Plastic Free July is a yearly event begun by the Plastic Free Foundation. They aim to help people find alternatives to single-use plastic, forming habits that will last all year.
You probably already know the obvious tips. Reusable water bottles, paper straws and bags for life are commonplace these days, but what about the bigger things? How are your furniture purchases contributing to pollution, and what’s the alternative?
Let’s explore the common problems of being plastic free, and how antiques can solve those problems
Problem: Packaging
New furniture means new packaging. This can make it pretty hard to be plastic-free!
If you’ve ever bought something from a fast-furniture retailer, chances are it came wrapped in plastic and cushioned by more plastic. Polystyrene is often a particular culprit.
Polystyrene is effective in protecting items from damage, but it damages the environment in the long run. The kind of damage you can’t get a refund for!
What makes polystyrene so useful is also what makes it harmful. This lightweight and bulky substance takes 500 years to decompose and is carried around by water and air. It piles up in landfills and oceans, often consumed by marine animals who mistake it for a harmless snack.
Solution
Buying antique and vintage avoids this damaging packaging. At OTSE, our items come to us without packaging and often leave the same way. If we ever repackage anything for shipping, we aim to use only recycled materials, plastic-free wherever possible.
Problem: Cost-Effectiveness
So, you bought a cheap plastic chair that broke after six months. You replaced that cheap plastic chair with another cheap plastic chair. After a few more trips to the dump, that cheap plastic chair doesn’t seem so cheap anymore.
Solution
Antique furniture is built to last. It may seem expensive compared to the aforementioned cheap plastic chair, but longevity adds value.
Antique furniture is typically made with natural materials like real wood. This means that it is easy to repair and can last decades if not centuries.
Problem: Trends
Keeping up with trends is tempting! It seems like every day there’s a hot new item all over social media. Unfortunately, this item inevitably comes with baggage. Plastic baggage. Lots and lots of it.
The trend passes before you know it, and you’re stuck with a new piece of landfill fodder.
Solution
Embrace plastic-free timelessness with vintage and antiques. Trends become irrelevant when you allow yourself to express your individual style.
Antiques offer something for all tastes without feeding into overconsumption. If you put a lot of thought into choosing pieces you love, you won’t feel the need to change them up at such a fast pace!
Our Commitment
As a Green Tourism Badge holding business, we don’t expect you to do Plastic Free July alone. We will be sticking to our usual principles of reuse, waste reduction and circular design. No business or individual is perfect and we are always looking for new ways to reduce our reliance on single-use products.
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On The Square Emporium is one of Ireland’s Largest Antiques shops stocking thousands of vintage and antique items including Edwardian, Georgian and Victorian furniture, desirable collectibles and stunning decor ideas for your home. Can’t find what you are looking for? Contact our team for help on sourcing it!