In our personal lives we know that with a bit of innovation and communication, furniture items in excellent condition are awaiting new homes to be reused. It should be no different at work.
With offices and rooms in constant change, furniture items commonly come in and out of requirement. By reusing items we are:
- Saving money – by avoiding the procurement purchase of new items
- Reducing the amount of waste disposed of
- Reducing carbon emissions
- Becoming a more sustainable organisation.
Is your area in need of a new chair, desk, filing cabinet or other item? Please consider whether the university has good quality reusable items before purchasing new items. Contact sustainability@gre.ac.uk to find out what is currently available. Do you have any items of furniture that are no longer required? If the item is in good condition (not broken or with missing parts) let us know so we can go through the next steps with you.
What are the benefits?
Since relaunching the furniture reuse scheme in November 2019, the University has saved:
- avoided over £85,000 from purchasing new items
- saved over 17 tonnes of waste by reusing items
- saved over 41 tonnes of carbon emissions from not buying new items
What about external donations?
Items are only available for internal re-use, not for any external sales outside of the University. Research is undertaken locally for donations, for any items that are no longer required. To date we have managed to donate unwanted (but quality) items to local care homes, libraries, NHS trusts and schools. In total, we have:
- donated over 1000 items.
- saved over 8 tonnes of waste (us having to dispose of items otherwise)
- saved over £41,000 from those organisations otherwise having to buy new items.
- saved over 32 tonnes of carbon emissions (from those organisations buying items and the associated carbon footprint).