Sustainable Solutions for Higher Education: Reuse and Refurbishment of Office Furniture

Ida Gorecka • December 19, 2024

Running facilities or sustainability at a university or college means your to-do list never gets shorter. Between managing department requests, controlling costs, and meeting ESG reporting deadlines, furniture decisions shouldn't add more pressure to your day. At Coggin SOS, we understand these challenges and have spent over twenty years helping education facilities create sustainable, cost-effective workspaces.


Refurbished Office Furniture: The Smart Solution

Behind every successful educational institution stands an invisible team making smart decisions about resources, space, and sustainability. If you're part of that team, you know the weight of those decisions. Modern universities and colleges demand modern solutions. While your institution focuses on education and research, you're tasked with creating spaces that support their work without breaking the bank. But what if you didn't have to choose between quality furniture and staying within budget? What if the same decision could help both your bottom line and your environmental goals?


That's where professional office furniture refurbishment makes perfect sense. Educational institutions across the UK are transforming their spaces by both refurbishing their existing furniture and purchasing refurbished pieces. Either way, they get furniture that matches new in quality and appearance - plus major cost savings and environmental benefits.


Premium Refurbished Office Furniture: Same Quality, Quarter the Price

The reason refurbished office furniture is so much more affordable is that the majority of the cost of new furniture goes towards manufacturing, shipping, and retailer markups. With refurbished items, these initial costs have already been absorbed, allowing the furniture to be resold at a fraction of the price.


Take our refurbished
Verco Ergoform chairs - they're sitting in our Coggin SOS showroom right now. Brand new, they'd cost your department £500 each. Our refurbished version? Just £150. Same chair, same quality, fraction of the price. When your computer lab needs 30 chairs, that's £11,250 staying in your budget - the kind of saving that gets noticed in quarterly reviews.


At Coggin SOS, you'll find professionally refurbished office chairs, desks, and storage solutions ready to go. No long lead times. No complicated ordering processes. Just quality furniture that's ready within 10 days.
Contact us now to arrange your visit.



How Refurbished Office Furniture Adapts to Your Changing Needs

As a facilities professional, you know that campus and college spaces are constantly in flux. Departments expand, faculty needs change, and student preferences shift - and your furniture needs to keep pace. This is where refurbished furniture offers better advantages over buying new. Apart from saving on costs, you get immediate availability, the ability to modify pieces to exact specifications, and the freedom to adapt spaces quickly.


At Coggin SOS, we make this flexibility work for you with:


  • Custom desk resizing to match your exact requirements
  • Fast 10-day turnaround on most orders
  • Mix-and-match options from our  inventory
  • Expert space planning support
  • 12-month guarantee on the furniture


Whether you're renovating an outdated administrative office or converting a lecture hall into a collaborative learning space, we'll work closely with you to understand your evolving requirements and provide refurbished office furniture that's the perfect fit. 


From resizing second-hand office desks to creating custom configurations for your unique needs, our team handles it all. Just let us know what you need, and we'll handle the rest.



Reduce Carbon Footprint with Refurbished Office Furniture Solutions

Your sustainability targets matter. Not just for reports and ESG ratings, but for showing everyone internally, and the wider world that you're serious about environmental impact. When you choose refurbished office furniture you're proving that sustainability works in practice, not just in policy documents. It shows your institution backs up words with actions.


Working with Coggin SOS turns these environmental commitments into real, measurable achievements. With every project, we provide you with detailed documentation that shows exactly what you've saved and what impact you've made. Perfect for ESG reports, sustainability audits, and proving the value of your initiatives.



Planning Your Next Campus Project?

Those department refits and renovation deadlines might be looming, but the solution doesn't have to be complicated. While you're weighing up long lead times and stretched budgets, let's have a conversation about a smarter way forward.


Contact us - you might be surprised at what's possible when sustainability meets practicality.

By Ida Gorecka June 30, 2025
Planning your next office fit-out? Before you commit to that £50,000 furniture budget, consider this: the UK office furniture market reached £3.24 billion in 2024 ( source ), yet businesses are increasingly discovering that the "obvious" choice isn't always the smartest one. You’ve likely priced up premium ergonomic chairs at £800-£1,200, desks starting at £2,000, and meeting tables from £3,000+. Leading brands like Herman Miller and Steelcase come with quality-but also long lead times, hidden costs, and potential delays that can hold up your entire fit-out. But here’s what those new furniture quotes don’t mention: the true cost goes far beyond the price tag. Hidden expenses, long lead times, and missed opportunities can add up to serious disruption, something savvy businesses are now avoiding. On the other hand, refurbished office furniture that delivers the same premium quality, ergonomic support, and professional look-at 50-80% less, and available in days , not months. In this article, we’ll unpack the hidden costs of buying new and explain why choosing refurbished furniture is a strategic, value-driven decision for your office. If you're looking to save money, time, and hassle on your next office fit-out, get in touch or browse our refurbished range today.
By Ida Gorecka June 17, 2025
Are you still throwing perfectly good office furniture into skips? Every year, millions of pieces of furniture are discarded in the UK, with the majority going directly to landfill. Meanwhile, the standard landfill tax rate in the UK is currently £103.70 per tonne, and it's only getting more expensive. But what if there was a better way? What if that "outdated" desk or those "worn" chairs could actually save you money while keeping valuable resources in circulation ? Recycling old office furniture isn't just about doing the right thing environmentally; it's about making smart financial decisions that protect your finances. According to recent statistics , office furniture accounts for an estimated 8.5 million tons of furniture waste per year globally, yet 51% of furniture is reusable if we take into account items requiring slight repair. You're facing a choice every time you clear out your office. The skip route costs money and harms the environment. The recycling route saves money and creates value. Here's how recycling old office furniture can transform your business operations while delivering measurable savings. Want to see how much you could save by recycling your office furniture? Contact our team for a free assessment and quote.
By Ida Gorecka June 2, 2025
Our approach to workspace design is evolving as organisations recognise the enormous waste and environmental impact of the traditional "buy new, dispose later" furniture cycle. Every year, organisations across the UK retire thousands of perfectly usable office desks-not because they’re damaged, but due to layout changes, branding updates, or relocations. These desks often end up in landfills , despite being made from valuable materials that require large amounts of energy and resources to produce. This disposable mentality is costing your business money AND damaging the planet by wasting valuable resources. But what if there was a solution that saved you money while reducing your carbon footprint ? By choosing refurbished and resized office desks, you can make smarter, more sustainable choices that help reduce waste , cut costs , and create premium-quality offices - all without the lengthy lead times that accompany new furniture purchases. If you've never considered refurbished desks before, you're in the right place to learn why they should be your obvious choice for your next project. But even if you have, keep reading for valuable insights into how refurbished and resized desks can improve sustainability initiatives, maximise cost savings, and support long-term business goals. Curious to see what’s available? Browse our current inventory of high-quality refurbished desks-updated daily and ready for fast delivery.