Transforming "Fast Furniture" into Sustainable "Slow Furniture"

Did you know? The impact of sustainable home decor in 2020

In 2020, over 20 million tons of new furniture flooded the markets of the European Union and the United States. This staggering figure, which has nearly doubled over recent decades, continues to rise with each passing day.

While keeping furniture for decades used to be the norm, today's reality paints a different picture. Each year, a significant portion of these newly acquired pieces, many of which are still fully functional, are discarded. The result is an environmental crisis, as the diverse materials used in furniture construction make recycling a challenge, leading to excessive landfill waste. This trend is commonly referred to as 'fast furniture,' and it exacts a heavy toll on our planet. Landfills continue to pollute the environment, and each new piece of furniture contributes an average of 90kg of carbon footprint. Clearly, this is not what our planet needs.

So, what can we do when our homes need a fresh touch?

The good news is that there are greener alternatives and innovative ways to upgrade your home decor affordably. Hacking, redesigning, and upcycling pre-loved items or repurposing existing furniture are excellent options. Not only will you create a unique piece for your space, but the satisfaction of crafting something yourself while making a minimal environmental impact adds to the positive experience.

Love your furniture, especially IKEA!

At Prettypegs, our mission is to revolutionize how people approach IKEA furniture and interior design. Our efforts have shown impressive results, inspiring our customers to infuse love into their existing furniture with unique legs, paint, or charming knobs. Our research reveals that this approach extends the lifespan of furniture by an estimated 20%. Hacking fosters emotional attachment, leading people to take better care of their pieces and, when the time comes, to consider selling or gifting them rather than discarding them, ultimately reducing landfill waste.

In 2019, Prettypegs products extended the lifespan of approximately 19,000 IKEA furniture pieces. The production of a single piece of furniture consumes about 47kg of CO2. With an average IKEA furniture lifespan of 10 years, our customers helped save an estimated 179 tons of CO2 emissions in 2017, equivalent to the daily emissions of around 32,000 cars.

Our ongoing journey

While we take pride in promoting sustainable interior design, we acknowledge that our quest for sustainability is an ongoing journey with constant challenges. Like any company, we face numerous hurdles in our pursuit.

By 2025, our objectives are as follows:

• Ensure that 100% of our suppliers are based in Europe.

• Optimize our shipping methods for maximum CO2 efficiency.

• Increase the use of recycled materials in our product range.

• Launch an online Prettypegs Secondhand shop, facilitating the sale and purchase of pre-loved pegs and other secondhand furniture.

• Aim to inspire the upcycling of 500,000 pieces of furniture by 2025, potentially saving 4,700 tons of CO2. This is equivalent to the daily emissions of approximately 816,000 cars (FIRA 2012).

Together, let's transition from 'fast furniture' to 'slow furniture' and create a more sustainable world!

Explore some of our favorite IKEA hacks.