The University has this year reached the landmark of 500 renovated office chairs. As part of Furniture 4 Reuse, the University’s recycling centre for surplus furniture, 560 task/swivel chairs have been refurbished since May 2016 at an estimated saving of over £36,000.

Chairs arriving at the centre in an unusable condition are sent to be refurbished for a fee of £35 – £45 per chair. These are then available to all staff to purchase at the cost of refurbishment, with no profit made on the chairs.

The day-to-day running of Furniture 4 Reuse is led by Simon Atkinson, Waste Co-ordinator, and Alan Wright, who work to redistribute and reuse high-quality used furniture, ranging from desks and cupboards, to shelves and pedestals. The beneficiaries of the furniture are both across campus and beyond, with a plethora of local charities, schools and youth groups supported.

The facility plays a significant role in both waste and financial savings, whilst giving furniture a second life. Annual figures for the 2017/18 academic year totalled waste savings of 180 tonnes and potential financial savings of over £410,000.

Staff can visit the furniture store Monday – Friday 13:00-15:00. More information about furniture recycling at the University can be found on the furniture dispoal and re-use/recycling website.