You have made the decision to upgrade the furniture in your business. Congratulations, as that a hard decision to make. Bringing in new furniture is exciting and can usually boost employee’s moral. Many times, the focus is made on what furniture are you bringing in, and how much is it going to cost.
Now that you made the decision to upgrade, what are you going to do with the old furniture? Often that is the overlooked part of the equation. The decommissioning phase can be larger and cost more than the installation of the new furniture. Make sure you have figured that cost into your budget, so you are not caught off-guard when it is too late.
There are primarily three choices to consider on how to get rid of the old furniture. Can we sell it? Should we donate it? Can it be recycled? More than likely a combination of all three is what works.
Sell
We have a large network of used furniture buyers that are looking for various types of used office furniture. The type of furniture being sold and the shape it is in will determine the value to buyers. Our unique approach to selling your furniture will often result in high returns on your inventory. Many times, it can result in reducing the decommissioning cost by 40-60%.
Depending on the market at any given time what is being sold can either be in high or in low demand. However, there are certain items that are always in high demand. Task chairs that are of good quantity, good repair, and are from reputable furniture makers will bring a good return. Even if the market is saturated at the time you are selling, with these products the demand will still be there.
Donate
If you cannot sell it there are many companies that will accept it as a donation. There are many non-profit organizations that are looking for upgraded furniture to what they have. A quick Google search will give you several options for donating furniture. Also, whoever you hire to perform the decommissioning of your office space should work with you to help find a home for your old furniture. While you won’t receive any revenue off this option you will have a good piece of mind knowing the furniture was able to be put to use bye people or companies that are less fortunate, and you can use it as a donation on your tax returns.
Recycle
If the furniture is not desirable for reuse for whatever reason, then it will need to be disposed of. Our goal is to keep everything out of landfills. Most of the remaining furniture can be separated and recycled. A local recycling center will pay a small amount for the metals, plastics, and wood. This is not a lot of money, but it helps keep it out of landfills.
Each year tons of used office furniture ends up in landfills. Each is no cookie cutter option for every office. Each office is different, and all furniture is different. A combination of all the above is usually the case in each job. Just keep in mind that no matter how big or how small your job is, there are options for removing your old furniture and making way for the new.
