Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
I'm here at the Admin Center, Inc., a company that practices the 3 R's. Reduce, reuse, and recycle.
One of the best examples of their efforts to be green are these office cubicles.
These cubicles were all purchased from a Milwaukee based company called Office Furniture Resources.
They help companies liquidate their inventory and then re-sell the used and sometimes refurbished
office cubicles and furniture. What caught Admin Center's attention was their motto:
"Saving the planet one chair at a time".
Office Furniture Resources has stopped over workstations from going to the landfill.
These cubicles are structurally sound and built to last. So, why throw them away?
Reused cubicles often come from companies that have gone out of business or are renovating their office.
Most of the time, they're discarded because the design or color doesn't match the scheme of the new office renovation .
Throwing stations into landfill would have been a terrible waste.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 3 million tons of office
furniture is thrown out per-year. Reusing just 40 cubicles can divert one tractor-trailer
load of furniture from the landfill.
Reusing office furniture reduces pollution emitted in to the air from new manufacturing.
By reducing the amounts of these contaminants, global warming, acid rain,
photochemical smog, and other forms of air pollution are reduced.
Reuse also saves enormous amounts of energy needed to produce new cubicles.
The metal (which forms the inner structure of cubicles) is kept out of the smelting process.
Simply put, purchasing pre-owned cubicles is great for the environment. And another
perk of reuse is the cost. The pre-owned cubicles fit well into the company's space
and color scheme and cost the Admin Center 75% less than if they purchased new ones.
Hey...these look practically new to me!
To learn more green building tips and ideas, log on to www.greenbuildtv.com.