A standard office space is chock full of a wide range of furniture. When it comes to the end of your lease, or simply time for a change, there will probably be quite a few chairs, desks, and other pieces that need to be removed. But how exactly do you deal with these items?
Many companies have attempted to remove and dispose of their office furniture themselves, only to find the process expensive, stressful, and even dangerous. This is why it’s so important to hire a professional office rubbish removal company like Sydney City Rubbish. We know the ins and outs of office junk removal better than anyone.
With that in mind, here are the most important things you need to know about Sydney office furniture removal.
What kind of Sydney office furniture do we deal with
In short, all of it! Office furniture can encompass a very wide range of items. Generally, the term encapsulates:
• Office chairs
• Desks and larger workstations
• Shelving
• Storage units
• Archiving units
• Office kitchen furniture
• Tables
• Unfixed partitions and cubicles.
Throughout our office furniture removal projects, we deal with all of these items and much more, ensuring that our clients are always satisfied. What’s more, we keep them fully informed of the process, so that they understand the measures we take to ensure a more efficient, affordable, and sustainable Sydney office furniture removal service. Here are a few things you need to know about a Sydney office removal project.
Health and safety must be a priority
Removing furniture will inevitably come with some health and safety concerns. The process usually involves heavy lifting (which can result in injuries if done incorrectly), as well as tripping and slipping hazards. Moreover, there is also the potential for lacerations from sharp corners on desks, metal filing cabinets, and other items.
At Sydney City Rubbish, our staff are always well-trained, ensuring that every job is managed with health and safety as a priority. However, if you do try and undertake this type of project yourself, you will be putting your staff at risk of injury. And if you hire a rubbish removal contractor that doesn’t know what they’re doing, you could be setting yourself up for disaster.
This study, conducted in the United States, found that there were 450 deaths during waste collection processes between 1980 and 1992. The majority of these fatalities were due to vehicle accidents, but many were caused by tripping and falling incidents, which can occur during any waste removal project.
Other studies, like this one, explored the prevalence of injuries, particularly musculoskeletal injuries, during waste removal operations. What it found was entirely expected; these sorts of injuries are very common and measures must be taken to ensure that the chance of injury is as little as possible.
What to do with your old Sydney office furniture?
Once you hire the pros to remove it, what happens to your old office furniture? Well, that depends on the condition, the materials that it is made from, and its age.
Reuse it
The best outcome for any piece of office furniture, whether that’s desk chairs, workstations, partitions, or something else, is to reuse it. There is a burgeoning market for good quality, second-hand office furniture and businesses are now seeing the importance of keeping up a sustainable brand.
This process also comes with obvious financial benefits, while maintaining that circular economy at every turn. However, to onsell your old office furniture, effort will be required, unless you hire a professional Sydney office junk removal company. At Sydney City Rubbish, we can ensure that the process is effortless and good-condition furniture is able to be reused.
Reusing office furniture is critical for a wide range of reasons, as this report by CORE explains. The report breaks down the use of various materials in the manufacturing process for chairs, desks, and other pieces of furniture. It shows clearly what can be gained and saved by reusing office furniture when possible.
Take it to a certified recycling centre
Oftentimes, we take our client’s old office furniture to certified recycling centres. This occurs when the items are in too poor condition to reuse or donate. These facilities will break down the desks, chairs, filing cabinets, partitions, and other items into material components. That might be plastics, metals, and wood.
From there, the materials will be put through the recycling process and eventually, be pushed back into the manufacturing process, generating new furniture pieces. In the end, this does reduce the need for new raw materials, but it still involves some kind of negative impact on the environment.
For instance, recycling processes still generate carbon emissions and they are not 100% efficient, meaning some of the material is inevitably lost along the way. Therefore, recycling should always be a contingency plan, with reuse and donation/selling the priority.
Donate it
Donating old office furniture is one of the best outcomes for it. By donating old chairs and desks to charitable organisations, you’re not only giving this furniture a second life, but it’s probably going to people who need a leg up. And that’s in the form of much more affordable office furniture.
Sustainability is paramount
Back in 2011, it was reported in the UK that approximately 1.2 million office desks and 1.8 million office chairs were being dumped in landfills every single year. That is an unimaginable amount of plastic, metal, and other waste that is rotting in landfills, as opposed to being recycled or even reused.
This report outlines projected landfill capacities in Australia. It shows that in short, we cannot continue to expand landfills at the current rate, especially when much of the waste that is in our landfills now, didn’t have to be dumped there. Therefore, sustainability must be our focus. Reducing office furniture waste is a good start and clearly, a sizeable contribution.
Book your Sydney office furniture removal today
At Sydney City Rubbish, our experience in office furniture removal is simply unrivalled. We use our industry expertise and love for sustainability to always get the most out of each project. You’re always in safe hands with us, meaning you can focus on doing what you do best.
Get in touch with Sydney City Rubbish today. We’re ready to help!
