Banking on Better: Insightful Environments Transforms Thousands of Desks for Lloyds in Refurb Project

Ida Gorecka • December 10, 2024

Pioneering Office Furniture Refurbishment at Scale: A Banking Giant's Solution



With an increased emphasis on sustainability and ESG within Lloyds group over the last few years, Coggin SOS were approached by one of our long-standing partners, Insightful Environments, to provide a cost-effective and sustainable solution to a UK-wide project in which the banking giant wanted to refresh their current workspaces. 


Working alongside removals teams and Project Managers to remove and transport desks from sites around the UK, Coggin SOS have managed to make the resizing and refurbishing of Lloyds current asset portfolio a simple and obvious choice, saving time, unnecessary carbon emissions and providing Lloyds with 'new' desks that fit in with their focus to improve the standard of their current office workspaces.

Breaking New Ground in Corporate Office Furniture Reuse

In a continuous rolling programme of improvements, Coggin SOS has refurbished over 2500 desks that would typically have been replaced with new, while current desks could have unnecessarily ended up in landfill. 


Our specialist refurbishing team at Coggin SOS has worked alongside both Lloyds and Insightful Environments to show that major financial institutions can implement circular economy principles without compromising on quality or workplace standards.


The Numbers:


  • 207,690kg of carbon emissions prevented - equivalent to powering 56 UK homes for a year!
  • Over £784,875 saved compared to buying new (based on average new desk costs of £370)
  • Carbon saving equivalent to taking 1,057,142 miles of car travel off the road
  • 2,415 desks given new life through refurbishing and resizing

Used Office Furniture: Redefining What's Possible

Insightful Environments fundamentally challenge how corporate clients think about workplace assets. By working with our team at Coggin SOS, they've shown that:


  • Large-scale office furniture refurbishment is viable for major financial institutions
  • Substantial cost savings can be achieved without compromising quality
  • Environmental goals can be met through practical, measurable actions
  • Corporate furniture doesn't need to follow a linear "buy-use-dispose" model


The successful delivery of this large-scale project at Lloyds Banking Group demonstrates expertise in action. While Insightful Environments led the workplace strategy, the Coggin SOS skilled team took each desk through our specialist refurbishment process. 


Our workshop professionals carefully resized and restored over 2,500 desks to Lloyds' exact specifications, transforming dated furniture into workspace assets that look and perform like new. This hands-on approach proves that quality refurbishment can deliver results that match or exceed new furniture - at a fraction of the cost and carbon footprint.


Working together, we haven't just saved furniture from landfill - we've created a blueprint for sustainable workplace transformation that other corporations can follow.


But, this isn't the end of the story - it's a beginning. Insightful Environments and Coggin SOS continue to push boundaries in sustainable workplace solutions, and we're proud to support them in proving that with the right expertise and partnership, major corporations can transform their environmental impact while maintaining world-class workplace standards.


If you're looking to make sustainable choices for your workplace furniture while maintaining the highest quality standards, refurbishment could be your smartest option. 


Contact our team today to discover how we can help transform your office furniture into renewed, sustainable workplace solutions.

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.

Why Buying Cheap Costs More: The Long-Term Value of Quality Refurbished Furniture

By Ida Gorecka • July 30, 2025
You’re in the middle of planning an office space. Budgets are tight. Lead times are short. It’s tempting to type “cheap office chairs” into your browser and find something that fits the spreadsheet. But here’s the problem: cheap furniture is rarely cheap in the long run . The market is saturated with budget desks, chairs, and storage that look good online, but fall apart in practice. And when they do, they cost more - more to replace, more to dispose of, more to fix (if that’s even possible), and more in lost time and productivity. It’s a vicious cycle that undermines your budget, timeline, and any potential ESG goals. According to WRAP , the UK disposes of over 200,000 tonnes of office furniture every year - much of it barely used. When furniture fails quickly, so does your investment. In a commercial setting, that failure shows up in missed deadlines, spiralling budgets, and sustainability goals slipping out of reach. So before you hit "order" on another bulk buy of flat-packed furniture, take a moment. In this article, you'll learn the hidden costs of cheap office furniture and why refurbished premium office furniture is the smarter alternative. If you're looking to reduce hassle, save money, and build a workspace that actually lasts, keep on reading. Need help getting started? Get in touch with our team for advice, audits, or to browse our refurbished stock .