When Curt and Jessica moved into their new Los Angeles home, they came across an old wooden dresser sitting forgotten in the garage. While other people might have just thrown it out, this couple decided to make a garden out of it. They drilled drainage holes in all the drawers and planted them with succulents. Apartment Therapy reports that the project began on the couple's own blog, Grizzly Bear Modern. It is a small idea with a larger message. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, in 2018 Americans produced approximately 12.1 million tons of furniture and furnishings waste, the majority of which ended up in landfills rather than being given a second life.
A dresser no one wanted
The dresser was left behind by the previous homeowner and was still intact, just unwanted. Curt and Jessica didn't try to sell it or restore it as furniture again. They saw another opportunity. Each drawer already functioned like a planter box, with wood sturdy enough to hold soil. They pulled the drawers halfway out to create a tiered look, allowing each level of the dresser to have its own mini garden. This kind of project fits the idea of upcycling: reusing existing materials to create something new instead of sending them to waste. This matters even more when you look at the EPA's 2018 figures. According to agency data, out of the 12.1 million tons of furniture made in 2018, only 40,000 tons were recycled, about 0.3 percent, less than half a percent of the total amount.
