Over a third of people in Britain do not recycle their household goods, according to a new survey commissioned by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) Furniture & Electrical Stores.

Of those surveyed, 37 per cent of adults admitted they don't recycle furniture and electrical items when they are no longer required, despite the fact that three million items of reusable pieces of furniture end up in landfill every year.

The survey also found that over a quarter of people (26 per cent) replace large furniture and electrical goods in their homes, such as sofas, bookshelves and televisions at least every two years. With a worryingly high percentage of people taking these goods directly to landfill sites (20 per cent), the BHF is encouraging people to donate any unwanted goods still in good condition to their Furniture & Electrical Stores if they are having a clear out this spring.

The BHF's expanding chain of specialist stores operate by arranging free collections of good quality, unwanted furniture and electrical items and selling them on; an eco-friendly way to benefit the local community with all proceeds going towards the life-saving work of the charity to fight heart disease, the nation's biggest killer.

The survey commissioned by BHF Furniture & Electrical Stores questioned why people did not recycle their household items. There seemed to be a lack of awareness in this area, with nearly a fifth of people (19 per cent) not realising they could recycle furniture and electrical items. This negligence is having a damaging effect on the environment as every year 50,000 tonnes of household furniture is sent to landfill - the equivalent of burying 3,000 double-decker buses.

Seventeen per cent of people admitted to not recycling their furniture and electrical items as it was 'too much hassle' and a further 16 per cent of people blamed not having any services nearby as a factor. However, BHF Furniture and Electrical Stores offer a completely free collection service which can be booked online, within a 15 mile radius of any of their 90 stores, which covers the large majority of the UK.

Mike Lucas, director of retail at the British Heart Foundation said: 'As a whole in Britain we are taking the right steps to becoming a greener nation, yet the high number of people that are not even considering recycling their furniture and electrical goods is very alarming. Many people don't realise that by donating their goods to the British Heart Foundation, they are in fact recycling. Furniture & Electrical Stores are a hassle free way for people to dispose of their unwanted items that are still in good condition in an eco-friendly way, with the added bonus of knowing that their single donation will help the millions of people in the UK that are suffering from heart disease.'