How Office Fit-Out Companies Can Support a Circular Economy

Ida Gorecka • February 6, 2025

The global material consumption crisis is real. According to the Circularity Gap Report 2024, we’ve consumed over half a trillion tonnes of materials in just the past six years...Almost as much as the entire 20th century combined!


In the meantime, while the principles of an increasingly circular economy are catching up...we believe we can all go further. 


As an office fit-out company, you play a key role in helping to promote sustainable principles, help businesses reduce waste, cut environmental impact, and add long-term value to your clients. 


The good news is that refurbished office furniture can play a vital role in taking that positive step, AND it can also save you money and time - making it an obvious choice for any forward thinking business!


Are you aware of the Five R’s of Circular Economy? In case you aren't, these are: Reducing, Reusing, Refurbishing, Repairing, and Recycling. This framework helps provide clear paths to make office fit-outs more sustainable. Refurbished furniture stands out as the obvious choice that many businesses have yet to consider when it comes to sustainability commitments. It offers premium quality solutions, often at a much lower cost, and with faster fulfilment than traditional new furniture.

The 5+1 R’s of Circular Economy in Office Fit-Outs

Reducing: Less Is More

By reducing material consumption, you save resources and costs. At Coggin SOS, we help businesses rethink their office needs and promote space-efficient designs that reduce overproduction. In turn, this helps your clients achieve greener, more cost-effective fit-outs.


Reusing: Keep Materials in Circulation

Reusing office furniture cuts carbon emissions and waste. Coggin SOS helps your clients easily source high-quality, second-hand furniture and offers refurbishment options that meet their sustainability goals without sacrificing quality. Every refurbished furniture purchase from us comes with our exclusive Savings Certificate. A concrete proof of your environmental and financial impact.


Refurbishing: Giving Office Assets a New Lease of Life

Refurbished furniture isn’t second-rate. Professional refurbishment can make office furniture look and feel like new. Plus, refurbished furniture costs less than new. At Coggin SOS, we offertop furniture brands like Herman Miller and Steelcase, which are expertly refurbished to match your clients’ needs without the long wait times or inflated prices of new furniture.


Repairing: Extending Product Lifespan

When companies prioritise repairable furniture, they extend the life of their assets and avoid costly replacements. Refurbishment and repair support a circular economy and offer BIG savings. That's money your clients can reinvest in other areas of their fit-out.


Recycling: Closing the Loop

Recycling should be the last resort, and it must happen. As a fit-out company, you can ensure proper waste management and recycling on-site, contributing to a more sustainable office environment while delivering high-quality products and services.


At Coggin SOS, we have added an extra 'R' to the framework: Replace

We can clear your unwanted office furniture and replace them with high-quality refurbished pieces of your choice for maximum impact. Instead of sending old furniture to landfills, pass it on to us, and we’ll ensure it lives a new life while you upgrade to cost-effective, sustainable solutions. It’s the easiest way to refresh your workspace while making a real difference.


Discover all your options here.

Why Refurbished Furniture Should Be Your Clear Choice

Many businesses ignore refurbished furniture because they don’t see it as a viable, high quality solution. But, refurbished office furniture adds several clear advantages over purchasing new- making it the obvious choice for those looking to support the circular economy while also delivering premium office fit outs that clients will love, at a fraction of the cost. 

Why Should Office Fit-Out Companies Consider Refurbished Furniture?

Refurbished furniture is a smart, sustainable choice for office fit-out companies. The reasons:


  • Cost-Effective: Refurbished furniture saves up to 80% compared to buying new. This allows businesses to allocate budgets more efficiently, delivering premium-quality furniture without overspending.
  • Eco-Friendly: Choosing refurbished pieces directly supports the circular economy. Your clients help reduce unnecessary waste, lower CO2 footprints, and cut demand for raw materials. 
  • Convenient and Fast: Refurbished furniture is ready when your clients need it. Unlike new furniture, which may take 8-12 weeks to arrive, refurbished pieces often arrive in just 10 days, making it easier for you to meet deadlines.

Ready to Make Your Office Fit-Out Circular?

At Coggin SOS, we help businesses adopt circular solutions through high-quality refurbished office furniture.


Are your clients looking to reuse, refurbish, or recycle their office furniture? We can help by guiding them to sustainable, cost-effective choices that don’t "cut corners" on quality.


Contact us today to see how refurbished furniture can support your clients’ sustainability goals, save them money, and deliver an outstanding office fit-out!

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.