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 Companies sometimes throw away furniture simply because they look outdated.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.
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.”
Not all second-hand furniture or office cubicles need repairs or changes before they can be resold. These are referred to as reused furniture and are put up for sale as is. Suppliers need little effort to make these pieces saleable, so this kind of recycled furniture is the least expensive of the three types.
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 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 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 purchase office furniture because it is usually half the price of new furniture. Not only is it cost effective but you can be guaranteed the same quality. Craig Mather works to help companies find money saving used cubicle furniture by consulting with companies about it.
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