Compiled by Facility Executive
From the October 2024 Issue
A 2023 report found 90% of office workers believe a sustainable workplace is good for both people and the planet, with 34% rating a sustainable office a “must-have.” Incorporating sustainability into office design reduces the environmental impact of a building and helps the company build a positive brand image.
In the facility management world, when it comes to sustainability, there’s a significant focus on improving energy efficiency through updated HVAC systems, LED lighting, and other building operation systems. Another key focus area is how office furniture can make a difference for a business’s environmental impact. Facilities have to recognize that critical mass-produced, and short-lived items, are only going to be diverted into landfills, further polluting the earth.
A Financial Times panel discussion during Climate Week in New York City hosted by JLL and Carrier highlighted that circularity will continue to play a more important role in sustainability. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines the circular economy as a supply chain that keeps materials in circulation for as long as possible. One expert believes that the market will be demanding product circularity in the next few years. Zero-waste policies will also be coming to the forefront — making how facilities approach end-of-use products differently.
Celebrating Circularity
The Re-X Before Recycling Prize, which awards over $5 million in federal funding and technical assistance from the U.S. Department of Energy, aims to discover new or expanded supply chains that can reintegrate end-of-use products into the economy before recycling. Its goal is to stimulate innovation into the circular economy.
Davies Office, as part of Gen7, a group focused on the path forward for the next seven generations, added a submission that made it to Phase 1 and is currently submitting for Phase 2. Gen 7, which includes RIT, Seneca Holdings, and One Boat Collaborative, aims “to expand the office furniture Re-X supply chain as a ‘Workspace as a Service’ model, enabled by AI and Native American-owned enterprises.”
If companies don’t have much capital, the workplace as a service model offers a solution. Facilities can pay for the time they’re using the furniture; they don’t need to worry if they need to downsize. Davies Office already built the model–but with additional resources, Gen7 can expand on the existing remanufactured office furniture supply chain. This will create jobs, support Native American businesses, get tons of materials diverted from landfills, and avoid tons of CO2 emissions.
“For us, sustainability is all tied to generational impact,” said Stan Fleming, President of Seneca Nation Group, Seneca Holdings LLC in a video submission for this project. Gen7 aims to build a circular economy framework for office furniture at the national level. In a video submission, the Gen7 team said “An office chair is exactly where we think a sustainable future can start.”
The Impact Of Office Trends
For Davies Office, sustainability is built into the company’s DNA. The remanufacturer set out to create a solution in the furniture industry to support the circular economy, and now 55 years later, the company continues to deliver on that promise.
“The goal is to reduce waste and retain product value,” says Bill Davies, Vice President of Davies Office. In addition to sustainability, the company prioritizes creating comfortable and stylish designs.
“It’s got to look good, and it’s got to be efficient,” says Davies. By remanufacturing furniture through parts of different brands, Davies Office provided the durable, stylish products companies come to expect from new furniture.
As an industry expert, Davies is well-versed in some of the furniture industries latest trends. When it comes to artificial intelligence, and it’s potential to take over furniture manufacturing roles, Davies believes production teams will still be critical team members.
But, he acknowledges that the built environment is changing — and that as many companies call workers back into the office full-time like Amazon announced earlier this year, many are still figuring out the balance with hybrid schedules. Some strategies facility management teams have set up hoteling schedules; this can be tricky when employees want to come into the office on the same day — creating a potential backlog in available space. Although the cubicle had gone out of style to make way for new, open-concept floor plans, evidence indicates they might come back in style.
“People want their own space,” says Davies. “It’s a challenge when everyone wants to come in on the same days during the week.”
Davies anticipates that metrics and transparency will continue to dominate trends in the furniture industry, in addition to an increased focus on the circular economy. There are a lot of benefits to using remanufactured furniture: it can be factored into an organization’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals or green certifications; it can incorporate older, sturdy materials and modernize them into something new; and be part of a company’s sustainability story.
Headquartered in Albany, New York, Davies Office was founded in 1948 and is a nationally recognized leader in green remanufacturing and sustainable office solutions, with distribution and services throughout the continental United States and Canada. Davies Office has partnered with numerous Fortune 500 companies to deliver greater value and flexibility in office solutions.
Do you have a comment? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below, or send an e-mail to the Editor at jen@groupc.com.
