When you no longer have a use for your lumpy couch or old armchair, you can give them a new start by dropping them off at a Cowichan Valley Regional District recycling centre.
More than 70 per cent of the material from the furniture will be repurposed, as oppose to having it head to a landfill.
The goal of recycling upholstery furniture is to separate and repurpose all the reusable components, including the foam, metal, plastic and wood.
The foam can be washed and used as carpet underlay or packing material; recyclable plastic can be recycled; wood can be used for biofuel; and scrap metal for the manufacturing of new metal products.
The cost to drop off a piece is $15 per unit.
“We started a pilot program to recycle couches and armchairs in 2015,” said CVRD board chairman Jon Lefebure.
“The pilot was very popular so we have made it a permanent program. We anticipate diverting about 2,000 units from landfill each year. This leading edge program will enable our citizens to responsibly deal with these bulky items.”
For a complete list of materials that are accepted at CVRD recycling centres visit www.cvrd.bc.ca/recycling