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Which office chairs are the most sustainable?

6th May 2022Blog PostSustainability

Businesses are increasingly recognising the benefits of sustainable office chairs when it comes to improving the sustainability of their office spaces. Buying refurbished is the most sustainable and best value option, but the materials and practices used in the chair’s manufacturing are also vital.

So, what exactly makes a sustainable office chair, and what are the most sustainable brands and models on the market?

What makes an office chair sustainable?

Low embodied carbon

A key factor that determines the sustainability of an office chair is the level of embodied carbon in its materials. Embodied carbon is the total amount of CO2 emissions involved in the production of an office chair; this can refer to the extraction of the raw materials, the transport of these materials, and the emissions of the factory where the chair is built. Impactful materials that require fossil fuels to extract, such as certain plastics, have greater levels of embodied carbon and are therefore less sustainable.

Sustainable office chairs are built with materials that are responsibly sourced, such as wood from supply chains that are either FSC or PEFC accredited to protect against unregulated deforestation. Choosing office chairs with sustainable materials and low embodied carbon can help businesses hit their sustainability targets and reduce their carbon footprint.

Sustainable design

A sustainable office chair is designed for longevity and circularity, as the longer it is in use the lower the demand is for the production of new chairs. Environmentally friendly designs use relevant tests throughout production to validate the strength and resilience of the chair to ensure a long lifespan.

The circularity of an office chair refers to its ability to be reintroduced back into the supply chain once it has reached the end of its life with one business. Careful consideration is given to sustainable office chairs in the design phase, to prioritise materials and construction principles that will help keep them in the circular economy for many years.

Ease of refurbishment

Ease of refurbishment is arguably the most important factor in how sustainable an office chair is. The process of refurbishment enables chairs that would otherwise be disposed of to be given a new lease of life in an environmentally friendly manner. Not only does refurbishment allow for the reuse of office chairs that would otherwise end up in landfill, but it allows for recycled materials to be used in the process (e.g. when reupholstering). Professionals repair, remanufacture and repurpose existing furniture to meet the specific requirements of businesses using sustainable materials. The most sustainable office chairs are ones that are designed for refurbishment by being easy to disassemble and recycle.

For businesses, the refurbishment process is cheaper and more environmentally friendly than buying newly manufactured office chairs.

The most sustainable chairs on the market

At Office Resale, we stock a wide range of high-quality sustainable office chairs which have been refurbished at our award-winning Renew Centre. We are partnered with leading furniture brands such as Steelcase, Humanscale and Herman Miller to bring the most sustainable furniture to as many businesses as possible.

We are also the only approved refurbishment partner of Herman Miller.

Herman Miller Aeron Chair

The innovative design and suspension system offered by Herman Miller’s Aeron accommodates all the motions you go through in a working day while being one of the most sustainable and environmentally friendly chairs on the market. The Aeron is built with sustainability in mind and has earned a host of sustainable certifications including BIFMA Level 3.

Shop refurbished Herman Miller Aeron

Steelcase Think Task Chair

The Think Task Chair is ergonomic, comfortable and features a versatile and contemporary aesthetic design. Steelcase also puts sustainability at the heart of its designs with environmentally friendly materials that are reused in the refurbishment process. The Think task chair has also been redesigned to have fewer parts to ease recycling.

Shop refurbished Steelcase Think Task Chair

Humanscale Freedom Task Chair

Humanscale’s Freedom is a net positive Task Chair. Its innovative design combines comfort, movement and sustainability, and allows for newly upholstered materials to be used in refurbishment as well as other specific parts.

Shop refurbished Humanscale Freedom Task Chair

Sustainable office chairs from Office Resale

At Office Resale, we’ve helped countless businesses build more sustainable office spaces. We provide high-quality, refurbished office chairs from the biggest brands at a fraction of the cost of buying new. The products we stock help companies make a tangible commitment to sustainability and reduce their costs.

Shop our range of refurbished office chairs from the best brands, or contact us to discuss how we can refurbish your office’s existing assets to any requirement.

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