Did you know that 9 million tons of waste from furniture and interiors are added to our landfills every year?! It’s a staggering that’s been steadily increasing over the past many years. There’s no doubt that this is a dark side to design. But it’s not all bad news! You know we’re all about sustainability at Ariel Arts. Here’s how we do it. 

Start with Function and Invest in What You Love

Before we discuss style or taste with any of our clients, we always begin with function. The most important thing in any design is to make the space work optimally for the people who occupy it. Once we have a deep understanding of how people use the space, their dreams for the future, and their emotional ties to the room and its items, then we start to talk about overall style. And there’s an interesting thing that happens — once we design for function, people want to keep their things longer. The longer we hold onto the things, the less that ends up in the landfills. Even just holding onto something for 3-5 years beats current averages and helps to reduce waste. 

Source Sustainably

This is one of the trickier ones out there because it’s not always obvious which products are sustainable. Sure there are a few brands out there where you can’t go wrong, but did you know that you can also find sustainably sourced products from places like Target? The key is looking for some important certifications and terms, such as FSC Wood or Greenguard. Check our Sustainability page for all the labels we use when sourcing sustainable goods. 

Donate or Sell It 

Try to throw as little away as possible. If it can be sold or donated, do your best to keep materials out of our landfills. And while you’re at it — consider seeking for vintage, second-hand, and upcycled products. One of our favorite vintage furniture sites is COMPANY.

Carbon Offset Shipping

Whenever we ship products, we’re increasing carbon footprints. While this typically can’t be avoided in redesign projects, we can offset that pollution. By contributing to organizations that specialize in offsetting our CO2 contributions, you can make the shipping process a little easier on the earth. You can contribute per shipment, per order, or even subscriber per week! A few recommended sites: Carbonfund.org// Wren.co// ecological.com

Some of Our Favorite Sustainable Picks