How to Recycle Used Office Furniture Components
Office furniture has undergone major design changes since the introduction of the computer and other computerized office equipment. Recycling fully depreciated, old or outdated office furniture is an innovative way to raise your corporate and social responsibility profile. With a little pre-planning, you will be able to reduce the impact your company has on the environment and keep your old office furniture out of the local landfill.
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Things You'll Need
- Permanent marker
- Tape
- Note cards
- Screwdriver or power screwdriver
- Pallets
Instructions
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Donate your Furniture
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1
Label all old office furniture you wish to recycle clearly and in bold letters. Use a permanent marker, tape and note cards.
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2
Call local charities and ask if they need for furniture.
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3
Arrange a date and time to load furniture onto a hired moving truck. Alternately, use staff to load a rental truck. Transport the furniture to the charity
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4
Request a donation slip for office furniture and give proper information for tax purposes and tracking information.
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5
Track the donated furniture by using the note cards and logging each piece into a spreadsheet with the original estimated value, current value, and donated value. File these records away for tax filings at the end of the fiscal year.
Recycle your Furniture
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6
Label any office furniture you wish to recycle clearly and in bold letters. Track the furniture in a spreadsheet for later reference.
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7
Contact a local furniture recycling/reclamation business and arrange for a pickup of the old office furniture you wish to eliminate.
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8
Unscrew any component parts to your office furniture and place them on a pallet for easy transportation.
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9
Arrange for a recycling/reclamation business to pick up your office furniture components.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Businesses who recycle office furniture parts will often come out to your place of business and take all the pieces away as long as you place your office furniture pieces on a pallet. Additionally, some states run programs that will recycle your office furniture parts through their inmate programs. Check with your state government website for information related to this type of service.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, "As consumers demand more environmentally sound products, manufacturers will continue to meet that demand by producing high-quality recycled products." Complete the loop and buy office furniture with post-consumer recycled content (see Reference 1).
Do not attempt to move heavy furniture without preparation and consideration for the weight and bulk of the item. Use caution when lifting office furniture in whole or in part.
