HOTELS & HOSPITALITY
DISPOSING STRATEGICALLY
Facilities management teams across the UK's hospitality sector face a persistent challenge: what to do with furniture that's no longer needed. Whether it's a hotel refurbishment, restaurant redesign, or venue upgrade, there are often chairs and tables being piled up or simply sent to landfill.
New research from Business Moves Group reveals the scale of the problem: approximately 20% of furniture budgets are spent on storage, with furnishings often held temporarily before being disposed of, and 50% of organisations are using 'dispose of as general waste' as a method of furniture management. These practices are not just unsustainable; they represent a significant hidden cost for hospitality operators already managing tight margins.
When disposal becomes the default In the UK, 1.2 million desks and 1.8 million office chairs end up in landfills each year. Businesses send 300 tonnes of furniture to landfill every working day. For venues managing multiple sites or frequent refits, the environmental impact quickly compounds.
There is a gap between thought and action, too. Despite the 50% disposal figures, 86% of businesses describe their performance in managing assets as sustainable, and many believe that disposal is the cost-effective option.
But these wasteful practices eat away at budgets. Replacing furniture that is still usable increases your carbon footprint, contributes to landfill, and requires you to purchase new assets while spending money at the disposal stage.
Storage periods also represent a financial drain, either taking up valuable space in your venue, or being stored offsite at a cost that builds up over time.
The strategic approach Hospitality venues require better coordination between estate management and FM teams, but operators often lack visibility across their property portfolios, making strategic redeployment difficult. Understanding exactly what your organisation has requires a strong auditing process, so if a group plans refurbishment across multiple
26 | TOMORROW’S FM
Rachel Houghton, Managing Director of Business Moves Group, examines how storage costs are draining budgets and why hospitality FM teams need better furniture disposal pathways.
properties, surplus furniture from one location could serve another.
Technology can help bridge that knowledge gap. If you are moving or consolidating assets, the right workplace change partner can develop digital asset registers, manage assets and information governance in an accessible framework. By using integrated data on furniture reuse, you can track what assets are where, helping to divert waste.
Your organisation needs a policy for sustainable practice and procurement, too. Review what locally made furniture is available, and select goods that are durable and easy to repair. A well-maintained chair can be retained and re-upholstered to extend its life by five years or more. For a hotel or restaurant chain managing hundreds or thousands of chairs, this represents substantial savings.
Pair that with a target for reducing waste and making recycling your last resort, rather than landfill. Could your assets be donated to a local community initiative? Are they able to be recycled or resold? These steps increase asset lifecycles and reduce your carbon footprint.
Build a better cycle The hospitality sector's approach to furniture management reflects broader challenges facing commercial real estate. As venues adapt to changing guest expectations and operational requirements, furniture turnover will continue. Rather than creating waste, this should create opportunity.
With nearly nine in 10 FM professionals believing that furniture management should include sustainability requirements, the appetite for change exists. What's needed now are the practical systems to support better decisions, particularly in hospitality environments where furniture represents both a significant investment and a regular disposal challenge. With those in place, teams can ditch disposal-first practices for long-term strategic solutions.
https://businessmoves.com/our-stories/furniture-futures- sustainable-strategies-for-better-workplaces
twitter.com/TomorrowsFM
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