Allsteel Joins Forces To Increase Reuse Of Facility Assets

Allsteel Inc. has become the first U.S. manufacturer to partner with Green Solutions North America, Inc. The newly formed alliance allows Allsteel to connect its clients with Green Solutions’ Revive program, which removes unwanted assets—including office furnishings and equipment—and repurposes the useable materials, either donating them to nonprofit organizations, schools and healthcare facilities, or recycling them locally.

“The Green Solutions Revive concept is simple yet brilliant, and we are enormously proud to be a partner because it offers our clients a cost-effective and environmentally responsible solution for disposing of everything from unwanted desks and carpeting to computers and copy machines,” said Mike Veal, Allsteel’s vice president of sustainability and alliance partnerships. “It has the potential to reduce tons of waste from landfills as renovated or new facilities are developed. And, in managing the entire divestiture process, Green Solutions also provides us with a complete stream analysis, ensuring accountability on each project.”

Based in Nova Scotia, Green Solutions began operations in 2006. This year the company had 300 furniture removal projects that benefitted 160 schools and 300 charities throughout Canada. In expanding its activities to the U.S., it has opened offices in Atlanta and Minneapolis. There are plans to open another 16 locations in 2009, including in New York, Chicago, and Houston.

“When we first met with Allsteel, we were immediately impressed with its absolute commitment to sustainability and knew it would be a perfect fit with our Revive program,” said Green Solutions chief executive Jim Reid. “We live in a throw away culture and this has to change. It’s no longer acceptable business practice. Allsteel is showing great support for this change by partnering with us”

According to Veal, Green Solutions also will be an integral part of Allsteel’s own Take Back program, which guarantees that if Allsteel cannot repair its lifetime-guaranteed products or if they are at the end of their use, it will remove and recycle them locally at no cost. Green Solutions will manage this removal process.

To read TFM’s recent coverage of asset reuse, see “Quality, Cost, Sustainability” from the October 2008 issue.