Sewing champion Sue Walder-Davis from Chesham made it her mission to take on waste in the furnishing industry after her own year-long experiment to be environmentally friendlier.
Back in 2019 she promised to make one better choice for the environment for one year and documented it on her blog’ 365 eco-friendly decisions’.
Now, with her furnishing repair business Sew Susanna she’s determined to take on what she calls ‘fast furnishing’.
The concept is usually associated with fast fashion: cheap clothing brands race to produce and sell low-quality garments within a quickly changing trends calendar.
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Sue Walder-Davis’s mission first started as a new year’s resolution and stemmed from her shock after reading the UN reports on climate change.
She said: “We have as few as 12 years to drastically reduce global carbon emissions before the climate is irreversibly damaged. 12 years!
“I will only be 54 and my boys 21 and 17.
“They will have their whole adult lives ahead of them and it is unforgivable that no-one is focussing on what really matters for their future.”
The project didn’t aim for “eco-friendly perfection”, but to change small daily things and see exactly how much the family produced - and wasted - across all areas of their lives.
Mrs Walder-Davis said the year-long project was incredibly consuming yet “one of the best things I’ve ever done”.
“A year of living and breathing eco-friendliness has certainly left its mark.
“I really struggled rationalising the impact of my business as it can be an incredibly wasteful industry, and in truth I contemplated closing several times to pursue something else.
“But 365 Eco Decisions also taught me the power of being a change maker, and actually if the industry is flawed, then I can do my part to change it.
“My mission is to take on the furnishings that nobody else will fix.”
So how big of a problem is waste in the furniture business?
The home furnishing industry gets away with very little scrutiny about its environmental impact, Sue Walder-Davis worried.
“The same fast-fashion environmental issues around cotton production, fabric dyes and mass factory production overseas apply to soft furnishings.
“Cheap, poor-quality furnishings have made it easy for consumers to constantly update the look of their homes, yet many of the curtains, blinds etc that can be found on the high street start to fall apart after a year or two.
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“And the second-hand market for these things is next to non-existent.
“In addition most manufacturers will not offer repair on the items they sell beyond warranty.”
Sew Susanna’s active Facebook page is full of immaculate before and after snaps of Ottomans, curtains and blinds, and she loves offering a unique service.
If a set of Roman blinds breaks, for many the obvious solution is to buy a new one, Mrs Walder-Davis said.
“I would go back to the wise words of everyone’s favourite environmentalist Sir David Attenburgh: “Don’t waste electricity, don’t waste paper, don’t waste food. Live the way you want to live but just don’t waste.”
“And not taking more from the world than you need.”
She applauded small businesses in Bucks and pleaded people to support independents and local economy as it’s “a great thing to do for the environment, and it keeps local communities alive”.
She said: “I think people sometimes assume that smaller makers will be very expensive, but the reality is we cherish each and every customer and you will almost certainly end up with something made well and made to last.”
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