Every year just after Chinese New Year, you can find tons of old furniture on the streets of Taipei when people put their “out with the old” philosophy into practice. It definitely benefited me when I was a broke-ass student-turned-temporary-English-teacher back in the 90s, but it’s not the most enviro strategy for dealing with your old goods.
For a little “in with the old with a twist of new,” you’ve got figure out creative ways to rework what you’ve got. That means getting a new tablecloth instead of a whole new table, and, yes, slipcovers can do the trick on unsightly couches.
Sears used to actually sell ready- made organic slipcovers, but I have to admit they were pretty ugly and never fit all that well. They’ve been discontinued, which isn’t a bad thing if it leads you into the talented hands of local slipcover creators who do custom jobs.
The people at Potato Skins on Yonge do just that and offer up eco textile choices made of hemp, recycled polyester, organic cotton and way more (potatoskins.com). They also make throw cushions out of your old drapes, and drapes out of swaths of vintage finds, old Hudson Bay blankets – you name it. Just don’t get it Scotchgarded. Yes, the company phased out toxic PFOS, but its replacement, PFBS, is still considered persistent in the environment.
More and more upholsterers, like Re-Wrap (rewrap.ca) on Dundas East, offer swatch books of eco textiles, too, as well as 60 per cent soy foam stuffing and natural latex by request. Others specialize in that alone, like recraftfurniture.com.
And don’t toss it just because a rung is broken or a leg is loose. Handy neighbourhood peeps like those behind Broken Leg Furniture Repair on Gerrard East (brokenlegfurniturerepair.com) will keep it out of the dump.
What to do when eco energy rebates run out?
I know it’s Design Week in Toronto, but before you look at another flooring sample or piece of furniture, you need to put the swatch book down.
No quantity of drapes or high-style chairs can save you from the frigid drafts blowing up your pant leg this winter, even if a throw rug is made with recycled textiles. If you own your own pad and you haven’t yet outfitted it with energy-saving retrofits, do the hustle, baby.
Ontario’s provincial rebate programs are closing their doors March 31. While you might recall how the feds outrageously cancelled all funding to green home retrofits nine months early with only one day of warning (makes my blood boil even now), you can get up to $5,000 in dinero if you bump up your insulation and install that new low-flow toilet/Energy Star water heater/furnace/window before that date.
Don’t forget that you need to get an energy audit done before and after, all within that timeline, and there are rebates for those as well. So if you’re cranking the space heaters or your shower keeps running cold, carpe diem, people.
What happens when the program runs out? Well, the province is passing the baton to the Ontario Power Authority and local utility companies. On January 1, 2011, OPA kicked off saveonenergyontario.ca, which, while nice, is a pittance compared to what the province and feds had going on for a while.
Basically, you can get $250 back on a new furnace or AC, though OPA promises that coupons for dimmers, timers, automated power bars and lights will be available soon.
For qualified low-incomers, Enbridge’s Home Retrofit Program will potentially weatherize and insulate your home for free, so be sure to tap that.
Otherwise, hound your MPP to bring back the rebates. Looking into my green crystal ball, I predict they make it into the Liberals’ election platform – if we’re pushy.
ecoholic@nowtoronto.com
