5 Things Removals Companies Should Know Before Disposing of Old Office Furniture

Ida Gorecka • April 17, 2025

Did you know that as a removal company, you're missing out on thousands of pounds in potential revenue every time you let old office furniture head to landfill? 


With over 300 tonnes of used office furniture entering UK landfills daily, your clients are starting to expect more than just transportation from A to B - they want complete, environmentally responsible solutions that protect them from legal liability and fuel their ESG goals.


Read this article to find out more about the hidden costs of landfill and why office furniture recycling can save you money and time. 


Let's break down five essential things you should know before disposing of old office furniture to increase your profits and meet your clients' evolving needs.

1. The Opportunity in Every Office Clearance You Likely Miss

During a typical office survey, you'll likely find that about 40% of furniture won't be making the trip to the new location. Rather than seeing this as a disposal problem, it's actually a revenue opportunity.


At Coggin SOS, we specialise in refurbishing quality second-hand office furniture to look and perform like new. Premium furniture from manufacturers like Herman Miller and Steelcase is built to last decades. When your clients upgrade their workspace, they're often throwing away valuable assets with plenty of life left. By partnering with us, you can tap into this value, offering clients a rebate while creating a new revenue stream.


Contact our team today to find out more about our refurbishing process.

2. The Documentation Gap That Could Cost Your Clients Thousands

Every UK business is legally required to dispose of their waste responsibly. Your clients have a "duty of care" for their office furniture waste - even after it leaves their premises. Without proper documentation, they face serious legal risks.


For complete compliance, your clients need:


  • Verification that you're a licensed waste carrier
  • Waste transfer notes for each collection
  • Hazardous waste consignment notes when applicable
  • Final reports detailing what was removed and where it went


As your recycling partner, at Coggin SOS we handle all this documentation automatically. Our detailed waste transfer notes and final reports give your clients the paperwork they need, while you focus on what you do best - moving furniture.


To find out more about meeting your client’s expectations, go here.

3. ESG Metrics That Will Win You More Corporate Contracts

Although not yet a legal requirement, companies increasingly expect detailed reports proving their furniture's end-of-life journey. Without proper documentation, your clients may face difficult questions from their ESG stakeholders.


By partnering with Coggin SOS, you can provide clients with our exclusive Savings Certificates that detail:


  • Items diverted from landfill
  • Weight saved from waste streams
  • COâ‚‚ savings calculated in real-world equivalents
  • Financial benefits compared to traditional disposal


These certificates can turn your ordinary office clearances into measurable sustainability initiatives - a key differentiator when bidding for corporate contracts.


Want to start offering this valuable documentation to your clients? Get in touch with our team today.

4. You Can Deliver Valuable Savings to Your Clients

Let's be honest about what traditional furniture disposal actually costs:


  • £80-£120 per ton for transportation and processing
  • Up to £100 per ton in landfill taxes (and they're only going up)


For a typical office clearance of 10 tons, that's £800 to £1,200 in direct disposal costs.


By partnering with Coggin SOS as your dedicated recycling specialist, you can help clients eliminate these costs completely. Instead of paying for disposal, they could actually receive value back through furniture refurbishment.


Find out how our zero-landfill guarantee can help you deliver both environmental and financial benefits to your clients.

5. How Smooth Integration Creates More Project Value

The days of simply moving office furniture from A to B are practically over. Today's clients aren't just looking for movers anymore. They want partners who handle sustainable disposal too, something most removal companies struggle to deliver effectively.


By partnering with Coggin SOS, you gain an instant end-to-end solution with:


  • No additional staff needed
  • No extra equipment to buy
  • No specialist recycling knowledge required
  • No complex compliance procedures to learn


We work quietly in the background, handling the technical aspects of furniture assessment and material separation, while you maintain your direct client relationships. For your clients, nothing changes except the outcome - they still have one contact point and one invoice, but now with genuine environmental metrics shown in documents.


Understand exactly what happens to furniture after collection by reading our comprehensive breakdown.

The Choice That Defines Your Future in Office Removals

When was the last time a client didn't ask about sustainable disposal? Count how many recent tenders required green credentials. You know the trend.


Your clients aren't just hoping for sustainable options anymore-they're expecting them. The real question isn't if they'll demand this from you, but whether you'll be ready when they do.


Your clients are already searching for a removal company with end-to-end capabilities. Be that company-contact Coggin SOS today.

One Size Doesn't Fit All: The Benefits of Resizing and Repurposing Office Desks

By Ida Gorecka • September 8, 2025
Your office transformation is approved. Budget's signed off. New layout's finalised. There's just one problem: those 1600mm executive desks that worked perfectly in the old corner offices are now 400mm too wide for your new collaborative pods. The reception desk you spent £3,000 on last year? It's the wrong height entirely for your rebrand. Most facilities managers would see this as a disposal problem. Skip hire , landfill tax , 12-week lead times for replacements. But what if that's completely backwards? What if the furniture that doesn't fit isn't a problem to solve, but an asset to unlock? Every year in the UK, around 1.2 million desks and 1.8 million office chairs are sent to landfill and only 14 % of them are being reused (Source: WRAP , Lancashire Business View ). Those old, "wrong-sized" desks you're planning to skip? They can be professionally refurbished and resized to your exact specifications in 7-10 days , at 40-70% less than new , with zero waste and a 12-month warranty . This article is for facilities managers, procurement leads, and fit-out teams who want practical, product-focused solutions. You’ll see when resizing and repurposing makes sense, the savings it delivers, the compliance boxes it ticks, and how to roll it out step by step. Curious what your current desks could deliver if resized or refurbished? Book a free assessment - we’ll map options, costs, and timelines for you.

Why Paying More Isn't Always Better: The Smart Choice of Refurbished Ergonomic Chairs

By Ida Gorecka • August 19, 2025
Refitting an office today means juggling a lot: tighter budgets, faster timelines, and pressure to deliver on ESG goals. And when it comes to ergonomic chairs, the one piece of furniture an office team relies on every day, many assume paying more for “new” automatically means better. But that’s no longer true. Refurbished ergonomic chairs offer the same comfort , durability , and support as new, backed by warranties , come with less cost and with far shorter lead times . For facilities and procurement teams, that means more budget freed up for other priorities, and fewer delays holding back your project. At Coggin SOS, we work with organisations that once assumed refurbished meant second-best. Until they saw the results. High-performance, fully warranted ergonomic chairs. Fast delivery. Circular outcomes they could actually report on. And savings of up to 80% compared to new (check out our case studies here ). In this article, you’ll learn what refurbished office chairs really offer in practice, why they’re becoming a preferred option for FM teams and procurement leads, and how your next fit-out or move could be both greener and smarter than you think. Thinking about your next office project? Contact our team and see how premium refurbished ergonomic chairs can give you comfort, savings, and sustainability in one.

Beyond Recycling: The Role of Office Furniture in a Truly Sustainable Economy

By Ida Gorecka • August 7, 2025
If you're here, you're probably managing a lot. A relocation, a refurbishment, or a growing ESG brief. Maybe you’re under pressure to meet sustainability targets, stay on budget, and deliver results your team and clients can actually see. And right now, office furniture might not be on your radar. But it should be. In most organisations, furniture is still treated as an afterthought. It’s functional, it’s bulky, and when it’s no longer needed, it’s often sent straight to landfill. But here’s the truth: when you start thinking of office furniture as a strategic asset within the circular economy , everything changes. For your budget . Your carbon reporting . Your project timelines . Your reputation . This article is for you if you’re tired of defaulting to skips. If you want smarter ways to meet ESG goals without blowing your budget. If you’re ready to make office sustainability a measurable advantage - not just a checkbox. We’ll show you just how much office furniture is wasted each year, what it’s really costing your business, and how the circular economy can apply directly to your projects. You’ll learn how organisations like yours are saving thousands, avoiding skips entirely, and turning unwanted furniture into reportable ESG wins - plus practical steps to get started today. Curious what your office clearance could be worth? Get in touch with our team for a free circular furniture audit.