Our story
The initiative that Perth and Kinross Council runs aims to divert surplus office/school furniture away from landfill by recycling where possible or offering to other agencies to re-use, recycle, salvage, or upcycle.
By maintaining a stock of furniture the initiative also gives the opportunity to check new furniture requests against available 'second hand' stock. Thus masking maximum use of surplus furniture and minimising the need to purchase new.
Storage is undertaken by a Council term contractor rather than using Council floorspace. The supplier has good links to the wider public and private sector therefore is ideally positioned to seek outlets for true surplus items.
The project has achieved savings in spend on furniture as well as diverting potential waste away from landfill.
Our advice
During the pandemic the project allowed the Council to provide a call-off service whereby staff working from home could request a cut down office desk (from stock) which would fit more easily into a domestic setting and thus allow for proper DSE home-working. Otherwise the option would have been costly and protracted ordering of new stock. The partner supplier was able to provide an on-demand delivery service. A great example of re-use and collaborative working whilst really looking after staff interests.
Our metrics
We can determine what stock is being re-used and also the amount of money spent on new furniture.
