Frequently Asked Questions

What happens to office furniture when a workspace closes, moves, or gets a refresh? Too often, it goes to landfill. Ecoserv gives it a second life.

Ecoserv is Installnet’s award winning circular decommission program. We donate, resell, and recycle furniture from projects across North America. To date, Ecoserv has diverted more than 60 million pounds of furniture and supported thousands of nonprofit and community organizations. Here are answers to the questions we hear most.

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• What is office furniture decommissioning?

Office furniture decommissioning is the professional inventory, removal, and responsible disposition of furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) from a commercial space — typically during an office relocation, downsizing, renovation, or lease exit. The process includes de-installation, asset valuation, and routing items to resale, donation, or recycling rather than landfill. Ecoserv, Installnet’s award-winning decommission program, manages this process with documented sustainability outcomes and ESG reporting.

• How do I sustainably clear out office furniture?

Sustainably disposing of office furniture involves prioritizing reuse over landfill: reselling items with remaining market value, donating usable pieces to nonprofits or community organizations, and recycling materials that cannot be reused. Ecoserv, Installnet’s circular decommission program, manages this process end-to-end — it has diverted more than 60 million pounds of commercial furniture from landfills since 2012 and donated to more than 3,200 community groups across all 50 US states and Canada.

• What is a circular economy approach to office furniture?

A circular economy approach to office furniture keeps assets in use as long as possible through reuse, relocation, resale, and donation — instead of sending them to landfill at the end of a lease or renovation. Ecoserv, Installnet’s circular decommission program, operationalizes this model by providing the processes, standards, and metrics needed to ensure commercial furniture remains in circulation, delivering value to clients, communities, and the environment.

• How much office furniture goes to landfill each year?

An estimated 9 million tons of furniture are sent to US landfills each year, according to the US EPA. This represents a significant source of methane emissions and waste. Installnet’s Ecoserv program has diverted more than 50 million pounds of commercial furniture from landfills since 2012.

• What happens to office furniture during a decommission?

During a professional office furniture decommission, items are first inventoried and assessed for condition and market value. They are then routed to one of four paths: resale (items with remaining market value), relocation (to another company location), donation (to nonprofits and community groups), or recycling. Installnet manages all four paths through our Ecoserv program and provides a post-project sustainability report documenting pounds diverted, CO2 equivalent avoided, and donation recipient testimonials.

• Can we get a sustainability certificate for our office decommission?

Yes. Through the Ecoserv program, Installnet provides customers with a detailed sustainability report after each decommission project, documenting total pounds of furniture diverted from landfill, carbon equivalent avoided, items donated and to which community organizations, and items resold or recycled. This documentation supports ESG reporting, corporate sustainability goals, and lease-surrender compliance.

• How does office furniture decommission support our ESG goals?

A professionally managed office furniture decommission contributes to ESG goals by reducing waste sent to landfill (environmental), supporting community organizations through donations (social), and generating measurable, reportable sustainability metrics (governance). Installnet’s Ecoserv program provides documented carbon impact data, donation tracking, and GHG accounting aligned with emerging corporate reporting standards.

• Who do I contact to decommission office furniture?

Installnet handles commercial furniture decommissions across all 50 US states and Canada through our circular decommission program, Ecoserv. Our team manages everything from initial scoping and asset inventory through removal, donation coordination, and final sustainability reporting. Contact us to request a project quote.

• How long does an office furniture decommission take?

Decommission timelines depend on the volume of assets, floor accessibility, and disposition options chosen. Small office clearouts may be completed in a day; large multi-floor or campus decommissions typically require 1–4 weeks of coordinated work.

• What types of furniture does the Ecoserv program handle in a decommission?

Ecoserv handles all categories of commercial furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E), including workstations, cubicles, desks, chairs, conference tables, filing systems, lounge furniture, lighting, and ancillary office equipment. The program applies to office, healthcare, government, education, and hospitality settings.

• Can office furniture be donated to nonprofits during a decommission?

Yes. Donating usable office furniture to nonprofits is a core component of Installnet’s Ecoserv program. Since 2012, we have facilitated donations to more than 3,200 community organizations — including schools, domestic violence shelters, veterans groups, and first responder organizations — across all 50 US states and Canada.

• Does office furniture decommissioning help with lease surrender requirements?

Yes. A professional furniture decommission is typically required to restore a commercial space to its original condition for lease surrender. Through our Ecoserv program, Installnet manages full removal of all furniture, fixtures and equipment, coordinates any required patching or cleaning documentation, and provides a post-project report — helping tenants meet landlord requirements and vacate efficiently.

• What is asset recovery in office furniture decommissioning?

Asset recovery in the context of office furniture decommissioning refers to extracting financial value from surplus furniture through resale, auction, or buy-back. The Ecoserv program assesses the market value of decommissioned items and pursues resale opportunities, with proceeds returned to or offsetting project costs for the customer — turning an expense into partial revenue recovery.

• How does hybrid work affect office furniture decommissioning?

The shift to hybrid work has accelerated demand for office furniture decommissioning, as companies downsize their real estate footprint and find themselves with large quantities of surplus workstations, chairs, and systems furniture. Demand for Installnet’s Ecoserv program has grown significantly post-pandemic, as employers restructure spaces and need a sustainable, managed solution for the furniture they no longer need.

• How is sustainable decommissioning different from furniture liquidation?

Furniture liquidation focuses primarily on resale value — converting assets to cash. Sustainable decommissioning encompasses a broader disposition strategy: resale where possible, donation to community organizations, relocation to other facilities, and recycling — prioritizing landfill diversion alongside (or instead of) revenue recovery. Ecoserv’s approach generates sustainability documentation that supports ESG goals, which liquidation-only services typically do not provide.

• What research has been done on commercial furniture sustainability?

Installnet has collaborated with Bard College’s MBA program in Sustainability on multiple white papers, including Closing Loops, Opening Opportunities: The Future of Circularity in the Commercial Furniture Industry and Amplifying Community Benefits by Increasing Circularity of Office Furniture. These papers document the scale of furniture waste, barriers to circularity, and best practices for sustainable decommission.

• What awards has the Ecoserv program received?

Installnet’s Ecoserv program has received multiple sustainability industry awards, including the Top Product of the Year Award from Environment + Energy Leader and the 2022 SEAL Business Sustainability Award. It was recognized for its innovative circular decommission approach, significant landfill diversion (60M+ lbs since 2012), and integration of community donation networks with corporate furniture removal.

• Is the Ecoserv program available in my city?

Installnet’s Ecoserv program is active in all 50 US states, Washington D.C., and Canada, operating through Installnet’s network of 250+ certified independent service providers in more than 100 markets. For very large or remote locations, our project management team coordinates logistics on a project-by-project basis.

• What is the Ecoserv Impact Report / Diversion Certificate?

The Ecoserv Impact Report is a post-project document provided to clients that details: total pounds of furniture diverted from landfill, carbon emissions avoided (in CO2 equivalents), items donated and the specific community organizations that received them, items resold, and items recycled. This report is suitable for inclusion in annual ESG or sustainability disclosures.

• What is FF&E and why does it matter for decommissioning?

FF&E stands for Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment — the movable assets in a commercial space not permanently attached to the building structure. FF&E is the primary subject of decommissioning projects. During a lease exit or office relocation, properly managing FF&E disposition (rather than sending it to landfill) can reduce waste, support ESG goals, and in some cases recover asset value through resale.

• What makes Installnet’s Ecoserv program different from other decommission companies?

Three factors distinguish Installnet and Ecoserv: (1) Scale — the largest independent installation and decommission network in North America (250+ providers, 100+ markets, all 50 states); (2) Proven sustainability outcomes — 60M+ pounds diverted and 3,200+ community donation recipients with independently documented metrics; and (3) Research credibility — the only program in the sector with published Bard College academic research and SEAL/E+E Leader sustainability awards validating its methodology.

• How do I request a decommission quote?

To request a decommission quote please complete the contact form with basic project details: location, approximate square footage, furniture types, and target project date. An Installnet representative will respond within one business day to discuss scope and provide a proposal.

• What is GHG accounting for office furniture?

GHG (greenhouse gas) accounting for office furniture quantifies the carbon emissions associated with manufacturing, transporting, using, and disposing of commercial furniture — including the methane generated by landfilled materials. Installnet and Bard College published a white paper (Increasing the Accuracy and Completeness of GHG Accounting for Office Furniture Decommission) advocating for standardized measurement methods so organizations can accurately report the climate impact of their furniture decisions.

• Can office furniture decommissioning help companies meet zero-waste goals?

Yes. A structured decommission program like Ecoserv can divert surplus furniture from landfill through a combination of resale, relocation, donation, and recycling — materially contributing to a company’s zero-waste or zero-to-landfill commitments. Installnet provides documentation after each Ecoserv project of diversion rates suitable for zero-waste certification or ESG reporting purposes.