What You Need To Know About Old Office Furniture Disposal

[This article was originally published in August 2020 and has been revised and updated.]

If you have an office you probably have old office furniture and you'll probably need old office furniture disposal sometime.

Even if your "office" is a small room at the back or front of your warehouse, you've got furniture. If your furniture is old or broken down, you'll need to get rid of them. But how do you do that best?

A Job No One Wants: Old Office Furniture Disposal

If your place of work is typical you could likely ask around for volunteers to haul out the old office furniture, load it all into a truck, and then haul them off somewhere for disposal.

And you would typically get few if any takers.

That's because most office furniture is large, bulky, heavy, and awkward to handle. So, getting it out of an office or even a cubicle can be a chore. Then you have to navigate doorways and hallways until you get it all outside. But now it all has to be lifted up or pushed up a ramp and into the back of a truck or cargo van. 

And no one really enjoys doing that. 

But, even before you "volunteer" some of your staff for the job there are a few other crucial considerations.

One of the first tasks, for example, is to determine if the old, unwanted furniture items are at all reusable. In other words, can they be donated or sold to a consignment or reclamation shop?

There are businesses that specialize in re-selling old, but usable office furniture and equipment.  And they are one of the favorite sources of office furniture of many start-ups and remote workers looking to furnish their home office.

In addition, some old office furniture can also be sold on sites like Craig's List and eBay. In fact, there are many other sites such as Nextdoor and Chairish where you can list your old furniture. IF you decide to go this route with your usable, old office furniture, remember to upload a few good photos, provide clear descriptions, and be sure to mention any stains or damage.

And, if possible, have the buyers come to pick up the pieces at your workplace.

However, not all old office furniture is in good enough condition to be sold. And not ever business owner or manager wants to take the time and effort to piece out old furniture over what could be a period of weeks or more.

 Recycle, Repurpose, and Reuse: That Includes Old Office Furniture

In addition to possibly getting some cash for your old furniture, there is also the prospect of simply donating them to a local charity or non-profit organization in need of more (or better) furniture for their own offices. 

This means determining if the piece is truly usable. It's bad form to offer badly damaged or stained items for donations. If you wouldn't use it then assume others won't either! However, that doesn't mean these damaged or otherwise undesirable furniture items have to go straight to a landfill. 

There are many charity organizations that will take used furniture that is in good shape. Of these, some will slightly refurbish it for re-sell, while many others will simply recycle or re-use it. Always call to check ahead before dropping off large furniture items.

If your town has one, the local community theater can often make good use of old furniture for stage sets. And don't forget the local college or high school drama departments.

The great thing about furniture - both office and residential - is that almost all of the materials that make up a piece can be recycled. When you think about it, all the wood, metals, fabrics, and most of the foam and plastics are great candidates for recycling once the piece is dismantled.

Some items like wooden tables and chairs can pretty much be completely recycled and made into wood-based products. And all-steel file cabinets and desks can be scrapped and completely reused, as well. 

In fact, there is almost nothing in your office that should end up in a landfill.

From Office to Landfill is Not the Only Option

Interestingly, according to figures from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) while the population of the United States increased by almost 55 percent from 1960 to 2018, the amount of furniture and furnishings ending up in the municipal soled waste (MSW ) stream increased almost 550 percent!

In other words, the growth of old furniture waste increased 10 times more than the number of people.

The EPA has estimated that back in 2018 - the most recent complete figures available - that we, as a nation, generated about 12,080,000 tons of furniture and furnishings waste. This is the amount of these items we tossed out. 

And, of that more than 12 million tons, almost 9.7 million tons ended up in our landfills.  That's close to 80 percent. Yet, most of it is completely or partially recyclable.

In fact, here is a good strategy, as suggested by RedThread.com, 

If furniture is not suitable for reuse in its current condition, then the furniture can be separated into recyclable categories such as metals, plastics, and timber, and recycled at your local recycling center or by a third-party company.

And your old office chairs are often made with plenty of metal, which is easy to recycle. They can go to a scrap metal dealer who will melt them down so they can be turned it into other products.

If your old furniture is not suitable for reuse and is perhaps damaged beyond repair, it can be disassembled and separated into various materials such as metal, plastic, and fabric and then sent to the appropriate recycling processing center.

Got a sofa or two from the office lobby or employee lounge that needs to go? Stuffed furniture can often be take to a local mattress recycler.

Old Office Furniture Disposal as a Business Strategy

Planning any type of project is always a smart move and will minimize the time and effort needed if done well. Even something as seemingly simple as furniture removal and furniture disposal will go far smoother and easier with a plan and a strategy.

To that end, we put together this handy furniture removal checklist to provide a simple guide for your furniture disposal task.

The best part about planning your office furniture removal and disposal strategy is that you can include steps to ensure that you don't have to do all the work yourself.  Whether you are looking to get rid of old, broken down or unusable office furniture, or you're simply making room for the new office furniture you've purchased, it pays to have help.

And hiring a professional firm for removing and disposing of your old office furniture is both a practical approach and a smart fiscal move for your business.

Think of it: by having an expert team like Junk King come to both remove and haul away your old furniture and other unwanted equipment or junk, you save time and money. You and your staff can continue to work at what makes your business money without being taken away from those tasks with junk hauling.

In addition, leaving the work to the professionals means it will be done quickly, safely, and efficiently. Even in the age of COVID-19!

Your Best Choice for Green Office Furniture Disposal

At Junk King, being green is part of our company mission. We back that up by recycling, donating, or repurposing everything we possibly can. When it comes to furniture removal, we take the eco-friendly route by making sure the metal, plastics, and other materials are broken down and recycled properly.

And, if the item can be reused, Junk King will transfer it to a local donation center where it can find a new home. Furniture recycling isn't an easy task for most homeowners, but you have a furniture removal service take care of it for you. And most charities will charge a fee for large furniture pick-up.

And when you hire Junk King, you get professional junk haulers who know how to remove furniture without damaging your kitchen, floors, carpets, door frames, and driveway! Our trained and licensed crew even uses a fleet of biodiesel trucks for many of our jobs.

Experienced and Professional - and Ranked #1 in Customer Service!

You’ll love your experience with Junk King:

• Easy scheduling and on-time arrivals.
• A courtesy call about 15 minutes before we show up.
• Uniformed crews made up of trained, insured professionals.
• In-and-out with fast and thorough service.
• Straightforward estimates with no hidden fees

Whenever you need to dispose of an old sofa, mattress, dishwasher, trash compactor, or other household items, think of Junk King. Book online or call us today at 1.888.888.JUNK (5865) to get started with a free estimate for your old furniture removal.