How does Recycle Scotland’s furniture brokerage service work?
Drew: We work with businesses who, for any number of reasons, have excess or redundant furniture. These businesses want to prioritise sustainability and circularity, ensuring their products stay in the economy for longer. We then match these businesses with others who are looking to buy sustainable, pre-used furniture as an alternative to buying new. Our consultative approach means that we find solutions that are truly circular, helping our customers assess their requirements and provide sustainable solutions. All logistics are handled by our team, from pickup and delivery to installation, making the process seamless and hassle-free.
What are the aims of the service?
Drew: The primary goal of the brokerage service is to proactively drive greater levels of direct reuse of furniture and other assets in the workplace. It eliminates double-handling, storage and transportation of assets. The rationale for creating this service is because there was a sense that the industry required a service that is clear, comprehensive and hassle-free, and allows businesses to transition from linear to circular procurement. It truly is a sustainable solution.
How does the service benefit its customers?
For the seller:
- You’re contributing to a circular economy. We reuse, recycle or re-engineer over 97% of the items we receive, meaning your excess furniture avoids landfill.
- You generate commercial value from your redundant furniture, offsetting clearance and procurement costs.
For the buyer(s):
- You’re embracing circularity, safe in the knowledge that your procurement methods are truly sustainable.
- Choosing quality, pre-used office furniture instead of buying new allows your business to reduce costs.
How do you guarantee the quality of the furniture items brokered through your service?
Drew: We begin by assessing the company’s inventory of redundant office furniture, which may include desks, chairs, cabinets, and other items that are no longer needed. We record the condition of each item to determine if it’s suitable for sale or if it requires reupholstering, repairs, cleaning, or re-engineering. If any items aren’t suitable for sale, we undertake the necessary work to make them so.
How does Recycle Scotland’s furniture brokerage service align with broader sustainability goals in Scotland?
Drew: Our brokerage service is closely linked to Scotland’s circular economy strategy. From the start, we’ve had guidance from Zero Waste Scotland and other bodies to ensure our service both aligns with this strategy and that there is a need in the market for this kind of service.
Scotland’s circular economy strategy aims to minimise waste generation and maximise the recovery of valuable materials. In line with this, the Scottish Government is developing a Recycling Route Map to push progress toward its targets. Reuse plays a significant part of that route map, which is exactly the Recycle Scotland business model.
