The Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC) has flung open the doors on #SustainableSaturdays, an all new environmental education and community engagement program. On the second Saturday of every month, SFC will reward shoppers for donating their lightly used furniture to participating Habitat for Humanity ReStores®. Those who participate will be rewarded with Positive Impact Points, or PIPs.

“This is the first of many themed campaigns we will be rolling out as part of the #SustainableSaturdays education and engagement program,” said SFC Executive Director Susan Inglis. “We are delighted to be partnering with PIPs and supporting Habitat for Humanity ReStores® for this ‘Waste Reduction’ themed campaign.”

Habitat for Humanity ReStore

SFC, its members and partners encourage shoppers to donate their unwanted home furnishings at a participating Habitat for Humanity ReStore. The program has launched in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas. For a complete list of participating stores, click here.

Upon making their donation, shoppers will receive a thank you card that contains a unique PIPcertificate code. They can use that PIPcertificate code to activate the PIPs they earned on the PIPs web app, PIPsRewards. The PIPs represent a new social impact points program, and after accumulating a number of points, users can trade them in for product.

“It’s like a frequent flyer program but for good,” said Wendy Gordon, CEO & Co-founder of the program. “You see, not only are PIPs earned for making better everyday choices, like recycling furniture, but also for completing the cycle of good. PIPs redemption catalog is loaded up with positive impact products and services—like cool fitness tracking apps, healthy and responsibly made products as well as great causes in which to donate or micro-invest your PIPs.”

The United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates that nearly 10 million tons of furniture will clog the nation’s landfills this year. “Our goal with the #SustainableSaturdays campaign,” said Inglis, “is to keep 10 tons of furniture out of our landfills.”

“We are carrying the Waste Reduction theme through the end of this year, but I expect we will announce the next theme by early December,” said Inglis. “You can also expect other activities and events in conjunction with the 2nd Saturday of each month, especially from SFC members stores. Stores might plan an event for designers and share some of the excellent education our organization provides. They might highlight products made of recycled or reclaimed materials, or they might work with their local Habitat ReStore to donate customers' old furniture as they deliver new goods, etc. SFC provides members with an ‘Earth Day Any Day’ kit and we are hopeful that this campaign will see more and more events scheduled.”

”The industry has a huge opportunity right now with consumer concern rising (especially about climate and about indoor air quality),” added Inglis. “Designers who can address these concerns as a matter-of-fact part of the conversation about product choices are at a huge advantage. Similarly, best practices for sustainability have become part of the value that manufacturers are offering—the consumer wants it more eagerly when it is not only an attractive style and price point, but healthy for indoor and outdoor environments.”