2023 Impact Report

The impact of fast furniture and home décor is enormous. It relies heavily on resource-intensive manufacturing processes that contribute to resource depletion, high energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions. Chemicals used in its production can harm indoor air quality and contribute to air pollution. Production waste is dumped in rivers and oceans, or is burned or buried in landfills. It destroys biodiversity, causes unexplainable illnesses and ruins nature. The lack of a good system to monitor rules and legislation around sustainable production in the countries of origin is still failing.

One of the key drivers of fast-furniture is the consumer demand for affordable home furnishings and decoration. Fast-furniture aligns with modern consumers’ expectations for convenience and immediate gratification. The ease of assembly and availability of low priced fast furniture online and in-store make them attractive to time-pressed consumers. Furthermore, fast furniture and home décor are made of poor-quality materials, and offered at prices so low that many people consider them disposable. This fast furniture is often too expensive or difficult to repair and easy to replace and therefor ends up on the curb. The disposable nature of fast furniture encourages a culture of consumerism and overlooks environmental sustainability.

Breaking the devastating cycle of fast-consumerism takes tiny steps. Certain steps are already made by European Union, such as implementation of regulations aimed at reducing waste and promoting sustainable practices. These regulations often encompass measures such as restricting the use of harmful chemicals, enforcing recycling protocols, and setting standards for energy efficiency. However, regulatory measures alone are not sufficient to address the complex issues of environmental impact and the current measures do not yet fully address the problem, but only parts of it.

It is therefore of the utmost importance that fashion and home deco entrepreneurs take active responsibility to offer better products for the planet. This responsibility extends beyond mere compliance with regulations; it involves a fundamental shift in how products are designed, manufactured, and marketed. The turnaround in environmental impact in these sectors requires a holistic approach that combines regulatory compliance with innovative business practices and consumer education. Only through such a comprehensive strategy can the detrimental effects of fast consumerism be effectively mitigated.

At originalhome, we take our responsibility to create environmental improvement by offering earth & people friendly alternatives to decorate homes, offices and any other spaces. The materials used are carefully selected and have the smallest impact on the planet. On average 75% of the collection is made from waste materials like recycled textiles, upcycled wine and beer bottles, rest materials like waste cotton, discarded wood, reclaimed teak or recycled bottle caps. The other 25% consists of carefully selected quickly renewable plant fibres that are grown on local community plantations. The production of our products is executed by hand with limited use of electricity. This old fashioned way of producing could be planet’s last resort but also offers many people in the poorer regions of the world job opportunities. Through holistic practices, we can collectively foster a brighter, more sustainable future.

The impact of our initiatives extends beyond these impressive figures. Not only are we working towards making this planet a greener place, we also care about empowering marginalized communities and offering them as many jobs as possible, because we believe we cannot care for the planet if we don’t care for each other first. Together with our local partners, we have created jobs for over 700 people in rural areas this year.