More and more businesses are realising the need to take responsibility for their environmental impact, and buying refurbished office chairs instead of new is one way they are taking action. The office chair is a staple of any working environment. With countless office chairs being manufactured yearly, and the average chair representing around 72kg of embodied CO2e, it’s easy to see how buying refurbished instead can make a big difference.
By purchasing refurbished office chairs, businesses can reduce their impact on the environment by preventing unnecessary waste and the production of more embodied carbon. They also save money, resources and allow for stylistic redesigns in the refurbishment process to add personality to an office.
So, what are the main benefits of buying refurbished office chairs, and why should you introduce refurbished furniture into your own business?
The circular economy is a strategy for protecting resources and reducing the environmental impact of the products we buy. By sharing, refurbishing and repurposing, new life can be given to existing products, giving them a longer life and extending their purposeful use.
Because they are a great example of the circular economy in action, refurbished office chairs are a highly sustainable option for businesses. Through refurbishment, office chairs are given a prolonged lifespan, allowing them to be reused time and time again. Once an office chair is acquired, its condition is assessed before it is then refurbished to meet the differing design needs of an office. This process of refurbishment can provide a world of benefits that helps both businesses and the environment alike.
One of the significant benefits of refurbished office chairs is the resource savings that are achieved on multiple fronts compared to new chair production. In the manufacturing of brand new chairs, there is a considerable cost in terms of energy, water and carbon.
Seeking a circular solution for office furniture helps resolve this issue by repurposing the products and materials rather than letting them go to waste. For example, the water footprint of a refurbished office chair is approximately 75% less than a newly manufactured one. In addition, many of the core components of an item remain in use after refurbishing, with only the outer fabric and constituent parts that became damaged or torn requiring replacement.
Another benefit of buying refurbished office chairs is the money that can be saved compared to buying new, as new items are increasingly costly to businesses. On average, buying refurbished office furniture costs up to 80% less. As a result, you can fit out an office space with designer, ergonomic furniture at a fraction of the cost of new.
By taking advantage of the refurbished products available, businesses can enjoy sustainability without sacrificing individuality. Refurbishment is an important process in the circular economy where repurposed furniture can be re-designed in colour and style to fit the evolving needs of a workspace, making use of sustainable, low-impact materials in the process.
Minimising their carbon footprint is pivotal for any business striving to become truly sustainable. Businesses must hold themselves accountable, and buying refurbished office chairs is a conscious decision in the right direction towards reducing their carbon footprint. Frames, textiles, foams and fillings used in chair and furniture production have huge amounts of embodied carbon due to their production and can often be one of the largest sources of embodied carbon within an office building.
Buying office chairs that are refurbished with responsibly sourced and recycled materials helps move a business toward a smaller carbon footprint. According to WRAP, reusing 100 office chairs results in saving 7.3 tonnes of CO2 compared to buying them new. By reusing office furniture, the embodied carbon is spread across multiple product lifetimes which makes the initial, carbon-intensive manufacturing less impactful and thus contributes to reducing a business’ carbon footprint.
At Office Resale, we’ve helped hundreds of businesses reduce their environmental impact by providing refurbished office chairs that are repurposed to client requirements and affordable. We can help you achieve your own sustainability goals, whilst demonstrating your commitment to this agenda to your customers, staff and other stakeholders.
We refurbish a wide range of high-quality office furniture from a selection of top brands. Whether it’s office chairs, desks or other items to fit your space and needs, we provide quality products that will last for years to come at a lower cost to both your business and the environment.
Browse our range of refurbished office chairs from top brands, or contact us to discuss your specific requirements.
