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I may only be two feet tall but I know that sometimes, putting in just a little bit of effort can have a HUGE impact.
Trust me, this closet full of yellow polo shirts doesn't mean anything- green is really the most important color to me! I try to be green in everything I do.
That's why my Bob's Discount Furniture takes part in several initiatives to not only keep our planet healthy, but also to give back. We believe that everything has value and we do our part to recycle as much as we can. I mean, you know I'm all about untouchable values on furniture. Same thing!
Here's a little bit more about how my team and I practice corporate social responsibility:
Why recycle?
Talking about furniture gets me really excited, especially when I'm talking about how we make it a priority to recycle furniture and its associated materials.
Just so I wouldn't ramble in all my excitement, I put together this handy list of why we recycle!
- To help the environment, of course. We conserve fuel by maximizing our truck capacities. There's no such thing as a half-full truck- we strive to get them as close as full as we can before they go out on the road!
- Job creation. We use a combination of in-house recycling and third party recycling, and have created positions in order to manage the huge volume of recycling that we do day in and day out!
- Social responsibility. Because we all have the opportunity to do what's right for our environment and our society. And doing that, well- it just feels good!
- The numbers speak for themselves. Check out how much cardboard, foam and plastic film we recycled last year!
| Recycled Materials in Tons 2019 | |
|---|---|
| Cardboard | 11,519 |
| Foam | 386 |
| Film | 467 |
| Total Tons | 12,372 |
| Total Pounds | 24,744,000 |
Mattress Recycling
Did you know that if you purchase a mattress from Bob's and have it delivered using my BOBtastic Delivery Experience we will remove your old mattress? Keep in mind that any old bedding to be removed must be in safe and sanitary condition! Unfortunately, the delivery team cannot remove old bedding for mattresses shipped via FedEx under the Bob's Value Express program.
About how many mattresses do we remove from homes, you ask? Well, last year we recycled 68,292 pieces of bedding! That's a lot of mattresses that won't be taking up landfills!
Looking to recycle your own mattress? Click here to find your nearest mattress recycling facility if you live in California, Connecticut or Rhode Island.
Chair Box Recycling
Furniture Donation
Want to donate your used furniture? Many charities that accept furniture donations will also pick up the furniture from your home, saving you time and effort. Here are a couple of charities that pick up furniture for you to consider:
Many Habitat for Humanity regional offices are happy to pick up donations of used furniture in good condition to offer for sale in their ReStores. Go to Habitat.org/Restores to get contact information for local stores, then reach out to inquire about the possibility of having your donation picked up.
The Salvation Army is a large organization that offers rehabilitation services to adults, youth and families. It operates thrift stores throughout the United States and is happy to accept quality furniture donations. Call 1-800-SA-TRUCK (1-800-728-7825) to find out if pick-up service is available in your area and to schedule a date and time. Depending on where you live, you may be able to schedule your donation online instead of calling. Most furniture types are accepted. Ask a representative if you are unsure about a specific item.
Responsible Wood Sourcing
Bob’s Discount Furniture is involved in a variety of eco-friendly initiatives from recycling programs to responsible wood sourcing. To that end, we are working closely with our suppliers toward our long-term goal of eliminating unacceptable sources of wood. Specifically, we are working with our vendors to increase the amount of responsible wood sourcing in our furniture assortment which includes wood from certified and reclaimed/recycled sources.
Bob’s Discount Furniture’s expectation is that our vendors do not use wood from unacceptable sources, including:
- Illegally harvested or traded timber
- Timber harvested in violation of traditional or civil rights
- Timber harvested from areas in which high conservation values are threatened by poor forest management
- Timber from forests in which genetically modified trees are planted
Our goal is to continually expand our vendors’ 3rd party certification system with a strong preference for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) as an industry leader in promoting forest management.
As a leader in the furniture industry, in adopting and implementing our Responsible Wood Sourcing Policy, we seek to set a positive example for our peers and to do our part to protect the world’s forests. Let’s all work together to protect our planet!
Learn more here about how Bob's was recognized as a leader in sustainability!
Energy-Efficient Lighting
Jesse Douglass, Director of Operations at Bob’s Taftville Distribution Center, shows off the new lights to members of the press and representatives from Norwich Public Utilities, our partner in the lighting upgrade.
Bob’s wants to prove that eco-friendly operations can coexist with business growth! That’s why in November 2018, my distribution center in Taftville, Connecticut began the process of replacing 11,493 incandescent lightbulbs with energy-efficient LED lightbulbs. These lightbulbs provide better light and also use less electricity.
The new lights help reduce energy costs but more importantly they’re better for the environment. By using LED lights, we’ll use 856,891 fewer kilowatt hours of electricity each year!
That’s the equivalent carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of:
- 3 million pounds of coal burned
- 1,328 average homes' worth of electricity
- 971,030,572 smartphones charged
At Bob’s, our goal is to continue to make energy-saving and environmentally-sound initiatives a priority, whether it’s the use of LED lighting, materials recycling, or donating our furniture to non-profits in the area.