A Crisis Blinded by Normalcy

When I hear the word crisis, images of destruction flood into my mind.

And yet, my research that documented the furniture waste crisis in my neighborhood—when I captured over 50,000 pounds of discarded furniture within 2 miles of my home in 15 months—found that 50% of it was seating. Just like this perfectly usable dining chair sitting innocently on the curb.

No piles+no flames=no crisis? If only. Though furniture waste is plainly visible, it’s insidious.

Discarded furniture and furnishings are so familiar they’ve become just another feature of city life. I believe this normalization is preventing us from seeing the crisis for all that it is: a complex mixture of power structures that include labor, economics, climate, and a culture of hyper- consumption. This, I might argue, could be the biggest tragedy of all.