How to recycle an office

[Thomzo]

OK - well it's official now. The company I work for in Swindon is closing down. We are all going to be made redundant eventually (please don't feel sorry for me, I shall be alright).

I have now been tasked with closing down the office and clearing it ready to hand back to the landlord in September.

When I heard this I had horrible visions of hundreds of skips carting all the contents off to a landfill site but, so far, we have been doing rather better than I expected.

I thought I'd share my findings so that if anybody finds themselves in a similar position they don't have to reinvent the wheel.

I put messages out through various business networking websites that we had second hand furniture and computer equipment to sell. We have had loads of interest from small and start up businesses. There is a Basepoint business centre near here which is a serviced office facility. I got a notice put on their board and we've sold loads of stuff through there.

I also put a posting on a business forum and, again, had lots of interest from around the country in things like notice boards and room dividers.

We were struggling to find anyone to buy our warehouse racking. It's the "wrong sort" apparently. I have found a scrap metal dealer who will take it away and pay us for it. We won't get much but it's better than nothing and the dealer is local so fewer miles.

I have found a local charity who will take a lot of the office furniture which they can find homes for amongst other charities etc. The desks and chairs all have metal legs so the scrap metal man will take any that are too bad to re-use.

We have sold or given a lot of small bits and pieces to staff and their friends. Things like filing cabinets are great for garages and the computer chairs are also popular.

If anyone in the Swindon area wants desks, chairs, filing cabinets, a fridge or two, a microwave some display shelves or warehouse equipment (pallet trucks, trolleys, strapping machines etc) PM me and I'll let you know what we've got. I've got my name on a cage on wheels (used for storing and moving stock) as it'll make a great wood store.

We are sending all the paper for shredding and recycling. Small equipment and stationery is going to the local scrap store. Even display materials can be taken to the scrap store.

I'm really pleased as there's very little that we won't be able to get rid of without putting in the skip.

Cheers
Zoe

[Annpan]

Wow, good job done there Zoe

I am sorry to hear of your redundancy, but I am sure that you will make the most of it and bounce back in no time

I only wish I was closer to take advantage, if you give a wheeled cage a really big push do you think it would reach me

[red]

yeh wot Ann said!

[ohareward]

Hi Zoe. You sound like a person who can look after yourself. In my carpentry career I was made redundant twice. Best of luck in your next employment.

Robin

[Muddypause]

I think you should look on it as A Good Thing. Every job I've ever had I used to dream of being unemployed. Twenty years ago I became self-employed and now I'm unemployed whenever I damn well please.

But good luck with the recycling.

[Thomzo]

Hi Guys
Thanks for the good wishes.

Ann - I wonder if I could put a remote control on a cage and send it up the motorway. That would confuse the speed cameras.

Alternatively, I could just float it up at the moment!

Ohareward. This will be the third time I've been made redundant so I wonder if life is trying to tell me something. Maybe accounts isn't the area for me after all.

Anyway - if anybody wants a new home then watch for my next post if I can get the photo to work.

Zoe

[Thomzo]

Well, if anyone wants a new home, I have one of these going spare. I understand that they are converting them into apartments in London.

It's 40 feet long so plenty of space.



The only problem - moving it to your chosen location.

Zoe

[Thurston Garden]

I would speak to your landlord - it might be an advantage to any incoming tenant to leave the container - he would probably be able to rent it out and, if the unit you are in is left in good, clean condition, you could perhaps do a deal with him/her that you don't have to return your unit back into "good an tenantable condition" (which, as a landlord's surveyor, generally means new carpets, strip out partitioning, full repaint, fix anything that is the least bit grubby/broken...) otherwise they will serve Terminal Dilapidations on the firm

Fingers crossed for the future though - and I echo Myddypause - I too am unemployed when I feel like it!

[Thomzo]

Hi Thurston
Oh believe me we are in negotiations with the landlord over that particular issue. I can't really discuss it in public though.

Cheers

Zoe