No time to waste

In the UK, landfill is no longer the easy option for waste disposal, being in short supply and increasingly expensive, but this challenge is inspiring brilliant ideas to rethink the nation’s throw-away attitudes.

Just 17 per cent of household waste is recycled in the UK, according to the most recent figures (2003-4), compared to 50 per cent in countries such as Austria and Belgium. The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs describes the UK as the ‘poor relation’ among European countries in terms of recycling and reuse.

More worryingly, for every tonne of household waste produced, commerce and industry produces six tonnes, with less than half recycled. The opportunity for businesses to meet the landfill challenge is therefore substantial.

This is where Green-Works comes in. It is a small charity and social enterprise that has made a big dent in the potential waste mountain, diverting more than 60,000 tonnes of redundant office furniture away from landfill since 2002.

Colin Crooks, Green-Works Chief Executive says, “There is no such thing as waste; our passion is turning redundant furniture into an asset. All the furniture we recover is reused, remanufactured or recycled - whatever its condition.

"As a result, schools, charities, community groups and small businesses get access to a continuous source of affordable, quality furniture.”

Where value beats price

Crooks accepts there is a small price premium to not using landfill, but believes the companies involved always see the bigger picture.

He says: “While it is often a sensible decision for companies to buy new during office moves and refurbishments, putting the replaced materials in landfill would look extremely poor in terms of social and environmental responsibility. Our clients always believe it is an acceptable price differential for the significant benefit they receive in reputational value.”

Quality is a priority for Green-Works, with the aim being as good as new, so that a rejuvenated desk for example is expected to have five to 15 years further working life. The organisation has even developed its own computer-controlled joinery system to systematically remanufacture large desks, no longer popular in an age of flat screens and expensive office space, into new smaller desk sizes.

Crooks adds: “We even take heaters, fans and desk lights and get them tested by our trained staff. What we can't revamp, we break down for recycling and donations to design projects.”

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