Remanufactured Furniture

A Wall Street Journal Article titled "In With The Old", details the process of reconstruction as a green solution to both customers and producers. Furniture is featured prominently in the article.

The article describes three main processes that are encompassed by the term reconstruction: recycling, refurbishing and remanufacturing.

Recycling is breaking down products into their various components and then reconstituting them into another or similar product.

Refurbishing takes an existing product and restores it to its original condition.

Remanufacturing is like refurbishing but it aims to make the product better than the original. In the case of cubicles for instance it may add updated fabrics, finishes or features not in the original.

This process is very common the cubicle world. My experience is that the customer would save 25 to 40 percent over similar new product.

SRK

Fight Terrorism While Buying Cubicles

The U.S. is under severe pressure to reduce its dependence on foreign oil. This isn't just to keep prices down at the pump. It directly affects world politics with regard to the support of terrorism by Islamic Fundamentalists like Al Qaeda and the Taliban. Every time we buy oil from the Saudi's, we are shipping money to them. They in turn fund these groups by financing Islamic fundamentalist madrassas (schools) in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Many of these schools are where young people are taught the fundamentalist teachings which later make them more likely to join these terrorist organizations.

These ideas are outlined in great detail in the books Hot, Flat and Crowded by Thomas Friedman and Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and Oliver Relin.

As Americans, every purchase we make has an effect on the world. If you want to choke off the supply of money going to these organizations, the best thing you can do is buy items that use as little petroleum in their transport and manufacture as possible.

Most office furniture these days is manufactured off-shore, primarily in China. The manufacturing process alone is petroleum intensive. But the transportation of those items to the U.S., is also petroleum based.

By purchasing previously-used furniture locally, you can eliminate almost all of the petroleum consumption. Another option is to purchase locally refurbished product, eliminating the long-haul transportation and most manufacturing.

One new line of furniture, GQA Furniture, is produced from over ninety percent repurposed content. Cubicles are recovered with fabric made from recycled plastic bottles. Pedestals and all other metal are repainted using water-based environmentally sound painting practices. Worksurfaces are used surfaces that are turned upside-down and re-laminated. They are then edged with polypropylene edge banding. All the work is done locally to reduce transportation costs. Right now GQA is just being rolled out in Northern California, with plans to expand to the larger market soon.

Whoever thought you could be a Patriot while buying a cubicle?

SRK