A small Kelmscott business has picked up a big award for its work recycling and repurposing old furniture.
Altruist Furnishings received the City of Armadale’s Switch on Business award for its dedication to recycling old household products on January 18.
Bryce and Nicole Polmear run Altruist Furnishings, which takes in old wooden furniture and gives it new life.
A cabinetmaker by trade, Mr Polmear said the business aimed to cut the amount of waste heading to landfill and items regularly came from verges, online or were provided by customers.
Mr Polmear said he did not expect to receive the award, which recognises businesses that have committed to cutting waste bound for the tip.
“We were surprised, I thought there’d be other more established people doing more in the field,” he said.
“But they took a shine to what we were doing.”
Altruist Furnishings originally operated in an Armadale home shed, but eventually settled into Owen Road in Kelmscott in mid-2017.
Mr Polmear said regardless of how tired or tattered wood furniture appeared, there was usually a way it could be recycled.
“If it is too damaged and irreparable, we can strip it down and use the timber to make something new.”
As an added bonus to giving new life to a tired piece of furniture, Mr Polmear said the refurbished furniture looked similar but was often cheaper than brand-new pieces.
“Quite a lot of the time it’s cheaper,” he said.
“It really depends on how much work has to go into a piece to get it functional again, but mostly the benefit for people is the environmental one.
“We’re all sharing the planet and it’s important we look after it.”
