Last updated: May 24th, 2024
Have you ever considered recycling your office chairs? You may be great at recycling kitchen containers, but in 2024, the real impact lies in sustainability. Perhaps you’ve been sitting in the same chair for years and need an upgrade.
Or – you’re revamping the entire office.
Either way, there is a range of options for you to recycle your office furniture.
(Related: How To Choose The Ideal Ergonomic Chair).
What Are The Benefits Of Recycling Your Office Chairs?
Corporate responsibility towards environmental efforts will be a necessity in 2023.
Whether you work for yourself or head a large business, rather than organising a council pick up – you should consider recycling your chairs.
The benefits are worth the extra effort, including the following:
- Improved carbon footprint: According to a Furniture Industry Research Association study, the average home furniture generates the same amount of greenhouse gas as burning 20 litres of petrol.
- Reduced items in landfill: ABC’s War on Waste highlighted that roughly 85% of furniture on kerbs is sent directly to landfills and isn’t recycled.
- Contributed resources to those in need: As living costs rise, furniture poverty increases. 4.8 million Aussies report needing at least one essential household appliance.
1. Have You Hosted A Garage Sale?
A garage sale is a great way to do an entire house cleanout and raise some extra dollars.
Our tips:
- Throw a neighbourhood garage sale and team up with those on your street.
- Advertise in community groups online and in local cafes.
- Price your items reasonably and offer discounts for multiple items.
- Hold your sale on the weekend, so more people attend.
- Ensure you have cash and card payment options. We like Osko for instant transfers.
Expert Tip.
Consider donating your profits towards a local charity – you are more likely to increase sales and foster a larger turnout.
2. Can You Donate To Charity?
Donating your old office chairs to charity is another beneficial way to recycle them without paying anything out of pocket.
You can:
- Donate furniture directly to the shops of an organisation like the Australian Red Cross or St Vincent de Paul’s.
- Contact local homeless shelters or hospitals to see if their facilities accept furniture.
Charities will onsell your old office chair at one of their retail stores. The funds will go towards community outreach initiatives and other charitable services throughout Australia.
(Related: How To Clean Your Office Chair).
3. Can You Donate To A School?
Teachers and students can reuse office chairs in classrooms – exceptionally durable study chairs that are well intact.
Your chairs can be utilised in the following ways:
- Science labs: Kids may need to sit on a durable chair whilst conducting more extended experiments.
- Creative classrooms: It’s easy to damage expensive furniture. For children who love to paint – 2nd hand furniture is a necessity.
- School Halls: Backstage furniture may be needed for presentations or school musicals.
- Libraries: Consider reading rooms in libraries which are often made up of different furniture for children to relax and unwind whilst they read.
Donating your old office equipment will help schools save money while providing teachers and students with comfortable seating options. For tips to contribute to Australian schools, read here.
Expert Tip.
Privately owned educational facilities such as pre-schools or after-school care can also benefit from donating your old office chairs. Be sure to check out your local options.
(Related: How To Protect Carpet From Office Chair Damage).
4. Could You Sell Your Office Chair To An Upcycling Business?
If you want to make money from your old chair, consider selling it to an upcycling business.
These businesses:
- Pick up or accept the furniture drop-off.
- Recycle all materials.
- Refurbish the item or create it into something new.
Upcycling is a great way to prevent items in a landfill. Australian upcycling businesses often resell on Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree, much like this successful duo.
You can also start a side hustle of refurbishing furniture in your own time. Read here for tips and tricks.
5. Can You Use Them As Extra Outdoor Seating?
There are many ways to repurpose your old office chair for outdoor use if you have an outdoor space, like a patio or deck.
You can:
- Utilise chairs as extra seating for guests.
- Use the chairs as an additional place for kids to sit while you’re having dinner outside.
- Turn the chair into a holder for herbs or small plants.
Expert Tip.
Invest in new chair legs or a cushion to revamp your old office chair into a piece of furniture in other areas of the house.
6. Can You Keep Them As Guest Chairs?
Your home office may benefit from extra seating, especially if guests visit.
Consider keeping your old office chair (when in good condition) as a secondary seat opposite your desk or as a souvenir for how far you’ve come.
Expert Tip.
I still own some office furniture from when my wife and I moved in together for the first time – and it’s very special to me.
7. Can You Turn Them Into Desk Chairs For Your Kids?
Your kids may be of an age where they are beginning to do homework in their rooms.
One of the best recycling options is to gift your office chairs to your children.
- Consider tightening bolts and screws for more minor children, making the chair sturdy.
- Invest in coloured or patterned cushions, so the kids are comfortable and excited about their study space.
Expert Tip.
To personalise the chair, allow kids to paint or decorate the handles in colours that match their room. Officeworks is best for supplies – you may even find your new office chair there.
There Are Endless Ways To Recycle Office Chairs.
You can recycle most old office chairs in many ways to improve your carbon footprint and assist those in need. A win-win!
Consider contacting local schools and organisations, holding a garage sale, gifting to family members or repurposing your old office chairs in your own house.
It’s essential to develop a mindset of sustainability to ensure your items last longer, and you avoid buying for the sake of buying.
Steven
Cody says:
Hi,
Do you know 9am HOME standing desks?
I want to know how about their desk.
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Cody, I’ve never seen them before but I took a quick look for you and I’m 90% certain it’s another Jiecang desk. You can tell by the design of the feet and the lowest height (60cm). Desky, Omnidesk, Stand Desk are all pretty much the same.
Cody says:
Which one do you mean? Pesk or Robin series? I am interested in their Robin series, it looks unique and beautiful. I can’t find anyone like it in Desky.
Steven McConnell says:
I was talking about the Pesk Series. Robin series does look attractive and unusual, but I’m usually not a fan of tubular legs as they tend to be more prone to wobble. I can’t say whether this is the case in this instance, as I haven’t physically tested the desk myself. The 10 year warranty is reassuring, however. I wish they offered a risk-free trial to let you test out the legs!
Cody says:
Thank you very much, Steven; I will take your comments into consideration.
Erin says:
Do you know much about Kangadesks? There are Australian as well.
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Erin, its another Jiecang standing desk. Same as Desky, Omni, Stand Desk etc. The design of the feet and 60-125cm height range gives it away. The desk appears to currently be currently on sale for $299, which is an absolute steal and I’m wondering why they’re selling their stock at 1/3 of RRP. Regardless, even if they’re about to go bust, I’d still buy one at that price.
EDIT: Be careful. Fakespot showed these warnings while browsing their website: “Multiple eCommerce scam experiences detected, Poor customer service”
Suzy says:
Hi – given all the desks are so similar, is it possible to mix a desk from one brand with a drawer accessory from another? I don’t like the UpDown desk metal drawer (hangs very low so likely to impede leg space) but don’t mind the Desky one – can these be mixed and matched?
Thank you for the reviews! Super helpful.
Steven McConnell says:
Yes, it’s possible to play switcheroo. But you may want to consider that UpDown design is curved, so it will hurt less if you do jam your thighs into it. Desky’s meanwhile, is quite angular. Pro tip: you can also find a bunch of inexpensive slimline desk drawers on Amazon.
jason says:
I’ve spent far, far too much time agonising over which desk to get haha, definitely more than a week. Very happy that you’ve added the omni-desk to your catalogue. That was the one I was considering the most untill you came you with a review saying that it was more wobbly!
Anyways, do you have an opinion on the new updown desk KLIK Series? Its advertises to be significanlty ligher while having better (on paper) specs
Thanks!
Evelyn says:
Hi Steven, great blog post – thank you! I’m also wondering whether you have any opinion or insights on the new UpDown Desk KLIK series…they come at $100 more expensive (for the same size/table top) but seem to be ‘better’ according to the UpDown website.
Cheers!
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Evelyn, thanks! I will have a full review of the KLIK up around February 2025. It’s not necessarily a better standing desk – but it is lighter, less bulky and promises easier assembly.
Ben Clements says:
Hi. I’m interested to know more about whether I actually could fit the Desky cable management system in the Omnidesk? I’ve had a look at the omnidesks in person at the showroom and it looks like their cable management trays screw on (vs the clip in at the edges of the desk with the Desky tray). The desky system also has the power plugs that snap into place in the tray.
So I’m curious to know if you have you tried it, and if so how did you do it please? Or is your thinking that you’d just buy the power boards and plugs from Desky and rest them in the Omnidesk tray?
I’m stuck, because I prefer the Omnidesks but I really love the idea of a single power lead!
Thanks
Steven McConnell says:
I just had a new Omnidesk delivered to my house. Give me about two weeks to assemble it, test it out and report back.
Sunni says:
Thanks for your very helpful (and funny) review. I used the information to to buy a Desky standing desk in record time – no consumer agonising for weeks, as is my usual practice. It has a pneumatic up/down mechanism, so lets see how that goes.
Steven McConnell says:
Ha! You’re welcome, Sunni. Glad I helped you cut down on the agonising. The pneumatic mechanism is an interest choice – let me know what you think of it?
Amber says:
Hi Steven,
Really great and insightful review. It was refreshing to see something that wasn’t filled with ChatGPT affiliate link garbage!
I’m curious about your opinion on L-shaped standing desks? I know that Desky, UpDown and a few other retailers offer these types of desks and I would assume they are more strong and stable, but I’m not an expert and I can also imagine the opposite being true due to the irregular shape. I’ve been looking at these types of desks because I think their shape suits my space the best. Do you have any knowledge on this or do you only have experience with regular rectangular shaped desks?
Steven McConnell says:
Thanks, Amber. Did you know that I have a L-shaped standing desk review? Search for “arielle best corner standing desks” and you’ll find it.
Melissa says:
Hi Steven great article thank you!
I’ve spent way to much time on this, and I’m now leaning towards the Artiss thanks to your review.
I’m wondering if you have any insight into ergonomic chairs for the home office also?
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Melissa, thanks! The Artiss is a great budget pick. I’ve written numerous ergonomic chair reviews – Google “arielle best ergonomic office chairs” to find them 🙂
tania says:
hey are there any other manual desks apart from the ikea ones you don’t recommend, that you would recommend? I prefer the idea of not needing electricity to move between stand up and sit down but maybe that doesn’t really exist?
Steven McConnell says:
Hey Tania, all of the premium brands (UpDown, Desky, etc) offer a manual crank model. Definitely the way to go if you want to avoid electronics. But TBH I suggest you reconsider. Electronics are very reliable these days – and hand-cranking your standing desk is more annoying than you’d expect.
Adam says:
Hi, do you know much about the UpDown Klik vs Pro system?
Steven McConnell says:
The company has shipped their new Klik standing desk to me yesterday. Stay tuned!
Scott Long says:
You mention in your review of the Up Down Pro that you would get the cable holes and grommets done, but it looks like your (very pretty) Messmate desk doesn’t have them. Is your recommendation a hindsight reflection, or did you choose not to spoil the look of the desk with the grommets? Without the grommets can you can still run the cables behind the desk and into the cable management tray? Cheers!
Steven McConnell says:
Scott, I said in the review that grommets and holes are a great idea, not that I have them. They’re less important if your standing desk faces a wall. But if you have an open-plan style home office like mine, they’ll make your workspace look much cleaner. PS You can still run cables into the tray without the holes and grommets – the cables will simply run behind the desk.
Isaac Jenkinson says:
Hello,
Have you had a chance to try the new UpDown Lyft model? Curious about its stability vs the pro.
Steven McConnell says:
Isaac,
Not yet. On first glance, it looks like a budget alternative to the “big brothers”. It’s probably pretty good (UpDown has a reputation to maintain), but I’m of the opinion that buying cheap means you pay more in the long term. I’d save up another few hundred bucks and get the Pro. You can often get a melamine or bamboo-topped model on sale for around $900.
David says:
This is a great site and will help me decide on which desk to buy. Have you heard any good/bad reviews about the Blacklyte Atlas Lite or Ergo-Rise II from BDO furniture?
Steven McConnell says:
David, thanks for the kind words. Never heard of the Atlas Lite until you mentioned it. Looks like a decent gaming desk that borrows heavily from Secretlab Magnus – but why not just buy a real Magnus instead?
As for the Ergo-Rise – looks like a decent desk, but its height controller is outdated. The best standing desk brands have upgraded to OLED controllers.
Ben says:
Thank you for writing this review Steven; really helpful to break through the BS.
By any chance have you used or hold an opinion on Vertilift desks?
Steven McConnell says:
You’re welcome. God, I haven’t even heard of them – but thanks for the heads-up. There are too many standing desks on the Australian market. Obviously I haven’t used these in person, but I’m almost certain they’re yet another Jiecang variant (i.e., frames are identical to Desky). You can tell by the identical max and min heights, as well as the design of the foot.
Eloise says:
Hey Steven, I was recommended the Alwyn or Octavia (Living Fusion) 140cm sit and stand desks from Temple and Webster which don’t even get a mention in your review. Would you bother with any of their brands ? (I may have dodged a bullet by finding your review!)
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Louise, I haven’t had first-hand experience with the T&W standing desk (must add one to my list!).
However, I had a look through the specs for you.
It doesn’t look too bad, actually – considering the price. If you can’t stretch your budget to ~$950 for an entry-level UpDown or Desky, this could be a good option.
Jordan says:
Hi Steven, Thanks for the review! I am starting out with a home office set up and need a new chair and sit stand desk. I’m a student but I prefer to buy things I know will last, but I don’t have too much experience with sit stand desks. I initially thought to buy the Artiss but have considered buying the Acacia UpDown Pro+ so I know it lasts and I don’t have to buy another desk in a couple of years. Is it worth the price jump for me? Thanks!
Steven McConnell says:
Hi Jordan, the Artiss and the UpDown desks sell at two very different price points. If you have the budget, I suggest you stretch to the UpDown standing desk – you won’t regret it.
jason says:
I know you’ve disqualified the flexispot e7 pro so the e7 max plus would probably also be disqualified, but a quad motor 4 column desk frame at a prices competitive with UpDown desk is incredibly tempting. Plus 15 year warrenty (if the company lasts that long)
Have you had a chance to take a look? Its like half the price of the desky quad!
Steven McConnell says:
Hey Jason, great observation. I haven’t included quad standing desks here because they’ve traditionally attracted a niche consumer – someone who needs to place a tonne of gear on the desktop and doesn’t mind paying 2X the usual price. But Flexispot’s sharp pricing on their quad desk certainly changes things. I haven’t seen one in the wild yet – but the specs look promising.
Steven