Office refresh projects are multi-step processes. While the prospect of installing your new furniture is exciting, disposing of your previous items is a necessary first step. Whether you are moving into a brand new office in Brooklyn or reimagining your current Manhattan space, you’ll need to unload your old furniture so you’re not overpaying for storage, cramming excess into your new space, or scrambling at the last minute to get rid of old pieces before the project deadline.
In New York City, it may be tempting to just throw your old furniture out on the curb, but this method isn’t typically the best option for large-scale disposals, as city sanitation enforcers will levy fines if you exceed the weight/volume limits, obstruct the sidewalk, dump illegally, or otherwise contribute to litter on the streets.
Understanding the NYC office furniture disposal process is half the battle of planning it. We’ve compiled a few options to help you decide the best practices for your business.
New York City businesses have a few options for furniture disposal – you can donate, liquidate, or reuse old pieces.
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Office Furniture Disposal in New York City |
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Method |
Pros/Cons |
Best For |
How to Get Started |
| 1. Donate |
Pros:
Cons:
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Companies with the time to coordinate pick up/drop off and those interested in making a positive impact in their communities. |
The first step is to figure out what you want to donate. That will guide your decision about where to donate. Once you’ve chosen an organization, you’ll need to schedule a pick-up or drop-off of the furniture, depending on their policies. |
| 2. Liquidate |
Pros:
Cons:
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Companies looking to extract value and/or responsibly dispose of their unwanted items. |
Meet with a furniture dealer, project manager, or asset decommissioning specialist to review your inventory and identify which items can be sold, donated, or recycled responsibly. |
| 3. Reuse |
Pros:
Cons:
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Companies maintaining additional office spaces with various furniture needs. |
Consider your current furniture. Are any pieces in good shape or reusable? And don’t let a few bumps and scrapes deter you – with a little TLC, most office furniture can be repurposed beautifully. |
Office furniture donation takes many forms. Figuring out the best organization to donate to depends on the items you are donating. Every organization varies in what kind of office furniture they will accept and how much lead time they need to make space for your items. For example, Green Drop provides free pick-up services and a receipt for tax write-offs, but they don’t accept electronics or furniture heavier than 50 pounds, so you can’t drop off old office computers or that disintegrating sofa that’s been sitting in the break room forever. The Salvation Army, on the other hand, has fewer restrictions, but it’s worth noting that they may sell the items for their own profit.
Donation can be an excellent option if your furniture is in great condition and you want to give back to your community – maybe a struggling start-up or non-profit could make great use of your old stuff. However, donation can place additional strain on office managers or moving coordinators who may not have the time to research donation options, confirm your items are accepted, and schedule pick-ups or organize drop-offs.
Furniture liquidators look at your project from all angles, so they use a variety of methods to ensure you get the most out of your unwanted goods. This method can be great if you don’t have the lead time to coordinate office furniture disposal on your own time.
Professional furniture liquidators will use a combination of donating, scrapping, and selling items to avoid the negative impact of overloaded landfills. Selling your old office furniture can be the best option if items have a lot of life left in them and may hold some value. However, the process can vary depending on your selected avenue to liquidation, the size of your project, and the type of items you’re dealing with.
For example, some liquidators may donate, scrap, or re-sell on your behalf and keep the profit. Others may work more like consignment shops, where they’ll take a portion of the profit. Either way, it’s important to understand the terms of liquidation before assuming anything about the process. Liquidation services are highly dependent on your project, so make sure you understand how they intend to dispose of your items if that is important to you.
You may consider liquidation if your old furniture still holds value, especially high-quality, bulk furnishings that are still in style. You can get an idea of the market for your furniture by consulting with furniture appraisers or asking your furniture dealer if they offer liquidation under their project management services.
Before you throw out your old office furniture, it may be worth taking an inventory of your existing furnishings and considering methods for repurposing items in your new office space. You can even refinish your old office furniture with new upholstery or complementary pieces that allow you to see it in a new light.
We recommend this option for large-scale offices with several different spaces. While your leather couch may not work in its current home, it may perfectly complete a different reception area. Or, with some careful reupholstering, it may transform the space into something new.
Reusing or repurposing furniture can also take financial pressure off small organizations that need to make the most impact on a smaller budget. Integrating furniture you already own can put you in a much better position to maximize your budget in high-priority components of your new space. Plus, under consumption is great for the environment, and environmental responsibility never goes out of style.
If you are working with a furniture procurement company to outfit your new office, you may have access to additional resources. At Benhar Office Interiors, we’re here to support our clients through every step of furnishing their ideal office space, including office furniture disposal. Our holistic approach considers the challenges of unloading old office furniture to make room for new pieces. When you work with us, we ensure your items are donated to organizations that benefit from them, sell items that may still hold value, and properly dispose of anything that can’t be reused.
This option blends the best parts of all New York City office furniture disposal options without requiring you to bear the brunt of the burden. Because every office redesign project is different, there is no one-size-fits-all disposal option, and it can be tedious to coordinate multiple efforts simultaneously. Our experts have the resources to take furniture disposal off your plate, so you can focus on a smooth transition into your new space.
Interested in learning more about our office furniture disposal and management services? Schedule a call with our team to discuss your project in depth.