As reported by Workplace Insight, a new report has revealed that half of UK organisations continue to dispose of unwanted office furniture in general waste
The white paper, Furniture Futures: Sustainable Strategies for Better Workplaces, surveyed 250 facilities and office management professionals across the UK to examine how businesses manage furniture during office moves, refurbishments and wider workplace changes.
While 86 percent of respondents describe their current approach as very or somewhat sustainable, many admit that landfill disposal remains a common method for dealing with unwanted items. The report estimates that UK offices send around 300 tonnes of furniture to landfill every working day, including up to 1.2 million desks and 1.8 million office chairs discarded each year.
Despite these challenges, the study found strong support for more sustainable strategies. Nearly nine in ten respondents agreed that furniture management should include explicit sustainability requirements, and over half said they would welcome external support to help develop policies, audit assets, or improve overall furniture management strategies.
The white paper outlines several recommended actions for organisations seeking to reduce their environmental impact. These include conducting regular audits of furniture assets, introducing procurement policies aligned with ESG goals, setting annual targets for waste reduction, and placing greater emphasis on reuse, refurbishment, and donation before considering recycling or disposal. Case studies in the report demonstrate that early planning and improved visibility of assets can significantly reduce landfill waste while delivering both cost savings and social value for organisations.