According to the Environmental Protection Agency, more than nine million tons of furniture makes it to the landfill each year (https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/durable-goods-product-specific-data#FurnitureandFurnishings) . The number has been steadily rising because “Fast Furniture” has become the norm instead of well-made furniture like what was made in the past that was designed to last generations, or higher end furniture these days with high price tags (Source: Architectural Digest https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/sustainability-fast-furniture#:~:text=The%20EPA%20estimates%20that%209,also%20not%20a%20good%20investment. Money is tight, and we do not always have the resources to purchase pieces of furniture made to last. So what can we do about it?
I wish I could say that this was my original idea, but I actually got the idea from a YouTube video I saw a while back (I’m sorry, I did not record the link), and adapted it to my own situation. I thought the idea was brilliant! So here is my experience!
Many years ago when my daughter was only single digits old, we bought her a wood dresser which she grew up with. It was not a high cost item to begin with (it was all we could afford at the time), having come from a large furniture store in what must have been at least 100 pieces and put together by my husband and I using our combined expertise for such things, which is not saying much! Fast forward 15 or so years, my daughter was just finishing her Master’s degree and living across the country. The dresser did not make the move with her, having lost a drawer along the way, and was rickety enough to sway if touched. Needless to say, it was destined for the landfill since it could no longer function as a dresser.
But wait! My garden was also in need of a garden box to put in some vegetables that are notoriously ornery and difficult to grow – not to mention that I am getting older and boxes bring everything up just a little so it’s easier on my back. By taking out the drawers, laying the dresser down so the back was in the dirt, it could become a garden box...in theory. There were a few steps I had to do in order to make this happen so I recruited my sister (and 48 Degrees North: A Gardener’s Diary partner) to help. All in all, this proved to be a fun project.
· The original back of the dresser was a thin, dense cardboard that had been tacked on, so we popped it off and tapped in any tiny nails left sticking out. I cut a piece of chicken wire to replace it and stapled it on. The chicken wire allows for worms and beneficial critters to get into your box, but keeps out the burrowing pests that like to eat the roots of your plants.
· We drilled holes and reinforced the sides to the top so it wasn’t so rickety.
· This particular dresser did not have a bottom (or a side if laying down flat on the ground), so we found a scrap piece of plywood taking up space in the garage, cut it to size with a circular saw, and screwed it in so the garden box had four sides. If you don’t have an old piece of plywood, you can buy small pieces at your local home improvement store for a few dollars. We also thought about using leftover fence boards, but I did not have enough.
· We then placed the new box in my garden bed, put a piece of box cardboard in the bottom (not the dense cardboard that was originally on the dresser) that will break down over time and nourish the soil, filled the box with compost and some chicken manure and whoolah – a completely repurposed piece of furniture!
You can paint it or decorate it to showcase your personality if you like. It is a very satisfying project that adds character to your garden, keeps a large piece of furniture out of the landfill, and serves as a vessel to grow your own vegetables! What a save!
Comments