Achieving Corporate Sustainability Targets through Office Furniture Recycling

Ida Gorecka • November 26, 2024

Whether you're planning on updating your current office facilities, moving offices, or responsible for refurbishment projects within your business, there are sure to be many factors and pressure that go into making those important upcoming decisions - cost, quality, delivery timescales, and most recently, a mounting pressure to meet corporate sustainability targets.


With the increasing emphasis on ESG criteria, stakeholders are looking more closely at how businesses address their environmental impact. How do you balance these growing environmental responsibilities with budget constraints? The answer might be simpler than you think, and it starts with something you already manage every day-your office furniture.

Why Office Furniture Decisions Matter 

When was the last time you calculated the environmental impact of your office furniture decisions? Most facilities managers we work with are surprised to learn that a single office chair produces more CO2 during manufacturing than their daily commute for an entire month. Now multiply that by every chair, desk, and workstation in your office, and it becomes clear: your furniture choices massively impact sustainability targets.


A study by the Sustainable Furnishings Council found that the furniture industry is responsible for 2-5% of global carbon emissions. In the UK alone, over 1.2 million desks and 1.8 million office chairs end up in landfills annually, with the majority being suitable for refurbishment. These statistics underscore the need for a change in how companies manage office furniture.


If you’re eager to boost your eco-credentials, contact us and let’s discuss your options.

Breaking the 'Buy New' Cycle: The Circular Economy

The conventional approach of repeatedly buying new furniture not only strains facility budgets but also contradicts corporate sustainability goals and ESG expectations. As facilities managers, you have the opportunity to shift towards a circular economy-where furniture is reused, refurbished, and recycled. This approach not only helps reduce costs but also allows you to meet your sustainability targets and demonstrate your commitment to environmental responsibility.


At Coggin SOS, we help facilities teams in breaking this costly cycle by providing quality refurbished office furniture that meets professional standards. By choosing refurbished options, you can make a positive impact on your carbon footprint while staying within budget.

The Triple Bottom Line: Sustainability, Cost, and Space Management

Our clients consistently report three major challenges:


1. Meeting stringent sustainability targets

2. Managing escalating furniture replacement costs

3. Dealing with limited storage space


At Coggin SOS, our furniture recycling and refurbishment services are specifically designed to address these needs. Here’s how our circular approach benefits facilities teams:


1. Meeting Sustainability Target

  • Reduce your carbon footprint 
  • Divert large amounts of waste from landfill - essential for ESG reporting
  • Support circular economy initiatives that increasingly matter to stakeholders


2. Controlling Costs

  • Save 50-80% on furniture replacement costs
  • Reduce waste disposal fees
  • Minimise storage costs for surplus furniture


3. Space Optimisation

  • Eliminate the need for long-term furniture storage
  • Maintain clean, organised facilities
  • Enable flexible space management

Measuring Impact for Your ESG Goals

Understanding how furniture recycling and refurbishment impacts your organisation's sustainability targets requires looking at three key metrics:


Carbon Footprint Reduction

Choosing refurbished furniture reduces your carbon footprint by up to 50% compared to new purchases. For a typical 100-person office refresh, this translates to approximately 12 tonnes of CO2 saved - equivalent to taking 26 cars off the road for a month.

Waste Reduction

Our circular economy approach ensures that up to 100% of your existing furniture either returns to service through refurbishment or is recycled into new materials, substantially reducing your waste-to-landfill metrics.

Resource Conservation

Each piece of refurbished furniture conserves raw materials and prevents manufacturing emissions. Our detailed environmental impact reports quantify these savings, providing concrete data for your ESG reporting and environmental compliance documentation.

Simplifying Sustainable Furniture Management

We've learned that the best sustainability initiatives are the ones that simplify your work, not complicate it. That's why we handle everything:


When you work with us, you'll have a dedicated partner who understands the pressures of facilities management. We’ll coordinate everything from initial assessment to final installation, providing clear documentation of environmental impacts and cost savings along the way.


Each project includes a dedicated savings certificate and report, documenting all carbon, waste, and cost savings. These are comprehensive analyses you can pass on to your clients and ESG managers. 


For further inquiries, contact us here.

Why Now is the Perfect Time to Upgrade Your Office Furniture

February 18, 2025
As the end of the fiscal year approaches, many SMEs are facing a familiar challenge-how to use up remaining budgets before March 31st . One area that often gets overlooked? Office furniture. It’s a big expense, and many businesses either put off upgrading or settle for quick, low-quality solutions that don't really meet their needs. But there’s a better way to refresh your office without breaking the bank. Whether you decide to refurbish the furniture you already have or buy high-quality refurbished pieces , there’s an affordable, sustainable solution right at your fingertips. And, by making this choice before the end of the fiscal year, you’re setting yourself up for a smarter, more efficient office in the long run.

Achieving a Sustainable Office: 3 Easy Steps to Reduce Your Office’s Carbon Footprint

By Ida Gorecka • February 13, 2025
Did you know buildings, including offices, are responsible for nearly 40% of global energy-related carbon emissions? Many businesses don’t realise that office furniture is a big part of that problem. Consumers are noticing too: 85% prefer eco-conscious brands, and 34% are willing to pay more for sustainable products ( source ). If you’re not thinking about sustainability , you are falling behind. But contrary to what most businesses assume, creating a sustainable office doesn’t mean a huge overhaul or extra costs. In fact, it can save you lots of money. At Coggin SOS, we’ve helped hundreds of businesses go green and we can help you too. Here are three easy steps to help you save both money and carbon emissions on your next office furniture project.

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

By 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.
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