Is Reusing Office Furniture Truly Beneficial? The Multi-layered Impact of Sustainable Choices

Sam Coggin • June 1, 2023

Revolutionising Workspaces: The Sustainable and Economical Impact of Office Furniture Reuse

At Coggin Sustainable Office Solutions, we wish to illuminate an emerging trend that presents an extraordinary opportunity to revitalise your workplace while concurrently enhancing your Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) credentials. Let's delve into the subject of office furniture reuse and its abundant benefits.


The Imperative of Office Furniture Reuse

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, approximately 8.5 million tonnes of office furniture find their way into landfill sites annually – equivalent to overfilling 250,000 standard shipping containers! Office furniture reuse offers a pragmatic solution to this pressing environmental concern and proffers several corporate advantages.


The Environmental Footprint

Opting for office furniture reuse drastically curtails our environmental impact. It diminishes the consumption of raw materials, conserves energy otherwise expended in manufacturing, and reduces emissions engendered during production and transportation. Interestingly, reusing just one tonne of wood can conserve approximately 20 million British Thermal Units (BTUs) of energy – the equivalent energy requirement of an average house for roughly half a year!


Financial Implications

Furniture reuse can precipitate substantial cost savings. Pre-owned, high-quality furniture often stands shoulder-to-shoulder with brand-new pieces, whilst being significantly more affordable. In an era when businesses are perpetually exploring strategies to prune expenses without compromising on quality, office furniture reuse presents an attractive prospect.


Augmenting CSR and ESG Credentials

In the contemporary business landscape, CSR and ESG are indispensable elements. Office furniture reuse aligns seamlessly with these strategies, exemplifying a commitment to environmental sustainability and societal responsibility. Did you know that firms with robust ESG profiles generally incur lower costs of debt and equity? Furthermore, such companies are less susceptible to considerable stock price volatility compared to their counterparts with deficient ESG profiles.


Stimulating Innovation and Creativity

Reused furniture can infuse an exceptional and character-rich aesthetic into your workspace. An assorted collection of such pieces can spur innovation and creativity amongst employees. This offers an opportunity to eschew monotony and cultivate an environment that genuinely mirrors your unique corporate identity.


Our Modus Operandi

Coggin Sustainable Office Solutions is committed to ensuring your transition to reused office furniture is smooth and efficient. We provide a diverse array of pre-owned, high-quality pieces with significant usable life. We endeavour to assist you throughout the process, ensuring your newly curated office environment aligns with your brand ethos and functional prerequisites. Beyond the provision of furniture, we also manage your existing furniture assets. Usable pieces are responsibly rehomed, while those that have served their purpose are recycled responsibly.


Embrace the Future Today

Office furniture reuse is not merely a fleeting trend. It's a deliberate stride towards a sustainable future. It's an acknowledgment that every decision we make invariably impacts the world around us. This environmentally conscious decision is accompanied by myriad benefits – it's economical, it bolsters your CSR and ESG standing, and it cultivates unique, inspiring workspaces.


We invite you to be a part of this transformative journey. Let's collaboratively reshape the future of office environments. Let's make a significant environmental impact, one piece of furniture at a time.


Did you find this article interesting? Continue that interest and contact us today to learn more.

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.