Why Buying Vintage is Green & Shop Our Vintage Finds
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It's no secret we love vintage furnishings at ELI! We get so much joy from seeing a piece of furniture that was neglected for half a century get a new life again (see our Pierre Paulin Groovy Chair before and after post on our Instagram!) These gems have already proven their design and construction will stand the test of time.
We’re predicting more vintage pieces will surface in design in 2022 and for good reasons, our favorite being sustainability! Here are our 5 reasons why buying vintage is green, plus our favorite vintage finds! Get them quickly before they sell!
1. Goodbye VOCs and Off-Gassing
You may have heard about VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) which are harmful gasses that are emitted into the air from products and building materials. Off-gassing occurs when new, manufactured items in our homes release VOCs and other chemicals. Off-gassing can take anywhere from 6 months to 5 years, and some VOCs can off-gas for the entire lifespan of a product! When you buy vintage, there’s a higher chance the off-gassing process has already run its cycle, so you're not bringing harmful chemicals into your home.
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2. No Contribution to Supply Chain Issues
Lead times for furnishings are averaging 12-16 weeks right now. It’s no secret we have supply chain issues. When you buy vintage, the seller already has the product in stock waiting for its new home. You can also shop locally to support small businesses!
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3. Less Waste and Usage of Raw Materials
Here at ELI, we are all about using natural and raw materials. We do our best to ensure those materials are sustainably and ethically sourced. However, using raw materials is not necessarily good for our environment. Stone is harvested directly from the earth and even though there are certified managed forests, trees are still being cut down which emits more carbon dioxide into our atmosphere. Shopping vintage supports the zero waste movement and makes a positive impact on our planet!
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4. Reduced Carbon Footprint
Now more than ever we need to be aware of our Ecological Footprint, and being conscious about our purchases is a great step to doing so. A study by Carbon Clear shows that vintage furniture is likely to have a carbon footprint 16 times lower than newly manufactured furniture!
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5. Stay Away from the Grave
Most products we purchase today are made with a Cradle to Grave mentality of "use it, lose it, and bury it in the ground." But Cradle to Cradle implies that the end of a product's lifecycle will be followed by the beginning of a new lifecycle!
Vintage and antique furniture were built to stand the test of time with durable construction methods and materials. Plus, they’re truly works of art! By shopping vintage, you are practicing the Cradle to Cradle mentality by starting a new lifecycle for that vintage gem. ELI is obsessed with Cradle to Cradle methodology and Cradle to Cradle by William McDonough and Michael Braungart always makes our recommended reading list!
Shop Our Favorite Vintage Finds!