Ethical Furniture Management: Looking to 2023

By Rachel Houghton, managing director of Business Moves Group.

In the next instalment of our looking to 2023 series, Rachel reflects on ethical furniture management and the part it will play in the world of workplace in the year ahead.

In late 2021, I predicted that ethical sourcing and disposal of furniture and other office equipment would play a large part in our activity in 2022. I can now safely say this was definitely the case! All the organisations we worked with throughout 2022 used our ethical furniture management scheme as part of their office moves and workplace change projects. In some cases, it was the number one priority for their project. As we all know, ESG goals – especially environmental – were at the top of the corporate agenda for many businesses in 2022. Relocation and workplace change projects lend themselves to sustainability goals, from landfill diversion to energy efficiency.

The UN COP27 event restated the global commitment to tackle climate change, which is especially pertinent for the current energy crisis we are experiencing. The way forward for many businesses will be about choosing the right solution that fits their ESG goals, and not the one that costs them the least money.

In 2023, I think we will see less reactional workplace change and more focussed decisions as businesses figure out what working styles best suit them and their teams, and how that translates into their physical workplace. Organisations want to understand what assets they have, which of them they actually need, and which can be ethically disposed of.

Asset management and verification of this kind will, in my opinion, rise in popularity in 2023. Maintaining an accurate record of all your workplace assets, especially if your business operates out of various sites, will enable more informed decisions about what furniture, IT equipment, or any other items to keep or to let go of. This will require a step up to the next level of ESG planning in the year to come, as more emphasis is placed on this.

At BMG, we offer a full CSR and waste management report at the end of an office relocation or workplace change project, including exactly where your furniture goes, whether it was recycled, refurbished, or donated. Read more about our ethical furniture management offering on our website.

Read the first blog in this series on our website: Quality workplaces are a must