Sustainable Offices What is the Most Sustainable to the Least Sustainable GreenCleanDesigns.com
Used Office Furniture in Kansas City is how we began our focus of sustainable offices from lighting to furniture. Let’s start with the office furniture. If you want to save money, be a good steward to the environment, and get the best value for your money, selecting quality used office furniture or equipment is the most sustainable way to go.
Before we get into sustainability & office furniture, you can find our sustainable offices offerings by going to the Shop Section of our website & selected Sustainable Office.
As-Is Office Furniture
When you reuse the material as originally intended, it just requires cleaning & minor touch-up. We call those pieces as-is. Because little work is needed, these are the most sustainable & the most budget friend. We are always on the look out for pieces that can be reused with out a refresh.
Sustainable Practices
This chart shows you the most sustainable to the lease sustainable.
Refresh
In some cases, we refresh the pieces with new fabric, paint, etc. Many times the fabric will be dated. In these cubicles, we remanufactured them or gave them a refresh to fit the current tastes of the market.
Tips on Buying Used Office Furniture
1. If your office wants to be sustainable by purchasing used office furniture, you want to purchase from a top manufacturer. This is the first thing we think about when we purchase an inventory. Is the quality good? How has this product performed?
- Knoll
- Herman Miller
- Steelcase
- Haworth
- Allsteel
We want manufacturers that make quality product. The advantage for us in looking for quality office furniture is we know which office chairs, cubicles, & desks hold up over time. Those are the only items we want to purchase. And, oh do, we love the classics too. This office furniture install featured Herman Miller leather eames chairs. We did not have these in our used office furniture inventory, but we knew the dealer that did. We sourced these for the client & they were exactly what the client wanted.
Current Line to Reuse
Also, we think about our clients needs as they grow. Will they need more of this product later? Growing companies need more great employees. We carry flexible inventories that are still in production with current finishes. If you want to add on to that exact inventory, we want to know that it would be possible. Make sure you are not buying a line that hasn’t been discounted. Are after market parts available? You want to make sure you can find parts of reconfiguration in the future. You may want 6 x 6 cubicles now. However, in the furniture, those workstation may need to be 6 x 4s.
Remanufactured
We hit on this above, but if you have a bit more budget, the remanufactured | refresh | refurbished office furniture is another option. While not as sustainable refurbished office furniture from repurposed materials saves 85% in reusing material. For instance, new fabric on used office chairs or office panels. Or, when we change the metal finish of an overhead & reface it with urban lumber, this is refurbishing. We have several refurbished or remanufactured office furniture options on our sustainable office furniture page.
Recycled
Then, some items are made from recycled items. Examples would be the recycled glass made into cool tables. This 6 foot conference table is an example. Higher priced but perfect for a BAM piece. We think every office should have a BAM piece. Incorporating recycled glass is one way to give the office a sustainable BAM piece.
Recycled Glass Table
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