Particleboard desks, grey cubicle walls, ergonomic chairs on wheels — most workplace furniture is so utilitarian and banal that we don’t give it a second thought. Once it’s run its useful life, most companies don’t give it a second thought either. Up to 8.5 million tons of office assets end up in U.S. landfills every year, according to estimates based on Environmental Protection Agency data. But one Toronto-based company is thinking about your office furniture. Green Standards Ltd.’s mission is to divert as much from landfills as possible by offering corporations the chance to resell, recycle and donate their old furniture, equipment and office supplies. “In Canada and the United States, the purchase of new office furniture is in the realm of a $10-billion-a-year industry, so the amount of churn is exceptional, and for the most part it’s always been considered a waste stream,” said Richard Beaumont, vice-president of strategic accounts at Green Standards.

“Through resale, metal recycling and charitable donations we, on average, divert just under 99 per cent from landfills by weight.” In its current iteration, Green Standards is relatively new. Today’s management team got involved in 2009 and immediately started to build the original company — which had three employees and acted as a middleman between furniture donors and recipients — into a much larger operation, with a continent-wide network of charitable organizations, resellers and recyclers.wedding chair covers rochester ny “We saw that this kernel of a grassroots idea could really operate at scale and fit with large-scale organizations,” Beaumont said.french script chair revenge Since then, Green Standards has partnered with the likes of Telus Corp., Enbridge Inc. and Adobe Systems Inc. to divert nearly 28,000 tons of material from landfill and generate over $18 million of in-kind donations to charities and non-profits in Canada and the United States. tub chairs for sale perth wa

Revenue has risen nearly 500 per cent in five years. Last month, Green Standards announced a partnership with General Motors Co., one of its biggest clients yet. Over the next two years, GM will undertake a major renovation and redesign of its global headquarters in Detroit, its Technical Center in Warren, Mich., and its Proving Ground in Milford, Mich., a project that will affect approximately 21,000 employees. Working with Green Standards and furniture-maker Herman Miller Inc., GM estimates it will divert more than 2,000 tons of material from landfills and will donate $1 million worth of furniture and equipment to dozens of Michigan-based community organizations, including a high school and an urban farm in Detroit.chair cover rentals in akron ohio Green Standards’ services can cost more than a junk-removal company’s, but for a business that’s trying to burnish its reputation for corporate social responsibility, it’s worth it.la z boy daphne chair and a half

“It certainly is something that takes more time and more money, but it doesn’t take that much more time and that much more money,” said Candice Messing, manager of facilities projects at GM. “When given the choice, we would absolutely choose to do the most good with the products.” Green Standards charges a program management fee that Beaumont said is comparable to the tipping fees charged by landfills. Revenue that’s generated from resale or recycling goes back to the customer to offset their costs.where to buy maclaren pushchair The company also offers “detailed and transparent reporting” about where a customer’s furniture, equipment and office supplies end up, including a list of the charities and non-profits that benefitted.rio beach chair canopy “It’s the most impressive representation that I’ve seen,” Messing said, “and certainly something that we were excited to be able to share internally and externally.”swivel chair sale malaysia

Green Standards now has 24 full-time employees plus a large network of subcontractors across North America. Growth will moderate as the company matures, but Beaumont is optimistic that customers like GM will attract more big clients to Green Standards. “We’re really looking at something in its infancy,” he said. “What we’re seeing now is the early adopters, the organizations that are trend-setters. They’re leading the way.”Newton Aycliffe Desk Chair Product Type: Desk Chairtable and chair rentals union county nj Overall: 22.75'' W x 24'' D Seat: 17'' D x 16.5'' W Adjustable Seat Height: Yes Overall: 24.49'' W x 24.92'' D Upholstery Material: Polyester/Polyester blend; Annabell Mid-Back Desk Chair Overall: 23.5'' W x 25.5'' D Seat: 18'' D x 18.25'' W More Options: Color » Vegan Leather Desk Chair Overall: 22.23'' W x 23.4'' D

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