Simple Swaps for a Zero Waste Office

Heather Stillufsen

If you work from home, make the effort to create a little office, even in a bedroom or spare room. You can buy desks that fit flush against the wall when not in use (better for your back and neck). Or use a portable laptop stand, which helps keep your bones in alignment, if you work at a kitchen table.

Use desk lamps with lifetime guarantees (these prevent light pollution and offer task lights, to help prevent birds flying into windows – also don’t face indoor foliage to outside gardens).

If you have office plants, know pet-toxic houseplants to avoid (sago palm, lilies etc). And remove if hot-desking with others.

Also read our post on zero waste cables and chargers.

Where to Buy Eco-Friendly Office Furniture

IKEA and many other stores sell leather-free swivel chairs and affordable desks made from sustainable wood. Or go to second-hand stores (there are many online) that offer used office furniture, to stop it going to landfill.

You can buy recycled office furniture from Reyooz. 80% of office furniture goes to landfill or is burned, when most is in good condition. You can donate unwanted office furniture to CollectEco, which passes it onto good causes.

Coggins SOS (Preston, the rainiest place in England) can collect and recycle office furniture, to sell on at low-cost to those who need it. If large council offices buy everything new, that’s money that could be spent on creating walkable communities and free social care etc.

And of course recycling has a much lower carbon footprint, and doesn’t chop down more lovely trees! You’ll also save 50% to 80% of costs. And avoid disposal fees at landfill.

Recycled Furniture is Always Better

As well as being cheaper, it avoids huge amounts of waste at landfill. In the UK, offices throw out around 1.2 million desks and 1.8 million chairs each year. The average cost of landfill disposal of such items is £80 to £120 per ton.

So if you have 10 tons of furniture to dispose of, that’s around £1000 easily in costs. Tougher environmental regulations means you may even have to pay more than that.

Visit this company’s learning centre to find out how to refurbish existing furniture, and how to choose sustainable office furniture, on a small budget. You’ll also find free downloads: