Megan Draper On Circular Economy Solutions That Empower Communities Through Furniture Reuse
Megan Draper's mission is to transform lives, one piece of furniture at a time. As founder and CEO of Furniture Reuse Solutions (FRS), she redefines surplus furnishings' fate to benefit communities and reduce waste.
Growing up in New England, Megan's family sometimes struggled to make ends meet. She quickly recognised the power of hand-me-downs, especially during a trip to Nicaragua with her husband.
There, children sat, studied, and ate on the floor due to a lack of basic furniture. Witnessing the children's joy after learning they'd soon have desks for the first time was a defining moment for the couple, leading to the creation of FRS in 2020.
Since then, they have diverted hundreds of tons of surplus furniture from landfills to non-profits and humanitarian aid organisations worldwide. From providing school furniture for refugee camps to helping organisations fulfill their sustainability goals, Megan turns discarded items into life-changing resources.
Megan discusses how repurposing furniture can reduce waste while supporting at-risk communities, and the role of social enterprises in the propelling the circular economy while implementing sustainable solutions.
Highlights from the interview (listen to the podcast for full details)
[Indio Myles] - To start off, can you please share a bit about your background and what led you to pursue social entrepreneurship?
[Megan Draper] - Honestly, I fell into it by mistake. You hit the nail on the head when you mentioned my humble upbringing. It really came down to three fundamental things: furniture, fuel, and food.
Growing up in a large family with limited resources, my parents had to be extremely cost-conscious. My mum was always coupon shopping, finding creative ways to feed us as we grew rapidly. When it came to furniture, she would repurpose pieces from thrift stores, just as she did with our clothes.
My father was a logger and worked with local power plants. Instead of burning coal, they used wood chips from the logging industry—timber that, for one reason or another, couldn’t be cut into lumber.
Rather than leaving it to decompose in the forest, they repurposed it as fuel for power plants. This mindset of resourcefulness was ingrained in me from a young age.
As I got older, I became more aware of environmental issues such as climate change, the ozone layer, and the impact of past and present generations on our planet. It made me think critically about how we could maximise what we already have to reduce our carbon footprint. More than anything, I wanted to ensure that future generations had a world worth inheriting.
As the president of Furniture Reuse Solutions, could you share more about the organisation and how it creates environmental and social impact?
One of the most important things we do is educate people on how they can make a difference within their own communities. Whether we’re working with school districts, corporations, or colleges, a key focus is shifting mindsets around waste.
The reality is, we in the U.S live in a highly wasteful society. If something is scratched or slightly damaged, our instinct is often to throw it away rather than considering whether it still holds value. Similarly, when a newer model of something is released, people are quick to discard perfectly functional items in favour of the latest and best.
Even if a project doesn’t directly involve us, we work to broaden perspectives beyond what’s immediately in front of people. Just because an item no longer serves its original owner doesn’t mean it has no purpose.
Someone else in the community—a neighbour, a family, or a local organisation—could still benefit from it. By changing how people view unwanted furniture and materials, we can significantly reduce waste while creating meaningful social impact.
One of the things that impressed me about Furniture Reuse Solutions is your strong focus on supporting at-risk communities. How can assisting these communities generate greater impact compared to supporting well-resourced populations?
At the core of what we do is our belief in second chances. My husband, team, and I all have big hearts, and we recognise many people find themselves in difficult situations through no fault of their own.
Life circumstances can change in an instant—a job loss, unexpected expense, or family crisis can leave someone unable to pay their bills, without a home, or struggling to rebuild their life. These individuals deserve the same opportunities as anyone else.
If we can help, and it’s within our power to do so, why wouldn’t we? We focus on supporting those who genuinely want to get back on their feet, who want to provide a better future for their children.
It’s about breaking cycles of hardship and giving people the resources they need to move forward—whether that’s through food, furniture, mentorship, or other programs. The real question is: why wouldn’t we, as a society, extend a helping hand when we have the means to do so? If we can use what we already have to lift others up, then we should. That’s the mindset I want my generation and future ones to embrace.
What opportunities do you see for other organisations to work within the circular economy and sustainability spaces to create impact?
We’re already seeing incredible progress, and it’s been fascinating to watch how the landscape has evolved over the past five to ten years. When my husband first entered this field around 25 years ago, sustainability wasn’t even a consideration for most businesses. Now, the conversation has completely shifted.
Many corporations, as well as colleges along the California coast and beyond, have begun integrating sustainability initiatives into their operations.
For example, now when students vacate campuses in June and July, institutions are asking, “Can we donate this furniture to local shelters? Can we support Habitat for Humanity ReStores? Can we assist at-risk youth and other programs rather than simply discarding these items or paying to have them removed?”
More organisations are starting to recognise that what they once viewed as waste can serve a valuable purpose, while some may still initially hesitate thinking sustainability efforts come at a financial cost.
Embracing circular economy principles is an investment in long-term change. As social entrepreneurs, our goal is to drive meaningful impact. Seeing organisations commit to zero waste, embrace sustainability, and embed these values into their communities is truly inspiring.
The shift is happening, and momentum is growing—it’s exciting to witness real change taking place as more and more businesses and institutions adopt these practices.
Do you see any obstacles or challenges organisations or individuals face when trying to enter the circular economy and sustainability space?
One of the biggest challenges is understanding how all the moving parts come together to make these initiatives work. It’s a complex process, and while that may sound like a broad statement, it really comes down to a simple reality—time is money.
Many of the organisations we work with, whether they’re clients or partners seeking assistance, operate within strict timelines. They have a clear scope of work, and everything needs to align accordingly.
For example, when furniture is being removed from a building, we need to know what’s being taken out and when it needs to be done. Often, new furniture is being installed, the building is being repurposed, or contractors are scheduled for other work.
Our role is to ensure that we can carry out our portion of the job efficiently so that everything else stays on track. However, what we often see is that organisations underestimate the coordination, time, and logistical challenges involved.
They don’t always consider the capacities or limitations of the charities and nonprofits they want to partner with, or how much planning is needed to ensure everything runs smoothly.
As a result, when deadlines are miscalculated, the unfortunate outcome is that furniture ends up in landfills or gets recycled when it could have been repurposed and given a second life. That, in my experience, is one of the biggest hurdles we face in making sustainability efforts truly effective.
What advice would you give to an aspiring changemaker who wants to start their own impact-led business or organisation, or simply create meaningful change within their community?
The first thing is to understand the difference between a traditional entrepreneur and a social entrepreneur. If you’re pursuing impact-driven work, it must come from the heart. You need to be clear on what drives you—what issue you’re passionate about, what change you want to see, and why you feel compelled to be part of the solution.
In my experience, there aren’t nearly enough social entrepreneurs out there. Traditional entrepreneurs are often focused on financial returns, answering to shareholders, boards, or business partners.
While there’s nothing inherently wrong with the profit mindset, social entrepreneurship requires a different one—one that prioritises societal impact over short-term profit. That’s why you must protect your heart, because there will be people who don’t understand what you’re trying to do.
There will be challenges, setbacks, and days where you wonder, “Why am I doing this?” It’s an uphill battle at times. My team and I have felt that frustration—especially when we see furniture go to waste that we know could have helped refugees, schools, or communities in the Middle East and Africa. It’s heartbreaking.
But then, we get a client who truly understands our mission. We ship 25 containers of school furniture from a single district in California, and six months later, we receive a report filled with photos of smiling children. In that moment, we know—we made a real difference.
We came together as a team, educated the district, and they embraced the vision. For those thousand children overseas, that furniture isn’t just desks and chairs—it’s opportunity, stability, and a brighter future.
That’s why we do what we do, and that’s the advice I’d give to others: don’t let other people’s apathy or scepticism discourage you. Some won’t understand why you’re fighting so hard for change, but don’t let their doubts slow you down. Stay true to your mission.
For me, I have a sticky note on my computer with a picture of a little girl from Nicaragua. It simply says, “Remember Nicaragua.” On the hard days, that’s all I need. It reminds me why this work matters.
And every so often, I’ll have conversations with our partners—other districts, charities, and organisations we collaborate with—and they’ll tell me, “We value working with you because you truly understand our needs.” That validation, knowing that our efforts are creating real impact, is everything.
We need more of that—more encouragement, more belief in each other’s missions. Because at the end of the day, we’re fighting for something bigger than ourselves: a society that values people and the planet.
What inspiring projects or initiatives you’ve come across recently that are creating meaningful change and that you’d like to share with our audience?
In 2024, Enterprising Women Magazine honoured me as one of their Enterprising Women of the Year. At the conference, I had the privilege of hearing from other incredible women about the impact of receiving that recognition.
Many of them spoke about the mentorship opportunities they were creating—helping young women in high school and college develop the skills and confidence to become business owners, excel in their fields, and pursue their passions.
Because Furniture Reuse Solutions is 100% woman owned, I now have the opportunity to attend these conferences and connect with other female leaders. What stands out to me is how deeply committed they are to building businesses and initiatives that drive social change.
There’s a strong and growing movement of women entrepreneurs who aren’t just seeking personal success—they’re focused on lifting others up, especially the next generation.
For me, it’s truly inspiring to see this shift. More and more, these women are asking, how can we empower young people to be better than we are? How can we equip them to be stronger advocates for change?
It aligns so much with what I believe in—creating opportunities for those who come after us and ensuring they have the tools to make an even greater impact on the world.
To finish off, are there any books or resources you would recommend for our listeners to check out?
Honestly, I’ll admit I don’t read as much as I should—but what I do focus on is staying informed through local resources. I regularly engage with my local chamber of commerce and read industry-specific magazines, particularly those related to renewable resources.
For me, it’s about staying connected to what’s happening in my area—tracking trends, understanding local initiatives, and staying ahead of developments that impact my field.
By keeping informed, I can continuously adapt our model at Furniture Reuse Solutions to better serve disadvantaged families, support more children, and create a lasting impact in the communities we work with.
