Closing Loops, Opening Opportunities for Circularity in Commercial Furniture

Installnet, Bard College MBA program share research to drive reuse

• Initiative designed to identify and deliver solutions to eliminate waste and cut carbon emissions
• Industry-wide approach will help building industry consistently and credibly track and report progress

Commercial furniture solutions company Installnet and Bard College’s MBA program in sustainability today released new research highlighting the growing need to reduce and eliminate furniture waste in commercial buildings. The paper, “Closing Loops, Opening Opportunities: The Future of Circularity in the Commercial Furniture Industry” is part of a new collective to develop and implement real world solutions.

Each year, more than 146 million tons of solid waste goes to landfills in the U.S., generating dangerous methane gas emissions that worsen climate change. That’s the equivalent of 20.3 million passenger cars on the road, according to the EPA. An estimated 9 million tons of that waste is furniture.

“This problem can only be solved by collaborating across the value chain to create consistent, credible standards and practices,” said Installnet CEO Dale Ewing. “We’re all struggling with issues like measuring our impact, identifying uses for items that can’t be recycled and finding cost effective ways to get furniture to people who need it. It’s time for players across the commercial real estate sector to come together and get zero done.”

Michaela Flynn, a recent graduate of the Bard College MBA program in sustainability, developed the research paper.

“While many challenges and opportunities exist, the most urgent problem to collectively address is the accurate and transparent measuring and reporting of the sustainability impact of diversion,” Flynn writes. “This requires the involvement of all industry players - and cannot be done with just one or two standalone actors. Accurate measurement and reporting will lay the foundational groundwork necessary for the improvement and acceleration of sustainability and circularity within the commercial furniture industry.”

The paper is part of a new collective founded by Installnet, Ecoserv Net Zero (ENZO), has already begun its work, which will include documenting processes, procedures and practices to become assurance ready and meet new reporting requirements. ENZO will also identify the educational programs and materials needed to create industry standards and will be sharing “lessons learned” and best practices along the way.

Installnet is a recognized leader in sustainability. Its rapidly growing Ecoserv program keeps unused furniture and other assets in circulation, instead of sending them to landfill. Since 2012 Installnet has diverted more than 50 million pounds of waste from landfills and donated items to more than 3,000 nonprofits and community groups.

If you are interested in participating in the effort and getting zero done, please contact Lila Grant at enzo@installnet.com.

About Installnet

Installnet provides professional project management services in the United States and Canada. Our network of over 350 highly qualified independent furniture installation companies provide exceptional service in more than 100 major markets. Our custom solutions range from Ecoserv, an award-winning circular decommission program to Installhub, a self-serve platform of installation companies.

About The Bard MBA in Sustainability. Bard College's graduate business degree fully integrates a focus on mission-driven business. Ranked the #1 Green MBA three years running and the #2 MBA for Non-Profit Management by the Princeton Review, the program was also recognized as the #4 Worldwide in the "Better World MBA" ranking by Corporate Knights. Based in New York City, the program features one-weekend per month in-person instruction plus on-line structure to support working adult students from across the US.

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