Used Office Furniture Saves Money and the Environment

Most people don’t realize how much furniture their office contains. They also don’t consider how much landfill space it would take up if they dumped it. If every office dumped just half of their furniture into the landfills, we would have a serious problem.

It is vital that we reduce the amount of waste that our landfills absorb each year. It is estimated that over half of all scrap, including furniture, ends up in the dump and does not get recycled. Some people and companies are flat out lazy when it comes to doing the right thing.

Many companies dump their furniture as soon as it gets dated. Although the furniture may be in good shape, it’s expensive to store it, and not everyone is proactive enough to take the time to find a buyer. Its effect causes more problems than meets the eye. The sad truth is that most of this furniture can be recycled.

If you add new upholstery and replace a wobbly roller you can get a new office chair. Even when you add new laminate surfaces and re-upholster your panels they can look brand new. Without a doubt, using used office furniture can save natural resources and assists in reducing strain on the landfills.

The EPA estimates, that many business organizations dump almost 3 million tons of used furniture and furnishings every year. Given the 1995 nationwide average fee for dumping, (32 dollars per ton), 100 million dollars could have been saved. The OFRF in Virginia also reports that re-manufacturing or refurbishing only 40 workstations can divert one trailer load of used furniture from the landfills.

Industry experts claim you can save 400% of the natural resources when you refurbish. The average office workstation weighs almost 900 pounds. This can make a big difference to the landfills.

There are countless used furniture brands and lines available to the general public. Many companies give used furniture a poor name. This is because the mental image used furniture often brings up, is not a good one.

Refurbishing and re-manufacturing normally includes repairing structural damages. For example, the broken arm of a chair or a table. Refurbishing and re-manufacturing also includes giving a refreshing look to the used furniture.

The process can be broken down to a science. The bottom line is that it can save the end user a ton of money. You get what you pay for in life, but the first owner is the one who usually pays for most of it.

When you put new furniture and used furniture side by side, the decision is usually easy. China has come out with a new line of office furniture that specifically competes with used. This was a demand change of the market due to the increasing popularity of buying used.

There are many pros to consider when going for used furniture. Beyond saving a lot of money, you can actually do your part to reduce the effects of global warming. You can feel good about your choices in the business world.