Making Used Office Furniture Work for You

Recycling has become a common practice in homes and workplaces over the years. People are taking an environmentally friendly approach by recycling papers, cans, glasses, newspapers, and magazines. However, recycling furniture is not a common practice. "Recycled furniture" refers to all furnishings that are remanufactured, reused, and refurbished.

As the economy is suffering, companies are looking for ways to cut their costs without affecting the efficiency of their employees. Utilizing used furniture is one of the alternatives. It is not only economically friendly but is also a green practice. Instead of buying new expensive furniture, reusing the old pieces makes sense.

[caption id="attachment_307" align="aligncenter" width="648"] Refurbished Cubicles

New vs. Old

When deciding on which approach to use, you should take into account things like your budget, availability, how important it is for your workspace, and whether it is a short-term investment or a long-term one. Below are some reasons why utilizing used office furniture can be a smart move for your company:

Reduced Cost

You may think that since recycled furniture is environmentally friendly, it must be expensive. However, that is not the case. Using recycled furniture is a fantastic way to cut your costs. The cost will be even lesser if the furniture being recycled is your own old office furniture. Recycled furniture can save you up to 80% and the resale value is around 75% for five years. On the other hand, new furniture drops in value as soon as you set it up.

Saved Resources

Our planet’s natural resources are limited. Therefore, they must be used with caution so that they can be saved for our future generations. By recycling used office furniture, we can save thousands of trees from being cut down and lessen the energy consumption and contamination that is caused by the manufacturing process. Although remanufacturing also uses up energy and raw materials, however, it is a lot less as compared to manufacturing from scratch. Remanufacturing requires 85 – 95% less labor and energy in contrast to manufacturing new products.

Improved Customer Relations

Having recycled office furniture gives the impression that you care about the environment and are making efforts to conserve energy and resources. This portrays your serious dedication to environmental safety and will attract employees as well as customers and investors to your firm.

Long or Short-term Investment

Used furniture can be more practical when you are at an impermanent office and have only a few employees. However, the problem with recycled furniture is that it doesn’t come with a warranty card and some of the parts are difficult to find. On the other hand, new furniture will be more useful as a long term investment as it usually has a warranty and can easily be replaced.

When recycling used furniture, you sometimes get a choice regarding the design, fabric, or size. This reduces neutrality in the office and gives rise to random designing, creativity, and outstanding furnishings. With recycled furniture, you can add a touch of creativity and brightness in your work surroundings, which may induce energy among your employees and enhance work performance.

 
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About Jasmin

Jasmin handles Internet sales and digital marketing here at Creative Office Furniture. She's been a valuable member of the Creative team since March 2014.[/author_info] [/author]