Featured Article

Keeping Old Furniture Out of The Landfill
After a Move
By Cathy St. Onge
As published in the Boston Business Journal

When a company is coming to the end of a construction and relocation project, the disposition of the existing space can be a micro-project in itself.

Disposing of assets such as furniture, fixtures and equipment in an environmentally friendly way is an important consideration for many companies. This process often takes place after a company has exited its former space, which leads to quick deadlines if the building landlord has already scheduled the next tenant to move into the space. If a solid, strategic plan is developed at the project commencement and integrated into the overall schedule, disposition can be accomplished in as little as one week.

Today, there is more focus than ever before on environmentally friendly disposal of furniture. So, how can a project manager employ best practices for the disposal of furniture? This process should begin three months before the relocation date with the creation of a request for proposal to pre-qualify vendors with the necessary expertise and knowledge in the disposition of furniture, fixtures and equipment.

Because environmental intelligence has grown exponentially, there are many companies offering "after use" strategies. A number of furniture manufacturers have partnership networks that provide end-of-use alternatives to landfills. Other companies focus on furniture liquidation and refurbishment. And some furniture installation companies may also have disposition processes in place to lessen environmental impact. Among the options companies use are donation to a nonprofit agency, recycling with the goal of reducing waste, resale to another business and refurbishment for client reuse.

E-waste, the new buzzword for discarded computers and other consumer electronics, is currently the fastest-growing portion of the waste stream due to increasing sales and rapid obsolescence of electronic technology. Companies specializing in IT asset recovery are vital partners in managing the proper means of electronics disposal as environmental and privacy protection concerns grow. It is against the law for most U.S. businesses to place electronics in the trash. Environmental toxic waste regulations require that organizations manage their old IT equipment in a manner that ensures the proper security, tracking and disposal methods are being met.

Interestingly, some vendors have developed IT asset disposal protocols similar to furniture disposal. Equipment is tested to determine functionality and, if necessary, repaired for reusability. Donations or re-deployment to other areas of the company are other possible solutions to be considered. Lastly, obsolete equipment can be deconstructed for recycling or cannibalized for parts.

The disposition RFP should contain such information as:

• What is the vendor's recycling process?
• Where does the product go for disassembly?
• Knowledge of regulations concerning electronic data destruction and proper paperwork compliance and reporting practices according to applicable state and federal policies.

Once the vendors have submitted their qualifications, an interview process will assess the vendors' fit with your company's environmental objectives, and potential for a long-term partnership above and beyond the disposition. Following the selection process, the awarded vendor(s) will conduct detailed walkthroughs to document existing conditions and create a disposal strategy for implementation.

Many vendors offer onsite employee training to encourage a consistent approach to environmentalism. Educating personnel is critical during the disposition process. Recycling practices and simple packing instructions reduce the amount of trash to be disposed and save the company money in additional cleaning expense. Employees beginning to purge old files and paperwork should have recycling and shredding bins conveniently located and emptied in an expedient manner.

Disposing of company assets in this way can present itself in the tangible forms of positive public relations and may even facilitate the prevention of hefty regulatory fines, lawsuits and negative press due to proprietary, confidential data that was not properly destroyed. The intangibles are simple and worth the cost of implementing the disposition, including increasing company morale, educating employees, satisfying state and federal regulations and keeping our environment safe for future generations.

Catherine St. Onge is a strategic project planner with Fort Point Project Management, a Boston-based provider of real estate project management and relocation planning services.