KarunaNews Story

Every item of furniture in Daniel Santos' Berlin apartment has a story. There's the desk that took him deep into the city's former Soviet suburbs, bedframe he hauled with the help of five housemates, and century-old dresser he revived with glue and nails. He is part of a younger generation, aware of furniture's massive carbon footprint and happy to shop secondhand. ​​​​​Globally, researchers estimate at least 51 million tons of furniture are consumed every year with much of it cheap and mass-produced and often not recyclable. ​​​In the US alone, 12.1 million tons of furniture waste was generated in 2018 with less than 0.5% of it recycled. ​​​But flat-pack giants and fast-fashion retailers may be losing sway with first-time furniture buyers. E-commerce comparison website Capital One Shopping says over a billion people visit the Facebook Marketplace digital classified service every month and an estimated 491 million buy something. ​​Pinterest says searches for "secondhand kitchens" have skyrocketed by 1,012% and "secondhand decor" by 283%, with Gen Z users making up half the site's base. Reuse is one of the clearest antidotes to fast furniture's environmental toll.