Sustainable Office Decomissioning

BGIS Team Members on the Public Sector Client Account developed a comprehensive and sustainable approach to decommissioning old office furniture and materials.

The Issue

• Many organizations are working to modernize their work environments flooding an already saturated used furniture market.
• The Covid-19 Pandemic is accelerating these efforts as companies work to adapt to new workforce expectations.
• Traditionally furniture items end up in the landfill as they cannot be recycled as whole units

The Solution

• Through a systematic approach to decommissioning that includes redeployment, resale, donation and deconstruction to enable recycling of components and materials.
• Our process includes detailed tracking and the use of certified recyclers to provide detailed line of sight and accurate reporting.
• By addressing all material and breaking them down into the components we achieve the highest possible landfill diversion rates.
• We ensure accurate and detailed sorting of metals: Clean & “Dirty”
• Lateral files, storage cabinets and overhead storage bins are clean metal

Furniture and Equipment are separated into components

• Work Surfaces: Plastic edge banding is removed from work surfaces and sent for recycling, wood surfaces sent for shredding and incineration
• Task Lights: Plastic for recycle, Bulbs hazardous waste, 9 ft. Cord and the main frame
• Hanging Folders & Binders: Metal is separated from cardboard ad plastic components

Pilot Program

• The initial pilot project identified a 20% savings compared to the traditional approach
• Significant increase in diversion rates
• Benefits to charities, schools and other local organizations
• We also think … it is simply the right thing to do!

Total furniture waste diverted to date across active and completed projects is 1014.98 tons.