Tip shops at the forefront of Australia’s fast furniture obsession

South Hobart’s Resource Tip Shop has reported an increase in cheap furniture donations after the Christmas period. Here’s how they hope to tackle it.

Fast furniture still in the box. The South Hobart Tip Shop are experiencing an increased amount of goods including fast furniture post Christmas. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

As the last stop for unwanted furniture, the New Year is always a busy time for South Hobart’s tip.

But operators from the Resource Work Cooperative said rather than reaching the shop, much of it goes straight to landfill at the neighbouring McRobies Gully Waste Transfer Centre.

“We’re seeing a lot of low quality materials coming through now more than ever,” co-coordinator Andrew Doube said, pointing to unopened flatpack furniture shelves.

“It’s a tidal wave of stuff coming in. We’re working as hard as we can to get on top of it but people don’t want it.”

Much of what they process is “fast furniture” – cheap, light and easy-to-assemble furniture often sold through online-only platforms.

Andrew Doube general co-ordinator at the Resource Work Co-Operative who run South Hobart Tip Shop. The South Hobart Tip Shop are experiencing an increased amount of goods including fast furniture post Christmas. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Made with cheap materials like chipboard, laminate and particle, fast furniture accounts for a “conservatively estimated” 50,000 tonnes of waste moved kerbside each year according to the Australian Furniture Association.

33 per cent is textiles, sofas and armchairs, while the remaining 67 per cent is wooden furniture.

CEO Patrizia Torelli said waste was exacerbated by the Christmas sales period.

“The advent of online stores and lifestyle media have really changed the way people view furniture,” she said.

“It’s not just a functional thing; a lot of people are buying it as a trend.”

She encouraged people to “do their research” and prioritise buying Australian-made, “sturdy, older pieces”.

“The reality is quite often products are not what they are promoted to be, and can often be unsafe in terms of their structures and toxicity levels,” she said, adding that imported products are not subjected to the same manufacturing regulations as Australian-made products.

“If we don’t know what’s in the product then we can’t dispose of it sustainability, disassemble it or reuse the materials.”

Despite concerns about affordability, City of Hobart retail councillor Louise Bloomfield said the local restoration industry offered an alternative to fast furniture retailers.

“We should be championing people using recycled materials because that’s actually better for the long term, and I do think a lot of people are moving in that direction,” she said.

“Not everyone has the skillset to do that kind of work so that should tell you that there’s not only a market, but there’s also materials to base that on as well.

“It has the potential to be a booming industry.”

Restored leather armchair. The South Hobart Tip Shop are experiencing an increased amount of goods including fast furniture post Christmas. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Mr Doube said there was “enough good quality old stuff that will last“ to prevent over-consuming.

“Every time you buy something, think about where that’s going to be in five years,” he said.

“If it’s going to be in landfill think about buying something that would cost a little bit more.”

Originally published as Tip shops at the forefront of Australia’s fast furniture obsession