How Returns Can Restore Lives: Giving Back in the Furniture Industry

*We were thrilled to write this blog post for the Home Furnishings Association, where it was originally published on July 26, 2024.

Furniture Banks: Recycling Furniture And Restoring Lives

Picture this: It’s a happy day. You just got the keys to your new apartment after years of experiencing housing insecurity. First and last month’s rent, deposits, utilities, and basic necessities such as food leave you with little money to spend on furniture, so the door closes on an empty space. How can you start fresh if you wake up on the floor? The above scenario is the reality of furniture poverty and the reason why furniture banks exist.

Now is the perfect time to talk about corporate responsibility in the home furnishings industry, and furniture banks must be part of the discussion. If you want your company’s giving back policy to walk the walk, it’s as simple as finding an organization that uses furniture to help people thrive.

Furniture banks in the community

Furniture banks are nonprofit organizations or registered charities that are set up to provide gently-used furnishings and household necessities to individuals and families in need. People who no longer want and need items donate them, and those items go right back into the community to help turn empty living spaces into homes.

There are approximately 130 furniture banks across North America. While each one is a separate entity with its own in-house standards and program of work, the premise is universal: furniture changes lives. Furniture banks partner with agencies and organizations in their communities to identify furniture needs. Schools, faith groups, healthcare, and civic groups refer people to their local furniture bank when it’s the right time for furniture to make a difference. In the process, a collaborative community network is fostered.

Retailers can make a difference

Furniture banks are to furniture poverty what food banks are to hunger. At their core, these organizations are logistics companies moving furniture from point A to point B, aiming to transform empty living spaces into functional homes. None of this can happen without the star of the show: furniture! This is where retailers come in. Donating odd stock inventory, returns, and canceled shipments to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit profoundly impacts the community. It can often be deductible up to the full retail value of the item.

Furniture banks rely on donations, which means that organizations meeting a rising need are often faced with inventory shortages, especially with larger core items such as mattresses, couches, and tables. Retailers looking to strengthen their company’s giving strategy have an easy fix in their local furniture bank. In-kind donations of furniture and home goods are not only write-offs, but they also offer a company a hyper-local way of demonstrating their commitment to the area they serve. Scheduling a donation pickup with a furniture bank moves old products out while at the same time helping ensure adequate inventory for an organization on the front lines of eradicating furniture poverty. It’s a win-win.

The life cycle of a piece of furniture

Furniture banks are rooted in sustainability. Combatting furniture poverty by accepting and distributing gently-used items makes a staggering difference in reducing waste. The Barnabas Furniture Bank in the High Point, NC, area collects more than 10,000 pieces of furniture annually, keeping 125 tons of furniture waste out of landfills.

Every piece of furniture tells a story. By supporting organizations that can extend the life of a sofa, table, or bed, we’re preserving pieces with lots of life left in them. In doing so, we’re ensuring that every neighbor has a place to sit, eat, and sleep.