What can I do with my old sofa?

Have you just given your lounge a new facelift? New carpet, new curtains and a fresh lick of paint. And now you have a big off-white elephant in the corner of the room, not literally an elephant but otherwise known as your old sofa. It's just how it works, any amount of decorating and the old stuff in your house sticks out a mile.

You could do several things with your old sofa. How about enrolling on an upholstery course and set about recovering the sofa as a project. As long as you have the time and dedication, then the results will be amazing and your family will love you and it forever or how about having your sofa cleaned (if it's not to far gone). Having the sofa professionally cleaned will bring new life and a breath of fresh air to your home.

But failing all of that, perhaps it's time for a new sofa, but what do you do with the old one before the new one arrives?

Here are a few options on what to do with your old sofa:
A general website packed with information on how to responsibly dispose of your sofa can be found at http://www.frn.org.uk/

Other sites for sofa recycling include:
Freecycle https://www.freecycle.org/
A UK wide network where you can post all your unwanted items on to help you find a good home. Rule is that you give the sofa away for free.

Charities that deal in sofa reuse / recycling
http://sofareuse.org/
SOFA is a registered charity whose mission is to:
• Maximise the donation of furniture and electrical goods from the people of Leicestershire to promote re-use and thereby benefit the environment.
• To help local people in need by selling furniture and electrical items at affordable prices.
• Provide a real work environment for volunteers seeking to improve their life opportunities

http://cambridgereuse.org.uk/
Cambridge Re-Use is a volunteer based service helping people on low income to furnish their homes
The generosity of our donors and a dedicated team of volunteers enables our service to help hundreds of people on low income every year
Our store is open to households on a low income.

Contact your chosen charity to arrange collection or delivery and discuss their requirements first.

Do note that some items might not be accepted for health and safety reasons. Always ensure the sofa you want to donate has a fire safety certificate attached. The fire safety certificate is usually attached to the base frame of the sofa.