- By remanufacturing office furniture rather than buying it new, U.S. businesses could avoid $93 milion in disposal costs.
- Purchasing a remanufactured or refurbished product can cost consumers 30-70% less than a new product.
- According to the EPA, 3 million tons of office furniture and furnishings are discarded each year.
- The amount of labor and energy required to alter an existing product during remanufacturing is 85 to 95% less than that required to manufacture a new product.
- Carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulfer oxides, nitrous oxides, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter are all reduced by the recycling of office furniture, thereby reducing air pollution and global warming.
- The annual energy savings resulting from remanufacturing activities worldwide is 120 trillion Btu’s. This equals the electricity generated by eight nuclear power plants, or 16 million barrels of crude oil (about 350 tankers).
- The annual material savings resulting from remanufacturing activities worldwide is 14 million tons a year. This is the equivalent of a fully loaded railway train 1650 miles long.
Source: Rochester Institute of Technology and The Office Furniture Recyclers Forum