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Furniture 4 Reuse refurbishes over 500 office chairs

20 Mar 2019

Local charities, schools and youth groups, as well as the University benefits

Furniture 4 Reuse refurbishes over 500 office chairs

The University has reached the landmark of renovating over 500 office chairs. As part of Furniture 4 Reuse, the University’s recycling centre for surplus furniture, 560 task/swivel chairs have been refurbished since May 2016 at an estimated saving of over £36,000.

Chairs arriving at the centre in an unusable condition are sent to be refurbished for a fee of £35 - £45 per chair. These are then available to all staff to purchase at the cost of refurbishment, with no profit made on the chairs. 

The day-to-day running of Furniture 4 Reuse is led by Simon Atkinson, Waste Co-ordinator, and Alan Wright, who work to redistribute and reuse high-quality used furniture, ranging from desks and cupboards, to shelves and pedestals. The beneficiaries of the furniture are both across campus and beyond, with a plethora of local charities, schools and youth groups supported.  

The facility plays a significant role in both waste and financial savings, whilst giving furniture a another lease of life. Annual figures for the 2017/18 academic year totalled waste savings of 180 tonnes and potential financial savings of over £410,000.

You can visit the furniture store Monday – Friday between 1:00pm and 3:00pm. Alan Wright is the contact at the store between these times (mobile: 07584 141009). 

Find about the University’s furniture schemes.