Used Office Furniture And The Environment
February 8th, 2010
Buying used office furniture or refurbishing existing furniture is a good strategy for companies that are looking to cut down on operational costs without sacrificing the aesthetics or functionality of their furnishings. Helping the environment may not be on the agenda, but nevertheless this is another advantage of this practice. Waste is minimized through the three R’s: 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 Companies sometimes throw away furniture simply because they look outdated.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.
There is a saying that goes, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” Recycled office furniture generally refers to pieces that have been diverted out of the solid waste stream and back into the market with or without repairs. Specifically, it can refer to remanufactured, refurbished or reused office furniture and office cubicles.
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.
Refurbished office furniture refers to pieces that have value added to them through surface changes and repairs. This includes repairing the broken arm of a chair, reupholstering panels of office cubicles or adding new laminate surfaces for tables or desks. Companies have another option-they can have their existing furniture refurbished instead of making new purchases.
Remanufactured office furniture, like refurbished pieces, has had value added to it before it is sold. Unlike refurbished furniture, however, remanufactured furniture have been completely disassembled, inspected, cleaned, parts repaired or replaced, reassembled and refinished before going back to the market. For instance, old office cubicles are dismantled, repainted and new fabric applied to all panels. Original laminate is stripped off and new laminate, edge banding and molding are applied.
Recycling furniture benefits not just buyers and the environment, but suppliers as well. Studies show that changing or repairing an existing product needs less than 90 percent manufacturing effort and energy than creating a new product. Thus, companies dealing with used office furniture and office cubicles are able to run an operation that is both labor and energy saving.
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 writing articles about it.
