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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?
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 textiles from supply chains that are either accredited by bodies like the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Choosing office chairs with sustainable materials and low embodied carbon can help businesses hit their sustainability targets and reduce their carbon footprint.
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 focus on designing with reuse and refurbishment in mind and they are built with the strength and resilience to ensure a long lifespan.
The circularity of an office chair refers to the lowest carbon impact of the materials it is built from and 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 principles in the design phase, to prioritise materials and product engineering that will help keep them in the circular economy for many years.
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 become difficult to recycle, 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.
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 Orangebox, Steelcase, Humanscale and Herman Miller to bring the most sustainable furniture to as many businesses as possible.
We are also an approved refurbishment partner of Herman Miller.
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
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. It has also been redesigned to have fewer parts to make recycling more simple.
Shop refurbished Steelcase Think Task Chair
Humanscale’s Freedom is a Net Positive Task Chair. The innovative design combines comfort, movement and sustainability. The design allows for newly upholstered materials to be used in refurbishment as well as other specific parts.
Shop refurbished Humanscale Freedom Task Chair
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.
