Office furniture and waste: Maximizing the lifecycle of your assets

Have you ever considered where your old office chair goes when replaced, or what happens to the desks from a downsized office? Unfortunately, a significant amount of office furniture ends up in landfills, contributing to a growing environmental challenge. According to 2018 EPA data, millions of tons of desks, chairs, and other office assets are discarded every year. 

This overlooked problem carries significant environmental and economic impacts, from consuming vast resources in manufacturing to leaching chemicals into our soil.

The good news? Innovative asset management strategies offer a powerful solution to this pervasive issue. By understanding the full asset lifecycle of your office furnishings—from procurement to disposal—businesses can make more informed decisions that extend lifespan, reduce waste, and even save costs.

Let’s dive into the journey of office furniture, exploring how strategic investment and proactive maintenance can transform your approach to office assets. 

The typical lifespan of common office furniture

The journey of office assets—from integration to decommissioning—is often shorter than you might guess. This makes it a significant yet often overlooked contributor to global waste. Businesses frequently cycle through furnishings due to upgrades, relocations, or perceived obsolescence, leading to a substantial volume of discarded items. Here’s how long you can expect some common office items to last:

• Office chairs: About 5-10 years. High-quality ergonomic chairs can last longer, closer to 10-15 years.
• Desks & workstations: About 10-15 years. Solid wood or metal frames often exceed this.
• Computers (desktops/laptops): About 3-5 years. This is due to rapid technological advancements.
• Monitors: 5-7 years
• Sofas/lounge seating: About 7-12 years, but it depends on the fabric and frame durability.
• Breakroom appliances (e.g., microwaves, coffee makers): 5-8 years
• Televisions/displays (for meeting rooms): 7-10 years

What is the environmental impact of office furniture waste?

The disposal of furniture assets poses a significant environmental burden. Annually, millions of tons of office furniture end up in landfills, with U.S. EPA data from 2018 showing over 80% of discarded furniture goes to landfills. 

This leads to an increased carbon footprint as materials slowly decompose and can leach harmful chemicals into soil and water, consuming valuable resources that could otherwise be recycled or reused.

Predicting asset longevity before investing

Maximizing the lifespan of your office furniture begins long before a purchase order is placed. You need to look beyond the initial price tag to predict how long an asset will truly serve your needs and its total cost of ownership. By carefully evaluating these key factors during the acquisition phase, the decision-making process gets a whole lot easier:

• Prioritize quality and durability: Invest in furniture constructed from robust, high-quality materials designed for commercial use. Look for solid wood, durable metals, and commercial-grade fabrics capable of withstanding daily wear and tear. The cheaper you go, the shorter the lifespan will likely be, leading to more frequent replacements and increased waste.
• Consider modularity and adaptability: Look for modular office furniture that can be easily reused, expanded, or repurposed as your workplace needs evolve. Furniture that can adapt to different layouts or functions (e.g., desks that convert from individual workstations to collaborative tables) inherently offers greater longevity than rigid, single-purpose pieces.
• Evaluate manufacturer warranties and certifications: A strong warranty signals a manufacturer’s confidence in their product’s durability. Additionally, look for certifications (e.g., BIFMA, GREENGUARD) that indicate quality construction, responsible sourcing, and often a longer expected product life.
• Assess repairability and replaceable components: Furniture designed with repairability in mind or with easily replaceable components (like chair casters, armrests, or desk surfaces), can be maintained and extended rather than discarded entirely when a single part fails.
• Research sustainable sourcing: Consider ways to contribute to sustainability, such as using refurbished furniture, sustainably harvested wood, or take-back programs. Eco-friendly companies often produce furniture designed for longevity and circularity, aligning with waste reduction goals.

How to optimize asset lifecycle management to reduce office waste

Assuming you’ve done adequate research into the new furniture you bring in, the next step is to prepare for ongoing maintenance and asset tracking. Your job isn’t over once the furniture is purchased—it’s only the beginning. Preventative maintenance is crucial for extending the utility of your assets, reducing the need for premature replacements, and minimizing your environmental footprint. Here are ways to get the most out of your asset performance:

Invest in precise inventory tracking

Knowing exactly what assets you possess, where they are located, and their current condition is fundamental to effective management. Without precise inventory tracking, valuable office assets can become “lost” or underutilized, leading to unnecessary new purchases. A centralized digital system allows FMs to maintain a real-time record of every item, so you can keep an eye on every asset, all the time. 

Learn about OfficeSpace Assets: a new way to track every item in your office.

This includes details like purchase date, warranty information, location, and assigned user, providing the visibility needed to make informed decisions about allocation, maintenance, and eventual disposal. Accurate tracking is the bedrock for optimizing your equipment lifecycle.

Implement proactive maintenance strategies

Why wait until your furniture breaks down to repair or replace it? This can often be even less cost-effective than simply planning recurring inspections. Shifting from a reactive “fix-it-when-it-breaks” approach to proactive maintenance is crucial for extending the utility of your assets and preventing premature disposal. 

So what does this look like? This could involve: 

• Regularly scheduled cleaning (air ducts or desktops)
• Timely repairs of minor issues instead of waiting for a major issue (laggy computer)
• Routine servicing of mechanical components (like chair mechanisms or adjustable desk motors). 

Learn about OfficeSpace’s new preventative maintenance software and ensure your assets stay up and running for the long haul.

By addressing wear and tear before it escalates, you not only extend the lifespan of your valuable furnishings but also ensure they remain functional, comfortable, and aesthetically pleasing for longer. 

Consider repurposing or refurbishing your current furniture

Even when office furniture shows signs of age or no longer fits its original purpose, its journey doesn’t have to end at a landfill. Repurposing and refurbishment are powerful strategies for extending the asset lifecycle and significantly reducing furniture waste. 

• Repurposing involves adapting an item for a new function within the office (e.g., a large desk becoming a collaborative workstation). 
• Refurbishment means restoring an item to a “like-new” condition through reupholstering, repainting, or replacing worn components. 

These approaches not only save money compared to purchasing new furniture but also align with sustainability goals by diverting usable items from disposal and conserving the resources required for new manufacturing.

Extend your asset value with OfficeSpace

It’s hard enough to manage the lifecycles of your office furniture, so manual methods and fragmented data make it nearly impossible to gain impactful insights. Thankfully, you no longer have to do it alone.

OfficeSpace’s asset management capabilities provide the comprehensive solution businesses need to move from reactive disposal to proactive, sustainable asset optimization. Our platform empowers you to:

• Precisely track lifecycles and depreciation – no more guesswork
• Proactively schedule maintenance
• Provide data for informed decisions in real-time
• Optimize your furniture inventory

With OfficeSpace, you transform your approach to office assets, ensuring they serve your business longer, more efficiently, and with a significantly smaller environmental footprint. 

Interested in learning more? OfficeSpace Assets launches June 24th. Sign up to save your place in line.