How Facilities Services Can Contribute to a Circular Economy with Furniture Recycling

Ida Gorecka • February 11, 2025

Our approach to furnishing workspaces is changing as part of a collective effort to reverse the projected 70% increase in global waste by 2050.


Design trends are constantly changing, and as companies race to keep up it can be challenging to keep up with the newest trends in office furniture. However, this constant cycle results in millions of office furniture pieces getting unnecessarily discarded every year when, with the right expertise, they could be repurposed, reused, or recycled.


What can we do to reverse this trend? Facility Managers must help to embed circular economy thought processes into procurement and disposal strategies, across the entire supply chain. While recycling paper and reducing energy consumption are common strategies, one area that is often overlooked as a source of sustainable credentials is office furniture.


By embracing furniture recycling and refurbishment, facility managers can make smarter, more sustainable choices that help reduce waste, cut costs, and ensure premium-quality office designs, often without the lengthy lead times that accompany new furniture purchases.


If you haven’t considered refurbished furniture before, you are in the right place to discover why they should be your obvious choice for your next project. But even if you have considered it, keep reading for valuable insights into how refurbished furniture can improve sustainability initiatives, maximise cost savings, and support long-term business goals.

Extending Furniture Lifecycles = Less Waste, More Impact

Traditional office furniture procurement follows a linear model: buy new, use, then dispose. This cycle results in millions of office furniture heading to landfill each year... Many of which are still in excellent condition!


The statistics are mind-blowing:


  • 3 billion people worldwide lack access to proper waste services, contributing to uncontrolled waste disposal.
  • In the G7, extending product lifespans, like office furniture, could save 525 million tonnes of carbon annually.
  • Global waste will reach 3.9 billion tonnes by 2050, making proactive waste management urgent.


(Source)


High-end office furniture is made to last decades, and with expert refurbishment, these pieces can be restored to like-new condition and be ready to serve new workplaces over and over.

Cost-Effective Without Compromising on Quality

A common misconception is that refurbished furniture means lower quality. The reality? You get premium quality office furniture at a fraction of the cost.


  • Save up to 80% compared to buying new
  • Maintain high design standards with premium brand options
  • Benefit from a 12-month guarantee for total peace of mind


Refurbished furniture is a smart financial choice for businesses looking to maximise value while maintaining high quality without downsides! Just think of it as a budget-friendly way to stand out and make a positive impact.


See our current inventory of premium brands.

Faster Delivery = No Project Delays

Long lead times on new furniture create major headaches for facility managers trying to meet deadlines. With supply chain disruptions and manufacturing delays, standard furniture orders can take 8–12 weeks (or longer) to arrive.


With refurbished furniture, that problem disappears! At Coggin SOS, we can deliver within 10 days, making sure facility services keep projects moving on schedule without waiting months for furniture to arrive.


Discover all our services.

Certified Sustainability

Businesses today need hard evidence of their environmental impact.


That’s why every piece of refurbished furniture at Coggin SOS comes with a Savings Certificate, providing measurable data on:


✔ Carbon savings compared to buying new. 

✔ Items diverted from landfill

✔ Financial savings that support budget goals


To get a better understanding, dive into the environmental impact of specific furniture.


For facility service providers, this means tangible proof to present to clients and stakeholders, demonstrating ESG compliance and aligning with sustainability goals.


Do you want to know how a client saved £76,950 compared to buying new (based on £335 per new chair). Click here.

Supporting a Circular Economy = Doing More with Less

Refurbished furniture integrates sustainability into procurement at every stage. Facilities teams that adopt furniture recycling and refurbishment support a circular economy by reusing resources, reducing waste, and lowering environmental impact.


To maximise impact, at Coggin SOS, we make it super-easy for facility services to replace unwanted furniture with high-quality refurbished alternatives. Rather than sending old office furniture to landfills, we'll collect it from you, creating space for your new setup. Simply choose from our refurbished selection of trusted, established brands, and we'll restore what’s usable, recycle what isn’t, and help you upgrade to a sustainable, cost-effective workspace.


Read more about Professionally Refurbished Office Furniture: A Commitment to Quality and Sustainability.

To sum up, the refurbished furniture we provide is a low-cost (but HIGH-quality) choice that helps reduce furniture waste piling up in landfills. It contributes to a more sustainable lifecycle by extending the lifespan of high-quality furniture and ensuring that materials are recycled when they can no longer be reused or repurposed.


Imagine achieving a brand-new office design while spending less, earning sustainability certifications, and ensuring ESG compliance. Who wouldn't like that?!


Contact us today, and we promise that you’ll help businesses achieve, at the very least, efficient, stylish, and eco-friendly workplaces with high-quality, premium branded furniture.

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.