businessinfomag.uk
magazine
34
Furniture
Tayla Ansell finds out how Recycled Business Furniture (RBF) is preventing
unwanted office furniture from ending up in landfill
Approximately 1.4 million desks and
1.9 million office chairs are thrown
away in the UK every year, according
to estimates byWRAP (TheWaste
and Resources Action Programme).
Some items end up in landfill, but
many are given a second life by
companies like Recycled Business
Furniture (RBF).
RBF stocks a wide range of used
furniture, including around 1,000 desks,
1,200, chairs and 200 storage items, that
it sells to businesses on the look out for
an economical and/or environmentally
friendly alternative to buying new. For
businesses with old furniture to get rid of,
RBF provides a green method of disposal.
Director Mike Cawthra has seen
demand grow consistently since RBF was
set up in 2003. He points out that the
recession was a particularly good time for
the business, not because there was a glut
of furniture from bankrupt companies, but
because companies became “more aware
of what they were spending so needed to
find a different way to buy”.
He added: “Companies are now also
much more aware of their Corporate
Social Responsibilities when disposing of
furniture.Whereas in the past they would
just look to throw the furniture away,
they now look to recycle.”
Cawthra says the two main benefits
of equipping an office with recycled
furniture are lower prices and reduced
environmental impact. “The price is
typically around one third that of buying
the furniture new and you are helping
reduce landfill,” he explained.
Using a supplier like RBF to buy good
quality office furniture that’s built to last
and still in good condition has much to
recommend it, but there are still a few
things you need to take into consideration
when buying second-hand.
Quality check
The product you are buying isn’t brand
new, so you will need to check for wear
and tear. That said, if you’re expecting to
find rubbish, you might need to change
the way you think about used goods.
High quality furniture is sometimes
recycled simply because a business
is downsizing and no longer has the
space for it or because a big corporate
company with money to spare fancies
a change – one man’s trash is another
man’s treasure after all.
Cawthra says some of the furniture RBF
now receives is of such good quality that
customers are surprised to learn that it’s
second-hand. “One of the most common
things people say when they come into
the showroom is ‘I can see the new stuff,
where is the second-hand?’,” he said.
Warranty worries
New products come with warranties
that give buyers peace of mind that if
something goes wrong, the furniture will
be fixed or replaced. These typically range
from 12 months to a lifetime guarantee.
Second hand
not second rate
Often, there will be different warranties
for different parts (e.g. the frame and
upholstery).
If buying from a supplier of used
furniture, check whether they offer a
warranty. If they do, it is likely to be much
shorter than those offered with new
products but should still reassure you
that the chair you have just bought won’t
collapse as soon as you get it back to the
office and sit on it – or if it does, that
you can return it. RBF offers a 6-month
warranty against failure from wear and
tear, but expects its furniture to last a lot
longer.
Be flexible
When buying used furniture, it is best not
to have a very specific checklist in mind.
Prepare to be flexible and remind yourself
why you chose to buy second-hand in the
first place.
“You may need to be flexible about
what you want depending on what is
available,” explained Cawthra. “If you
want a precise colour, size, leg etc., you
may have to compromise. But then you
aren’t paying the same amount either.”
Meet your match
Linked to this is the question of
uniformity.Will buying second-hand leave
you with random pieces of furniture and
a somewhat eclectic office? It could do,
but then again many second-hand office
furniture stores stock a large amount of
furniture and, because they tend also to
provide office clearance and removals
services, much of what they have will be
matching anyway.
Cawthra said: “The largest matching
amount of desks we have currently is
around 250 of one series. Generally we
look to take in furniture in reasonable
quantities so that we have a good range
for people to choose from almost no
matter how big their need is.”
Ultimately, used office furniture is a
great, sustainable choice for those who
want to improve their business’s green
credentials, save money and have a
professional looking office. Even if you’d
rather buy new, you can still make a
difference by donating or selling your old
furniture to ensure it doesn’t end up in
landfill.
Whereas in the
past companies
would just look
to throw the
furniture away,
they now look
to recycle
