How to recycle and dispose of your office desks

Does your office need a revamp and some new furniture? That’s all well and good, but what do you do with your old desks?

**Please Note – We do not buy used office furniture and cannot recycle your desks for you. The following article provides advice on possible ways that your furniture can be ethically and sustainably disposed of. 

Every office needs a bit of an update now and then. Whether your company is updating its branding, you’re moving to larger premises or you simply want to change the decor of your home office, there will come a time when you start looking for new workspace furniture.

But what do you do with your old furniture?

Often, people are so preoccupied with planning and designing their new office layout and decor that they don’t really consider what they are going to do with their old, unwanted furniture. 

Not considering this can mean that you’re left with loads of furniture to sort out when you new desks arrive, which can result in loads of storage being used up or rushing to find someone to take everything to the dump. 

As well as resulting in a lot of hassle, not knowing what to do with furniture that is no longer required can mean that you are left having to dispose of it in a less than sustainable manner. 

To help you figure out what the best option is for you, we’ve put together some suggestions that could help you get rid of your old office furniture ready to revamp your workspace. 

Sell your unwanted desks

If your office desks are still in usable condition but simply don’t work with your new workspace design, you might want to consider selling them. Furniture that doesn’t look tip-top but still has some life in it is sure to be helpful to someone and selling means it’s out of your way and you can recoup some of the costs of your office refurb.

There are now more ways than ever to sell office furniture – and anything else you have lying around – with eBay, Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree being just a few options. These allow you to sell desks individually – which is ideal if you have a small number to get rid of – or you might want to create office furniture sets. 

If selling your office desks seems like the best option, you should bear in mind a few things:

• You’ll need to take photos of each desk, including any wear and tear that needs to be mentioned. 
• You’ll need to ensure that desks are in good condition and are cleaned.
• You will need to decide whether to dismantle the desks for collection or make that the responsibility of the buyer. 
• You’ll have to decide on a fair pricing structure and how people can pay for the desks.
• You may need to set a collection date so you aren’t left without desks until your new ones arrive. 

If the idea of selling individual desks seems like too much bother, you might want to take a look at whether there are any companies in your area that will buy them in bulk. In this case, they will likely want matching furniture and you may need to arrange delivery or collection.

Donate your office furniture to charity

Don’t want to sell your desks? Donating them to charity could be a good option. There may well be groups, charities or organisations near your office tat will take office furniture, supplies and equipment, so it’s worth asking around. 

You may also find that there are suitable organisations online that you can donate to that allow registered charities and schools to benefit from it. It is worth asking around and seeing what donation options are available. 

If you can’t find a suitable charity in your area, you could still utilise Facebook and Gumtree by offering up your unwanted furniture for free, so long as people are able to collect. Either way, your desks will get more use and be used by someone who needs them.

Contact your local council

If you have damaged office furniture that isn’t suitable for donation or selling, you’ll need to find out how best to dispose of it. Your local council should be able to help you on this front, either by providing details of a commercial disposal service or with its own removal service. 

Whether you end up having to take your desks to a tip, get them collected by a waste removal company or have the council come to get them, you’ll probably have to pay a fee. In this case, it is a good idea to shop around and find the best cost so you can reduce your expenses as much as possible. 

Your new furniture

If you’re going through all the effort to get rid of your old desks and office furniture in a sustainable way, you definitely want to ensure that your new furniture is also ethical and sustainable.

All of our office desks and wooden furniture is made using FSC-certified wood, so you know that you can trust it. We also recycle all of our excess wood and materials, ensuring we’re as sustainable and green as we can be. 

Whether you want to order in bulk from our website or need a bespoke office designed, we work in an environmentally-friendly way. We also have a huge range of choice when it comes to desk types, styles, sizes and colour, so you can find exactly what you’re looking for. 

For further information on any of our products or services, give our customer service team a call on 0800 8044 760, or email help@bluespotfurniture.co.uk today.