How Used Office Furniture and Cubicles Help the Environment

Companies are buying or refurbishing used office furniture or office cubicles mainly for the cost savings. What they may not be consciously aware of is that they are also helping in the conservation of our environment. This practice is actually a good example of the three R's of waste minimization: reduce, reuse and recycle.

Buying or refurbishing used office furniture already reduces the overall amount of waste being deposited in landfills. One study shows that recycling just 40 workstations is equivalent to diverting one tractor-trailer load of furniture from a landfill. Also, it is estimated that for each pound of natural resources used to improve or repair old furniture so that it can be reused, five to nine pounds of virgin materials are conserved.

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 Companies sometimes throw away furniture simply because they look outdated.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.

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.

Refurbishing office furniture means adding value by repairing structural damage and making cosmetic improvements to them before selling. Companies also have the option of refurbishing their current furniture to make them look brand new, match a certain color scheme or fit a physical space. Some examples are repairing the broken arm of a chair, reupholstering panels of office cubicles and adding new laminate surfaces to desks or tables.

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.

The environment and used office furniture users are not the only ones who benefit from recycling. Suppliers also save on labor and manufacturing energy. The amount of effort and energy required to alter an existing product is 85 percent to 90 percent less than what is needed to manufacture a new product.

Company's can save a good amount of money if they purchase used office furniture because it is usually half the price of new furniture. Not only is it cost effective but the quality is usually the same. Roger Loveless works to help companies find money saving cubicle furniture by writing articles about it.

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