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"EPA estimates that businesses discard approximately 2.9 million
tons of furniture and furnishings in 1995 (Characterization of municipal
Solid Waste in the united States. 1996 Update) Given a 1995 national
average tipping fee of about $32 per ton ( Solid Waste Digest), the
potential avoided disposal costs of 493.million" - EPA Waste Wi$e
Update
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Based on a survey of PFRF (Office Furniture Recyclers Forum)
members, their sales of recycled furniture are $1.2 billion, which
represents 9% of the commercial industry.
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Recycled office furniture has a recovery content of about 86%. This
includes recycled wood, metal, plastic, fabrics, paint, laminates, and
cardboard., (The EPA's recommended content levels for plastic desktop
accessories in 25-80% post consumer material and 30% for paper and paper
products.)
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Quality: Remanufacturing and
refurbishing restore worn out office furniture to "like new" condition.
Warranties have been included on recycled office furniture, which allow
products to compete with new office furniture and add to the value
of recycled office furniture. The OFR has publishes standards for
recycled office furniture to help increase its quality and acceptance in
the marketplace.
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Availability: Recycled office furniture is often more
readily available most part, than new because, for the
product is already made. This fact enables the recycler to provide short
lead times, usually only four to six weeks.
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Prices:
Prices of recycled office
furniture typically range from 255 to 75% less than new furniture! The conservation of energy and natural resources result in recycled office furniture that is remanufacture at lower coats
than manufacturing new.
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Conserving Natural Resources: Office furniture recycling
reduces the exploitation of limited natural resources by extending the
lives of resources in circulation. Natural resources, such as wood and
aluminum, as well as steel, plastics, and fiber, may reused over and
over to the fullest extent possible.
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Solid Waste Stream Reduction:
By recycling office furniture, the products as well as the natural
resources are diverted from the solid waste stream. For example, fabrics
on panel systems tend to wear out and the colors become outdates. By
remanufacturing , the fabrics can be replaced and the office furniture
returned to the market for a second life. Recycling results in fewer
products filling up the limited landfill space.
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Energy Conservation: Recycling
Conservation: Recycling office furniture conserves labor and
manufacturing energy. Labor energy is conserved in post-consumer product
because the amount of labor required altering an existing product.
Manufacturing energy is conserved when metals are kept out if the the
melting process as well as in other manufacturing processes.
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Air Pollution: Recycling reduces the pollution caused by the manufacturing process. Carbon monoxide (CO)
carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur oxides (SOχ),
nitrous oxides (NOχ), volatile organic
compounds (VOCs), and particulate matter are all reduced by recycling
office furniture. By reducing the amounts of the contaminants, global
warming, acid rain, photochemical smog, and other forms of air pollution
are also reduced.
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Remanufacturing is the ultimate form of
recycling. It provides both societal benefits and added value to
products. Remanufacturing conserves natural resources, reduces the
amount of products filling landfill, and saves manufacturing and labor
energy while adding value to the post-consumer product. Remanufactured
office furniture is stripped to its bare parts, reassembled, and made to
resemble a new product-all at lower costs!
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