A recycling initiative launched by Hertfordshire office design company Officeworks is set to reduce the amount of furniture going to landfill.

The ‘new homes for old furniture’ scheme is the brainchild of Tim Hanwell, a local osteopath and partner in the Berkhamsted-based firm.

Often when companies purchase new office furniture, old desks, chairs and carpets are disposed of. This can result in items going to landfill, when with a bit of care and attention they could be recycled instead. But Officeworks – which provides office design, fit-outs and refurbishments to local businesses – is keen to avoid this happening wherever possible.

Tim explained: “With domestic waste, it’s easy to take a few items to a local recycling centre. But some of the businesses we work with have a lot of bulky furniture to dispose of.

“These items may be uncomfortable or unsuitable for our customers’ needs, but that doesn’t mean they’ve completely outlived their usefulness. And as responsible businesses, the last thing any of us wants is to increase landfill disposals unnecessarily.

“So we’re now offering every customer the option to have old furniture removed as part of any office refurbishment or fit-out work. We’ll collect the items and deliver them to a reputable recycling centre on the customer’s behalf, saving them considerable time and hassle.”

Officeworks combines specialist workplace safety and human anatomy experience with the design and layout expertise of international retail consultancy Shopworks. The company designs office environments that focus on staff health, wellbeing and increasing productivity.