Over the last 12 months the University of Westminster has been working with Reyooz to donate furniture from its office buildings due to recent moves.
The results of the partnership have had a huge and positive impact on both the environment and the community by reusing unwanted furniture.
An estimated £648,094 of furniture and equipment was donated by Westminster to more than 100 schools, charities, hospitals, small businesses and individuals.
117,000kg was diverted from waste, saving more than 524,736kg of embodied carbon - the equivalent of burning more than 160,000kg of coal.
Jordan Lamb, Sustainability Co-ordinator at the University, said: “We knew that we were going to be undertaking a lot of refurbishment work across the campus and we were looking for a more sustainable approach. As we’re based in central London, storage in our buildings is pretty much non-existent. That means furniture that was being replaced as part of the refurbishment programme would end up in an incinerator.
“Reyooz have completely cleared two whole buildings in central London. They have the project management skills to oversee complex jobs - one building they could only clear at the weekend and evenings, but they managed to complete the project on time and on budget. As well as finding homes for furniture with good causes, they ensured that the small amount of waste left over was managed, including hazardous waste.”
The University is committed to sustainability through the Corporate Social Responsibility team, who have been making great strides towards reducing the environmental impact of campus operations and activities.
The benefits of reuse over disposal are tangible; this circular approach can change lives and has an immediate impact on communities.
Doctors from a health centre in East London fitted out an entire emergency centre dealing with COVID-19 patients with furniture and equipment from Westminster. Dr Daljit Sura, GP Partner at North Street Medical Centre, said: “We didn't believe this would actually happen until the desks and cabinets started arriving on trucks and were being fitted into the consultation rooms.”
The ETC group, who deliver education support services and run Coding Academies, were able to open two completely new centres. Casey Farquharson, Founder and Chairman of the ETC group, said: “If we didn’t have access to great office furniture from Reyooz, I am not sure if we would have been able to open our most recent training centre in Harrow.”
Learn more about Corporate Social Responsibility at the University of Westminster.
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