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A second life for used office furniture: Investigating the potential of a brokerage service for second-hand furniture

Research description:
Across the EU, 10 million tonnes of furniture (or 80-90% of all products sold) end up in landfill or is incinerated every year. In the UK alone, this includes 1.8m office chairs and 1.2 million desks that are sent to be broken down for recycling, landfill or incineration. (EEB 2017; WRAP 2011).
 
Zero Waste Scotland and Ricardo Energy & Environment are working together to research the furniture procurement and disposal habits of businesses to map the potential for more circular alternatives. 
 
In particular, we would like to explore the challenges facing the reuse of office furniture and whether there is appetite for a brokerage system that connects companies wishing to buy furniture for new fit outs, with companies wishing to dispose of their "used" assets. The ambition is to become more proactive in driving greater levels of direct reuse of furniture and other assets as a first option, with a long-term view to prevent materials being sent to landfill.

This survey should take about five minutes to complete. Thank you for your time.

Disclaimer:
The purpose of this survey is to support a scoping study that investigates the feasibility of promoting second-life furniture procurement. The study is being conducted by Ricardo Energy & Environment, on behalf of not-for-profit partner funding organisations to understand what barriers to adoption industry may face in introducing second-life furniture procurement. This survey is anonymous and does not require respondents to provide any personal or sensitive information. The information collected from the survey will be used to inform the scoping study Ricardo Energy & Environment are delivering. A summary of the findings may be disclosed to partner organisations upon request.

Resources: 
Benefits of resuse office furniture (WRAP, 2011), 4-5. 
Circular Economy Opportunities for the Furniture sector (EEB, 2017), 12.

 
      
 
1. In your company, how concerned are you about office furniture waste?
2. Have you taken steps to reduce office furniture waste?
4. "A circular economy is part of the solution to our global climate emergency - one in which products, services and systems are designed to maximise their value and minimise waste. ​It’s an all-encompassing approach to life and business, where everything has value and nothing is wasted. In simple terms, it can be explained as 'make, use, remake' as opposed to 'make, use, dispose'"

Resources: What is the circular economy? (Zero Waste Scotland)

On a scale of 1 to 5, how important is the circular economy to the way you acquire furniture?
Not important
Important
Very important
5. Which of the following disposal routes do you currently use for your used furniture?
6. Which of the following is most important when choosing a disposal route for your used furniture?
7. How far in advance do you start planning for ways to dispose of your used  furniture?
8. To extend the lifespan of your used furniture and become more sustainable, would you be interested in using a brokerage service to find another owner for your used furniture?
9. If yes, what would be the main driver for you to use this service?
9. If yes, when would you start using this type of service?
9. Would you be willing to wait for your used furniture to be removed if it would mean that it is reused in a sustainable manner?
10. If yes, how long are you willing to wait?
10. Which of the following procurement routes do you usually use to procure furniture?
11. Which of the following is most important when choosing a procurement route for your furniture?
12. How far in advance do you start the process for procuring furniture?
13. Would you be interested in using a brokerage service to procure second-hand, refurbished or remanufactured furniture in a sustainable way?
14. If yes, what would be the main driver for you to use this service?
14. If yes, when would you start using this service?
14. Would you be willing to wait for furniture to become available if means it is sourced in a more sustainable way?
15. If yes, how long are you willing to wait?
19. How many employees does your company have? *This question is required.
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