In the Fall of 2017, OMERS consolidated 3 offices into a newly constructed LEED Platinum building. As part of the transition, they partnered with Green Standards to recover usable resources to support 17 Toronto based non-profits with renewed spaces that they would not have attained otherwise.
When a corporation empties or renovates an office space, much of the interior assets – supplies, appliances, computers – end up in the landfill. This prematurely ends the life cycle of valuable resources and produces greenhouse gases over time. In 2017, Green Standards turned 8,000+ tons of unwanted furniture and equipment into $2.5 million worth of in-kind donations to more than 400 non-profits and community organizations across North America.
By working with our sustainable decommission program, OMERS was able to repurpose valuable products with a 99% landfill diversion rate on 400+ tons of surplus assets. The majority of items – including tables, desks, chairs, shelves, fridges, and dishwashers – were either resold, recycled or donated, reducing costs, while benefiting the environment and local community groups.
- 600+ Workstations
- 300+ Tables
- 200+ Private Offices
- 1000+ Chairs
OMERS Challenges
When OMERS moved to their new head office, they needed furniture that supported more collaboration, but didn’t want their old materials to go to waste. With the current unpredictable and saturated used furniture market limiting asset resale, it created the need for a more complex, multi-channel disposition strategy.
Innovation
By combining donation, resale, and recycling strategies with turnkey project management, Green Standards maximizes asset recovery, streamlines community donation, and virtually eliminates waste with industry leading sustainable solutions. It’s this innovative approach that generates value for businesses, communities and the environment.
OMERS is just one Toronto based example of the corporate sustainability initiatives led by Green Standards this past year. There were 200+ projects in total for 2017.
In 2017, Green Standards turned 8,500 tons of surplus furniture and equipment into $2.5 million worth of in-kind donations to more than 400 non-profits and community organizations across North America.
Achievements
The Green Standards and OMERS teams are pleased to have received numerous awards for this initiative in addition to the 17 local non-profits that received free furniture.
The MukiBaum Accessibility Centre is 1 of 17 beneficiaries that received furniture and equipment donations from OMERS through our partnership. MukiBaum provides inclusive, community-focused support to children and adults with autism and/or other complex developmental disabilities and their families.
With in kind donations for an organization like MukiBaum, money that they would spend on furniture is literally dollars coming out of their programming budget. So for OMERS to be able to step in and donate furniture it saves MukiBaum that expense and literally channels those dollars directly into their programming budget.
Trevor Langdon, President of Green Standards
Beneficiary Spotlight
The MukiBaum Accessibility Centre is 1 of 17 beneficiaries that received furniture and equipment donations from OMERS. MukiBaum provides inclusive, community-focused support to children and adults with autism and/or other complex developmental disabilities and their families.
“Thank you for the truly amazing donation of key furniture! The individual work tables, file storage and chairs will go immediately to use by our staff and the participants of the program. As a non-profit as well as an NGO, these fantastic donations directly help us in continuing to support the people we serve and their families.”
Jameson Wood
Senior Coordinator of Operations and Programming, MukiBaum
About Green Standards
Capturing Value In Workplace Change
Green Standards has spent the last decade developing rigorous practices and global networks that deliver optimal value from workplace decommissioning. Our enterprise program measures and maximizes ESG performance while virtually eliminating landfill waste. A partner to the world’s largest organizations, Green Standards enables the efficient and ethical redistribution of furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) during times of workplace change.
Media Contact: Marc Borins, 1-855-632-8036
