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!

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 .

Refurbished Office Furniture Saves Overbury Over £2000 on Site Setup Costs

By Ida Gorecka • July 18, 2025
Anyone who's worked in construction knows that site setup costs can quickly spiral. For Overbury , one of the UK's leading fit-out and refurbishment specialists, managing these costs while maintaining professional standards is a constant balancing act. When setting up their latest construction site office, they faced a challenge familiar to many in the industry: creating a functional workspace quickly and cost-effectively. After seeing what we achieved together on their previous project, Overbury approached us with clear priorities - they needed a professional office setup delivered on a construction timeline. With tight deadlines to meet and costs to manage, they needed their office space ready quickly while avoiding the expense and environmental impact of buying new office furniture. Like many construction projects, this one came with complex requirements - specific layouts, tight timelines, and budget constraints - yet Overbury knew from experience that refurbished office furniture could deliver exactly what they needed.

From Purchase to Repurpose: How to Extend the Lifespan of Your Office Furniture

By Ida Gorecka • July 16, 2025
If you're managing an office move, refit, or hybrid transition, you've likely faced this question: do we buy new furniture, or make use of what we have? Every year, over 1.2 million desks and 1.8 million office chairs are sent to landfill in the UK- enough to fill Wembley Stadium twice. ( Source: WRAP ) With Landfill Tax raised to £126.15 per tonne in April 2025 (S ource: UK Government ), the cost of disposing office furniture is increasing fast. If you’re trying to balance budgets , meet ESG goals , and minimise downtime , choosing refurbishment over replacement could be the most strategic decision you make this year. In this guide, we’ll show you how to get more from what you already own. Saving thousands, supporting your ESG goals, and creating a more flexible, future-proof workspace. Got a project coming up? Get in touch and we’ll help you explore your refurbishment options.