22 million pieces of furniture are discarded every year in the UK, the majority of which is sent directly to landfill. At The Old Barn we aim to save some of these items from going to waste and give items of furniture and homeware a new lease of life.

 

How do we do this?

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We have partnered with We Move You, an environmentally friendly house clearance and removal company.  They keep us stocked with furniture and other items that would otherwise have gone to landfill. 

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We also source antiques and vintage items from other sources such as auctions and antiques fairs. 

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We restore and upcycle old and unwanted furniture and household items, to give them a new lease of life and save them from landfill. We also take on commissions to enable customers to update and modernise older pieces of furniture in their homes to match new decor, for example, to avoid throwing furniture out and buying new. 

 

Partnerships 

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Part of our initiative as a sustainable company is to work with craftspeople who share our dedication to the environment. We carefully research all of the craftspeople that supply us, either with products to sell or by running workshops with us.  We mainly run workshops with craftspeople who use waste products or recycled materials during their workshops. By building these relationships with local artists and craftspeople, we’re able to reduce our carbon footprint and cut down on the use of fuel and packaging materials.

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The Old Barn has partnered with Fusion Mineral Paint which is environmentally conscious by design.  All Fusion products are non-toxic, lead free, virtually odourless, and contain no ammonia or formaldehyde.

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Other Ways We Are Sustainable

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Packaging - We only use recycled cardboard, biodegradable bubble wrap and paper packaging tape to package our products. Bags and price tags in the shop are made from recycled paper.

 

Tea and Coffee Cups - We only use china cups and plates in our workshops so that they can be washed after use. 

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Lighting - All of our lighting has LED bulbs and the lights are all switched off when the shop is closed. 

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Shop Display - As part of our aim to be fully sustainable, we try not to buy any new display products or decorative items to use in the shop and source all items second hand where possible.  

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Paper - We are mainly paperless. We do not support the use of business cards, brochures or other paper advertising material in the shop.

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Toiletries and Cleaning Products - We use eco-friendly toilet roll, hand wash and cleaning products.  We use a fabric hand towel in the bathroom, which is replaced daily.

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This policy will be reviewed and updated on an annual basis, every July.