Furniture
How can redundant furniture be responsibly removed? The benefits for your business
When disposed of responsibly, unwanted items can follow any So you can see that your redundant items can take any
number of routes from recycling to remanufacture. You may number of routes once they have been removed and it’s
immediately think that the best route for your unwanted items important that you work with an organisation that will ensure
to take would be to recycle them. Whilst recycling is a viable your furniture can go on to have the most positive social and
and successful route for unwanted or disposed-of items, environmental impact. Contractors that can fulfil multiple
reusing or remanufacturing uses far less energy and conserves requirements and provide a comprehensive service,
valuable natural resources and should therefore be pursued incorporating consideration for the environment, social
wherever possible if your redundant items are going to go on benefits, affordability and professionalism, will not only provide
and have the widest possible environmental and social impact. an effective service but also help to impact positively on your
company.
At Green-Works any redundant items that can be re-used are
sorted upon arrival at their warehouse. Some of these items From boosting staff morale to helping you to demonstrate
are re-sold to charities, individuals and small businesses at your ethical credentials, your furniture can do a lot of good.
reduced rates, creating a source of high quality office furniture But evidence is essential if you are going to back up your
at affordable prices, whilst also providing employment claims and Green-Works recognises that a comprehensive audit
opportunities through the warehouses. With the support of our trail is vital for managers who have to report their activities
corporate partners, other re-usable items are shipped overseas and the final destinations of their redundant equipment. For
where they aid in the reconstruction of some of Africa’s poorest this reason our customers receive in-depth quarterly reports to
countries. Green-Works’ efforts in Sierra Leone for example, has help them to track their furniture. This means that managers
provided much needed furniture for schools, hospitals and can track exactly where their furniture has gone and who it has
government buildings and helped in the regeneration and helped along the way. This allows businesses to pass this
rebuilding of this war-torn nation. information along to staff, enabling the workforce to benefit
from the knowledge that their desk has found a new home in
Green-Works looks to maximise the amount of furniture that
an African school or their chair has found its way to a local
can be reused and does not focus exclusively on the better
charity.
quality and nearly new products. Through its extensive
network of not for profit organisations it has re-housed large A sustainable solution to a national problem
quantities of older but functional furniture to organisations When offices relocate or get refurbished, there is generally a
struggling on very tight budgets. In addition Green-Works has mass of furniture that needs to be disposed of and whether it’s
a unique remanufacturing centre that makes recycled original resold, recycled or reused it can provide a logistical nightmare
furniture from redundant desk tops and wardrobes. In terms for businesses. This redundant equipment could take any
of the environment remanufacturing is second only to reuse number of paths once it has been removed and it’s important
and also ensures that the lifecycle of your redundant items is that you choose to work with an organisation that can meet
extended. your needs for both the professional and efficient removal of
all the equipment as well as helping to reduce the
Finally those items which cannot be re-used have to be
environmental impact of the process.
disposed of in some way. For Green-Works, landfill is not an
option and they work very hard to find innovative routes to Green-Works is an environmental charity and social enterprise
avoid that outcome. For example, the Green-Works facility in that manages and recycles office furniture on an industrial
Wolverhampton takes any material that cannot be re-used or scale. More information about furniture removal or provision
re-manufactured and grinds it down into fuel, which provides can be found by calling 0845 2302 231 or by visiting
heat and hot-water for an old Victorian school building that www.green-works.co.uk.
has been renovated to offer a range of much needed services
and community facilities.
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