The birth, life, death, and afterlife of the sofa [Video]

The living room is where guests convene and family members relax over leisurely conversation and maybe the occasional binge-watch—and the sofa is the centerpiece of it all.

With Americans throwing out millions of tons of furniture annually, what happens to those pieces—and the materials they’re made from—when they’re no longer an aesthetic focal point of our homes is just as important as when we first chose them.

Perhaps no other piece of living room furniture gets as much attention as the sofa—and there are many things to consider when purchasing a new one. According to the website How Products Are Made, couches can take 300 to 600 hours for skilled workers to make, though machines have made the process a little bit faster.

Made Trade explored the sofa’s life cycle, from its beginnings to its journey after the living room, using various internet sources, including The New York Times, Architectural Digest, and more.

Complex beginnings

The sofa’s construction includes many materials, including …