How the Circular Economy Closes the Loop on Your Office Relocation

• (Photo : How the Circular Economy Closes the Loop on Your Office Relocation)

An office relocation, revitalization, or corporate downsizing presents a costly problem. These projects send a whopping 8.5 tons of furniture to landfills each year. That's because society sees each piece of office furniture as leading a linear lifespan. It's created in the factory, used in your office until you're ready for a change, and then it's off to the landfill.

Luckily, a more sustainable practice is gaining traction in the corporate world. A green decommission service taking its cue from the circular economy can help you close the loop on such a linear model and keep used office furniture in use for longer. 

How is the Linear Business Model Different from the Circular Economy? 

Under linear economic principles, furniture follows a straight trajectory from the factory to the landfill, with only brief stint in an office space. Its time used as a work tool is relatively short compared to the amount of time it will spend in a landfill. 

On a small scale, you can see how your individual equipment takes up landfill space, locks away precious resources, and creates carbon emissions. But on a grander scale, it has a huge impact on manufacturing chains, as these companies have to mine raw resources to produce new furniture each year. 

Under a circular business model, the aim is to keep these items in use and out of the landfill as long as possible. At its core, it prioritizes reusing items until they fall apart, at which point any salvageable materials will be mined for resources to make new furniture.  

How Can a Sustainable Decommission Service Help?

Sustainable decommission services are an eco-friendly alternative to traditional liquidation methods that follow wasteful linear practices. They facilitate a move that keeps as many items out of the waste stream as possible. 

So, what does this look like in terms of your move? 

Once your company no longer has a use for an office worth of cubicles, a sustainable decommission service can help you sell office furniture to generate revenue for your move. In the average decommission process, about 20 percent of your inventory is salable. 

A sustainable decommission service will go through the remaining 80 percent of your inventory to pick the best used office furniture. They'll tap into their network of non-profits to see who has the greatest need before donating office supplies to charities and community organizations. 

What little remains after these two steps will then be strategically recycled to ensure valuable resources re-enter the manufacturing cycle. As a result, very little waste will wind up in the landfill.

The Circular Economy Helps Your Business

Something that's good for the environment isn't always good for your business if it's a costly alternative. Luckily, a sustainable office decommission costs about the same as conventional liquidation, but it comes with the added benefits of more insightful reporting, PR opportunities, and eco-cred. 

At the end of the day, you're a business with sustainability goals and strict budgets. Choosing a decommission that follows a circular model will help you meet your targets and save money.