Why Buy Used Office Furniture - How Purchasing Used Office Furniture Saves Money and the Environment

Purchasing green, used, recycled, pre-owned or refurbished office furniture is a win-win proposition for your company and society. It gives you the opportunity to save the environment while you save money for your business because pre-owned or used office furniture is affordable and it is green.

Glut in Pre-owned or Used Office Furniture

In Los Angeles County, California and many other places in the US used business and office furniture and equipment are in ample supply. The unfortunate downturn in the current economy helped set off one of the largest gluts in quality used office furniture and products. This situation gives cash strapped businesses and organizations an excellent opportunity  to find top-notch recycled or re-furbished office furniture and cubicle systems at extremely affordable prices.The wide availability of pre-owned business furniture and equipment in Southern California and other places around the country means wholesalers and retailers of pre-owned or used office products and services need to sell at low, low prices to move their inventory.

Increased Competition from the Internet and Low Cost Imports

Two more factors are creating a buyer's market in recycled business furniture and equipment. Those factors are online or virtual stores and the rising tide of imports.

First, the prices of used furniture are affected by internet retailers and wholesalers. In the past a wholesaler or retailer had to have 30,000 to 80,000 square feet for showroom and warehouse space as well as sales and warehouse personnel which amounted to huge overhead costs. Today, with the development of the world-wide-web and just-in-time (JIT) inventory technologies almost anyone with a little initiative and curiosity can open a virtual store over the internet. With an online store, a gung-ho entrepreneur can get by with 2,000 to 10,000 square feet max cutting his outflow significantly and giving him/her an advantage over the older business model and competition. Second, the onslaught of imported business related furniture and supplies is also putting downward pressures on prices for used office furniture and equipment.

Purchasing Used, Pre-owned, or Recycled Office Furniture is Green

Buying used or pre-owned business and office furniture is technically recycling and therefore counts as green. By purchasing used business equipment or products, you help your community save huge amounts of landfill space. Furthermore you help slow down the need to use up the country's natural resources. Around 2006 the Fluor-Daniels Corporation chose to purchase pre-owned cubicle workstations from A.B.E. Office Furniture which used to be located in the Los Angeles area. Fluor had A.B.E. install the systems stations in offices all over the United States including Irvine, Houston, St. Louis, and on the East Coast. In doing so the Fluor executives saved lots of operating cash and rescued an estimated 500,000 square feet of landfill space. Finally, another way to buy green for your business and office is to look for companies that refurbish or remanufacture old workstations using recycled materials. Most fabrics and even some work surfaces used in Today's cubicles or systems stations are made from recycled plastics.

All in all, you can save up to 90% of list price for quality office furniture and exercise some social responsibility by helping save natural resources.

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