Half of firms are still sending unwanted office furniture to landfill

Half of UK organisations are still sending unwanted office furniture to landfill despite widespread (and apparently misplaced) confidence in their sustainability credentials, according to a new report from Business Moves Group. The findings highlight a significant gap between intent and practice in the way companies manage furniture during office moves, refurbishments and wider workplace change The white paper, Furniture futures: sustainable strategies for better workplaces [registration], is based on a survey of 250 facilities and office management professionals across the UK.

While 86 percent of respondents describe their current furniture management approach as very or somewhat sustainable, half admit that disposal as general waste remains a common method for dealing with unwanted items. The report estimates that offices across the UK send around 300 tonnes of furniture to landfill every working day, with up to 1.2 million desks and 1.8 million office chairs discarded each year.

The research also suggests that organisational size plays a role in how furniture is managed. Companies with lower annual revenues are less likely to have a formalised furniture management strategy and more likely to prioritise cost over sustainability. Among organisations with revenues under £10 million, only around two thirds report having a defined approach to furniture management, compared with more than four fifths of larger firms.

Storage practices emerged as another area of concern. On average, unused office furniture is kept in storage for more than eight months, with some organisations holding items for several years. Facilities managers estimate that more than 40 percent of stored furniture could realistically be reused within their organisations, suggesting missed opportunities to reduce both waste and storage costs.

Despite these challenges, the report points to strong support for more sustainable approaches. Almost nine in ten respondents agreed that furniture management should include explicit sustainability requirements, and more than half said they would welcome external support to help develop policies, audit assets or improve their overall strategy.

The white paper sets out a series of recommended actions, including regular audits of furniture assets, clearer procurement policies aligned with ESG goals, annual targets for waste reduction and a stronger emphasis on reuse, refurbishment and donation before recycling or disposal. Case studies included in the report demonstrate how early planning and better visibility of assets can significantly reduce landfill waste while delivering cost savings and social value.

Rachel Houghton, managing director at Business Moves Group, says the findings show a clear willingness to improve, alongside practical barriers that need to be addressed. She argues that treating furniture management as a core part of workplace and sustainability strategy, rather than an operational afterthought, can deliver tangible benefits for organisations and the environment.