Used Office Furniture And The Environment

Climate change and overall environment concerns have prompted many individuals and groups to come up with more ways to use our natural resources more efficiently. Companies and businesses may not know it, but they contribute to the effort simply by buying used office furniture or refurbishing their existing furniture. This is actually a practical application of the three R’s of waste minimization: reduce, reuse and recycle.

Forty workstations destined for the landfill can fill up one tractor-trailer. Imagine the amount of waste that can be eliminated if these workstations are recycled. We are not only reducing waste, but conserving natural resources as well. For every pound of natural resources we use to repair or add value to an existing product, we are saving five to nine pounds of virgin material that would have been used to create a new piece.

The truth is, not all of the discarded conference tables, chairs, bookshelves, desks, sofas and the like are broken or defective. Companies sometimes throw away furniture simply because they look outdated. It could also be that the furniture is slightly worn or no longer works with the color scheme of a new office space.

Recycling means saving unwanted office furniture from the landfill and reselling them with or without additional repairs. This is done through remanufacturing, refurbishing or simple reuse. As the saying goes, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

Reused office furniture or office cubicles are resold and used as is. For instance, suppliers sometimes get pieces that are good enough to resell without making any repairs or improvements. Of the three kinds of recycled furniture, this type is the least expensive because there is little effort involved on the part of the supplier to make the items ready for selling.

Some pieces require little cosmetic changes or minor repairs before they become marketable. Repairing the broken arm of a chair, reupholstering panels of office cubicles or adding new laminate surfaces for tables or desks – these are some of the things done when furniture is refurbished. Companies can take recycling further by having their existing furniture refurbished instead of replacing them.

Remanufactured office furniture also has value added to it, but includes structural level changes. This involves complete disassembly of the furniture, after which parts are inspected, cleaned then repaired or replaced. The entire thing is put back together and refinished. For example, refurbishing old office cubicles includes repainting, application of new fabric on the panels, stripping and replacing of laminate, edge banding and molding.

Recycling is good, not just for buyers of used office furniture and office cubicles and the environment, but for suppliers as well. This results in a business that is not only environment-friendly but easily sustainable, as well.

Company’s can save quite a bit of money if they buy used office furniture because it can be half the price of buying brand new furniture. Not only is it cost effective but the quality can be the same. Craig Mather works to help companies find money saving cubicle furniture by consulting with companies about it.