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.

We’ve been banging on about it for ages, “Keep and restore, don’t throw and destroy”!

This is becoming more and more prevalent in our society not only for environmental reasons but now it effects your wallet more than ever.

An article I’ve read on the site, thisisexeter.co.uk, is also saying the same message. However we have always come at this from a sofa or furniture point of view.

This article says something more, which is, why stop there? What if your electrical appliances break-down, go out and buy new? Not only are there masses of second-hand white goods that will save you money. But why not try and get it repaired? In most circumstances it will be cheaper.

Read the article here…

As a society we need to move on from our throw-away culture. Maybe the ever talked-about credit crisis will bring on the change that’s needed.

What else could it be? Yes, you guessed it, ’the environment’.  It seems right now everything is looked at from an environmental impact perspective, so why is buying a new sofa any different?

50,000 items of lounge furniture a year goes into landfill. This is like burying 1000 London buses. When you buy new furniture, your money goes towards a massive amount of raw materials from across the globe including tropical hardwoods, production energy and transport costs.

So don’t just think by popping down to your nearest “Sofa Warehouse” the only carbon footprint you’ll be making is the emmisions from your car. There is massive amounts of energy used to mass produce this type of cheap furniture, not too mention all the noxtious materials found in some furniture that can take 100’s of years to breakdown.

The GOOD news is…

They don’t make it like they used to. Chances are the suite you’ve already got is better made than a new one. Low prices of new lounge suites means……well as the saying goes, You get what you pay for. So if you decided to reupholster or cover the furniture you already have in a fabulous new fabric you can get the latest look in your lounge, save money, cause less impact on the environment and still have your favourite comfortable place to relax, switch off and enjoy yourself.

There’s a really good article here on energy efficiency tips. The one that caught my eye was the tip to close heavey lined curtains as soon as it gets dark.

- Close the curtains to your living room and bedrooms as soon as it gets dark to reduce heat loss through the windows. Heavy or lined curtains are best. Annual savings are approximately £15.

To see the full article please click here…