Used Office Furniture And The Environment
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.
Companies can do their share in reducing the overall waste being deposited to landfills just by buying used office furniture or refurbishing their existing furniture. Just think: 40 workstations are already one tractor-trailer load of waste that can be saved from the landfill through recycling. Five to nine pounds of virgin material are also saved for every pound of natural resources used to repair or improve old office furniture.
Recycling or reusing furniture is practical, given that many office tables, chairs, sofas, bookshelves and desks taken to landfills are still structurally sound. They are not really damaged or broken, just outdated or slightly worn perhaps. A common reason why companies discard these pieces is that they no longer fit the color scheme or layout of a new or renovated 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.
Sometimes, suppliers get items that are still structurally sound and do not need any repair or improvement to its appearance. Resold and used as is, these pieces are referred to as reused office furniture. This type is probably the least expensive of the three kinds of recycled furniture, because the supplier does not need to do anything to make the items saleable.
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 purchase office furniture because it can be half the price of new furniture. Not only is it cost effective but the quality can be the same. Craig Mather works to help companies find money saving used cubicle furniture by consulting with companies about it.
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