Environmental Issue: Disposal and replacing of office furniture
Office furniture has a short life and the manufacturing requires shipping (often overseas), vast amounts of virgin materials and the use of hazardous chemicals. There is a high level of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and formaldehyde used to create office furniture which has been shown to be toxic to humans.
Environmental benefit: Most VOC off-gassing occurs during the initial life of furniture so as items age the amount of VOCs off-gassing decreases. By giving away furniture and diverting it from the landfills you are extending the life of the initial product. It may be possible to double or triple the life of the product, which reduces the average overall VOC level per year. It also reduces the consumption of virgin materials and hazardous chemicals. Old furniture can be replaced with new furniture that has a low VOC profile thus sending purchasing signals to manufactures.
Other Benefits: Although furniture may no longer be professional looking it can still be useful. Given the cost of purchasing new products there is usually somebody who doesn't mind slightly damaged goods. Local charities may be able to raise money by reselling your donations. Most furniture won't fit in traditional trashcans so costs of giving it away is less expensive that the costs required for transportation and disposal.
Cost and complexities: It takes time to post each product online. A digital camera for taking picture of the used items is also helpful. Just about any old digital camera will suffice.
Implementation Plan:
- Determine which sites are available in your area. Freecycle.org and Craigslist are great lists for giving away just about anything
- Choosing a list with a local presence will assist in finding a recipient for items you wish to give away
- Select a storage location in your office for items slated for removal
- Post a date in the future that items will be available for pickup. First come first served
- Make sure to post several photos along with the description of each item
- Locate the items in the lobby (or loading dock) for the day that they are available for pickup. This will assist in moving the items off premises as fast as possible
Where to purchase:
Brands that offer low VOC options include; Hon, Herman Miller and Steelcase
Look for furniture with the Greengaurd http://www.greenguard.org/ and FSC http://www.fsc.org/about-fsc.html label