap furniture and to make new what they already own is far more beneficial.

“Make do and mend” a saying making a comeback from the war era, is definitely more prevalent now than in previous years!

Read the full article here….

Every year many sofas get thrown into landfills or left on the streets to rot, this is because no-one really knows what can be done; this is where Save Our Sofas come in.

Save Our Sofas gives you advice and ideas of ways to keep your old sofa, giving it a new lease of life, or provide environmentally friendly ways for disposal if it is beyond repair.

Plumbs, along with Save Our Sofas believe every sofa deserves a long life in a good home.

To coincide with the launch of the Save Our Sofas (S.O.S) campaign. Plumbs have sponsored the “Ugliest Sofa in the UK 2009″ competition. All sofas are submitted and voted on by the public, the winning or ugliest sofa will then be re-upholstered for free by Plumbs.

Both the campaign and competition aim to highlight the growing need to consider the environment before throwing household items away, which usually go to landfill. S.O.S tries to educate people about the alternatives of Re-using, Refurbishing or Recycling sofas and other soft furnishings.

Why not help promote the campaign and competition by entering your sofa! You never know, you may get it re-upholstered for free.

Google luck!

In just the last couple of weeks two articles have been extolling the virtues of loose covers as a credit crunch busting way to imrpove the look of your home environment.

 The January 2009 Country Living runs a great article ‘Recycled Chic’ on page 27. The essence of the feature is about finding and restoring interesting furniture tracked down through charity shops or ebay.

You may not need to trawl through ebay looking for ‘elegant upholstered pieces simply in need of new covers’ as Country Living journalist Caroline Reeves suggests. Take a look at what’s already in the family. Now picture that interesting old couch transformed with a new fabric outer and looking just like new. How would it look in your living room. It’s worth considering.

 Good Housekeeping January 2009 edition number 1 tip on page 66 – “Expert updates on a credit crunch budget” is….yes you’ve guessed it….”Give your threadbare sofa a new incarnation by shielding the shabbiness with removable washable loose covers.”

Who am I to argue with Good Housekeeping journalist Samantha Trapp.

Best wishes one and all for a very Happy Christmas and remember, if it’s all starting to look a bit tired and worn in the new year, just follow the advice of the home magasine experts and consider loose covers or reupholstery to breathe new life into the look of your home.