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As we all look for new ways to reduce, reuse and recycle, here are just a few examples of how buying recycled office furniture helps our environment:
Conserving Natural Resources
Because fewer raw materials are used, remanufacturing conserves energy and natural resources. Office furniture recycling extends the lives of resources already in circulation such as wood, aluminum, steel, plastics and fiber; using them over and over to the fullest extent possible. Industry experts estimate that for each pound of natural resources used in remanufacturing, five to nine pounds of original materials are conserved!
Solid Waste Stream Reduction
By recycling office furniture, the products as well as the natural resources are diverted from the solid waste stream. The EPA has estimated that approximately three million tons of office furniture and furnishings are discarded each year. For example, fabrics inpanel systems tend to wear out and the colors become outdated. By remanufacturing, the fabrics can be replaced and the office furniture returned to the market for a second life. Recycling results in fewer products filling up limited landfill space.
Energy Conservation
Recycling office furniture conserves labor and manufacturing energy. The amount of labor and energy required to alter an existing product during remanufacturing is 85 to 95 percent less than that required to manufacture a new product. And, since much of the product has already been manufactured, remanufacturing saves the enormous amounts of energy required for production, especially when metals are kept out of the re-smelting process.
Air Pollution
Recycling reduces the pollution caused by the manufacturing process. Carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur oxides (SOx), nitrous oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and particulate matter are all reduced by recycling office furniture. By reducing the amounts of these contaminants, global warming, acid rain, photochemical smog, and other forms of air pollution are also reduced. |
