The environmental, social, and financial worth of your office is greater than you might think. In particular, targeted and effective furniture donations enhance reputations and improve communities.
Here are 5 tips to keep in mind:
1: Consider decades, not years
The contents of your office have a longer lifespan than you might think. Your old items may be desperately needed in a nearby workspace. The market for surplus office furniture, fixtures, and equipment is vast. And beyond resale, non-profit organizations in your community are always looking for furniture donations. When you give furniture to charities and schools, they can devote more money to doing what they do best.
2: Looks can be deceiving
“Eyeballing” the contents of your office won’t tell you much. Instead, a detailed inventory is the best way to assess the value of your items. Then, you’ll want to check the local, national, and global market value of your furniture. At Green Standards, we do this by referencing proprietary databases of comparable items.
3: More information = more value
Manufacturer tags are very useful. Likewise for labels and manuals. Is there a QR code on your chair? Scan it! In general, detailed descriptions of what you have will help find better buyers, beneficiaries, and recyclers. And when it comes to tracking where your items end up, knowing what you’ve got helps you calculate carbon offsets and inform sustainability reporting.
4: Think outside the cubicle
Everything from works of art to potted plants can and should be donated, resold, or recycled. Have you got a one-of-a-kind artifact? We can find a home for it. Don’t need your fridge? Surely a local charity does! In sum, we’ve helped our clients find new homes for everything from ping-pong tables to passenger vehicles.
And when you’re making a list of what’s in your workplace, don’t forget to include your office supplies, desk lamps, kitchen appliances, and other accessories. If you can track it, someone can reuse it!
5: See the big picture
To unlock value at scale, you need to take an enterprise-wide approach. Why? In part, that’s because 1,000 workstations will attract more interest than 100 workstations. Most important, though, is planning ahead. In short, detailed disposition plans are the best way to help ensure nothing goes to landfill.
