Like numerous business owners worldwide, you might have already thought about the environmental impact of your company and ways to get those “green” points. And buying used office furniture appears to be one of them.
More and more businesses get curious about sustainable and eco-friendly policies because consumers become more aware of those concepts, becoming a decisive reputational factor. However, the business community itself starts to feel responsible for the impact different industries make on the environment.
In this article, we shall discuss why office furniture is such an essential component of your company’s eco-friendly operation and how your business can raise awareness and development of mindful and sustainable business ethics.
What makes office furniture sustainable?
When we talk about eco-friendly and sustainable office furniture, most people think about materials, manufacture and transportation. Indeed, those are crucial factors that play an essential role in the concept of sustainable office furnishing.
However, experts determine 3 essential factors that make office furnishing sustainable:
- Materials and process: how much material has been used to manufacture an office desk or chair, how sustainable is that material and how impactful is the overall manufacture process;
- Life expectancy: the period between the moment an office desk was purchased and ended up on a landfill;
- Recycling options: whether the piece can be transferred, re-sold or used for another purpose after the original owner.
If you analyse all those criteria, buying a used office desk and chair appears to be the most eco-friendly furnishing solution:
- Refurbished office furniture requires minimum-to-none materials and production facilities;
- Buying used office desks and chairs automatically prolong their life expectancy;
- Buying and using second-hand office furniture is the foundation of recycling in business operation.
Now let’s go over each parameter to see whether buying used office desks and chairs would be an appropriate eco-friendly solution for your business.
Materials and process of furniture manufacture.
Have you ever thought about where office furniture comes from? Talking about the environmental impact of the furnishing industry, most of us think of deforestation. Indeed, the industry is responsible for more than 40% of deforestation in the world. However, there is more to the picture.
After the tree is cut, it must be transported and processes several times before it ends up in your office as a desk, chair or drawer. This process involves various chemicals, energy consumption, emissions and pollutions. Even the most sustainable furniture material still has to go through processing and transportation.
By buying refurbished office chairs and desks, you minimise this impact. Your business does not contribute to deforestation and environmental pollution, which means used office furniture the most eco-friendly solution.
Life expectancy
According to estimates from the Environment Protection Agency (EPA), up to 8.5 million tons, or 17 billion pounds, of office furniture ends up in U.S. landfills every year.
Decades will pass before it dissolves, even if the furniture is entirely made out of natural and biodegradable materials. However, we all know that office furnishing includes plastic details, chemical processing and other components that will get into solid and ground waters, poisoning it. Not to mention that constantly growing landfills destroy ecosystems leading to the extinction of animals and plants.
When your company buys refurbished executive desk or used office chairs, it pushes away the moment the pieces will end up in landfills. Overall the market of used office furniture makes a significant impact on curbing the growth of landfills worldwide.
Recycling options
Buying used office desks and chairs is recycling itself. You give those pieces new life, providing your company with a high-quality, safe and comfortable office setup. Moreover, by buying refurbished office desks and chairs, you support local economies and reduce emissions caused by long-distance transportation.
Other options to make your office furnishing sustainable
Buying second hand and refurbished office furniture is an excellent way for your business to minimise the environmental impact and claim eco-friendly operation. However, there are ways to take the concept to a whole new level:
- Buy used office chairs online – working online furniture dealers reduce their impact saving a great deal of energy and descreasing effects related to offline retail;
- Search for refurbished office furniture near your location – that way, you support local businesses and workshops and minimise transportation impact;
- Buy in bulk – buying second-hand office desks and chairs; it is always better to think through the whole setup. Dealers often offer additional discounts on bigger lots, but you will once again reduce emissions caused by transportation.
Buying used office chairs and desks is not just another trend but a new ethical policy for the business community. It helps companies operate efficiently and make a real difference by minimising their establishments' impact and development on the environment.