Online shopping is a convenient part of modern life, but it has some drawbacks. When big warehouses are packing up parts, things can sometimes get lost or left behind.

This is exactly what happened to one shopper who shared their story in the r/Anticonsumption subreddit.

A Redditor recently posted showing their chat with a furniture retailer. The screenshot is not in English, but the translation of the caption read: “Bought a new sofa from Asko and when assembling it I noticed that one screw is missing. I complained and asked for a new screw, or some monetary compensation. Asko’s solution to the problem: a completely new sofa.”

The New York Times reported that mass-produced “fast furniture” has seen massive growth since the pandemic: “Each year, Americans throw out more than 12 million tons of furniture, creating mountains of solid waste that have grown 450 percent since 1960.”

Brands like Wayfair, Target, and West Elm are all raking in massive profits while creating tons of cheaply made furniture. However, some companies work to curb furniture waste.

For example, the website for Kaiyo reads: “Kaiyo is an online marketplace committed to great design, exceptional customer care, and a more sustainable planet.” The company claims to have kept over six million pounds of furniture out of landfills.

Recycling or upcycling is a great way to help save you money on buying new furniture. Lots of things can be altered or upgraded to give it new life. Sometimes gems can be found at yard sales or thrift stores that will last a lot longer than a mass-produced item.

Reducing your consumption and helping to keep furniture out of the landfill is a lovely way to help the planet. In most cases, you will save yourself money as well.

Commenters on the Reddit post decried the wastefulness of the company.

One person wrote: “Happened to me once on Wayfair. Bought a shelf and all of the screws were completely stripped, not sure how that’s possible. I complained and they sent me another shelf, with the same bad screws.”

Another commenter said: “This happened to me over some fabric damage in shipping — I was expecting a minor refund, maybe 5-10% back. They sent me a second sofa and told me to do whatever with the first. I’ve been holding that second sofa to give to a friend when they move into an apartment that has room for it for a year and a half now.”

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