SUPPLY CHAIN
materials end up as this an especially diffi cult
product to handle. With nine out of every ten
tonnes of wood-based waste going to landfi ll
it is important to check whether unusable
chipboard furniture is genuinely being
diverted.
A sustainable solution
When offi ces relocate or get refurbished,
there is generally a mass of furniture that
needs to be disposed of and whether it is
resold, recycled or reused it can provide a
logistical nightmare for businesses.
Depending on whom you engage with, the
redundant equipment could take any number
of paths once it has been removed.
Whether it is reused, recycled or disposed
of it is important that you choose to work
with an organisation that can meet your
needs for both the professional and effi cient
organisations at a lower price. These types chairs, as well as the laminated chipboard removal of all the equipment as well as
of organisations are very much in need of panels often get sent to landfi ll as they helping to reduce the environmental impact
properly functioning furniture, but typically can be diffi cult to recycle. These materials of the process. Whoever you work with
cannot afford new furniture and in many can amount up to 60% of redundant offi ce transparency is key as you will want to
cases even second hand furniture is out of furniture so it is essential that those in charge be able to accurately record where your
reach. By choosing such an outcome through of the operation question whether these redundant items have ended up.
selective procurement your redundant items materials do get recycled or whether they end Obtaining a full record will mean you
have a much wider positive impact. up in landfi ll. have evidence to back up your claims and
One way to account for this is to choose will show those interested in your project
Remanufacturing
a company that can provide thorough audits that you take CSR and environmental issues
There are several companies that can of the furniture recycling process as well as seriously and are not simply greenwashing.
remodel existing furniture to fi t a new space waste transfer notes which show whether an
or demand although this is very dependent item has been recycled. This is particularly For more information on Green-Works, visit
on the type of furniture concerned and the necessary for deciphering where chipboard www.green-works.co.uk.
space and time available. At Green-Works
we believe that if an item of furniture cannot
be reused as it is, the next best option
for the environment is for the item to be
remanufactured into something new
One of the best items of furniture for
the remanufacturing process are the large
old-fashioned L shaped desks which are
hard to fi nd new homes for due to their size.
These items provide the raw materials for
new furniture, making new from old. Green-
Works has recently launched its own range of
Case study
remanufactured desks which are completely
Eversheds, the international law firm, is working with Green-Works to distribute
made from recycled furniture; they offer a
furniture to disadvantaged people in Africa. Tables, chairs and metal cabinets, among
high quality, environmentally friendly and other items, have been made available as a result of Eversheds' relocation to purpose-
cost effective solution to companies seeking
built city headquarters which has been fitted out with new furniture.
to reduce their footprint.
The firm teamed up with Green-Works by sponsoring two eight tonne shipments of
furniture. One has been sent to a redevelopment project in Sierra Leone and the other
Recycled
to a network of newly set up ICT classrooms in Ghana. The contents of the shipment to
Sierra Leone will be distributed to schools, a health centre and small businesses in a
To complete the service it is important to deal
community that was devastated by the country's civil war.
properly with the furniture that for whatever
According to Eversheds, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is high on its agenda
reason cannot be reused. Typically items such
and the company combines environmental awareness with support for charitable
as steel table legs will be recycled by most
causes. The partnership with Green-Works is said to be but one example of the firm's
companies as they are valuable. CSR programme, which engages employees in a wide range of charitable initiatives.
However, plastic wheels and upholstery from
SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS April 2009 35
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