To further put circular economy principles into practice, Yarra Valley Water has launched a new sustainability scheme to give its office chairs a second life.
The new refurbishment program is designed to keep these chairs out of landfill, thereby saving money and reducing waste.
Yarra Valley Water Chief Financial Officer, Natalie Foeng, said the organisation looks at opportunities, both big and small, to fully embrace the circular economy.
“Once an office chair is thrown out, it’s a lost opportunity. By refurbishing office chairs instead of disposing of them, we’re saving money and reducing waste,” Ms Foeng said.
“This relatively simple action is one of many we’re taking as part of our commitment to waste reduction, reuse and embracing the circular economy.
“Whether it’s recycling end-of-life uniforms, using recycled glass in construction, or diverting food waste from landfill to create renewable energy, we’re looking at every opportunity to lead the way in achieving better environmental outcomes.”
In the first stage of this office waste reduction action, Yarra Valley Water has diverted 50 office chairs from landfill through the ‘Second Life’ program, with the potential for another 200 to be refurbished in the coming years.
Haworth Australia Managing Director, Brendan Bruce, said he was delighted that Yarra Valley Water is the first Australian business to join Haworth’s innovative Second Life seat refurbishment program.
“We are proud that Yarra Valley Water has chosen Haworth. This partnership showcases that refurbishing high-quality office furniture is not only commercially viable but also environmentally beneficial. Thanks to Haworth’s full warranty, Yarra Valley Water’s seating has truly been given a second life,” Mr Bruce said.
Yarra Valley Water Facilities Manager, Adam Smith, said the decision to sign up to the refurbishment program made economic and environmental sense.
“We expect to be able to refurbish all chairs out of warranty in coming years, saving around 20 per cent compared to buying new,” Mr Smith said.
“We don’t need to throw old chairs out and get the same warranty as a brand-new chair, which gives us security and peace of mind while reducing needless waste.”
According to the Federal Government, in 2022 Australia discarded 30t of commercial and office furniture, 95 per cent of which ended up in landfill.1
- Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment & Water, National Product Stewardship Investment Fund Fact Sheet 2022 – Designing out waste for commercial furniture and furnishings – Furniture 360
