How to Dispose of Old Office Chairs? 3 Simple Ways!

Are you going to throw your used office chair into the garbage? Aren’t you aware of its dangerous impact on the environment? Well, you must be doing so because you were unaware of sustainable practices such as recycling your old office chair or donating it to charitable organizations. No worries at all.

This article is going to shed light on “how to dispose of old office chairs”. We are going to give you a step-by-step guide to reducing the environmental impacts associated with dumping old chairs in landfills and making them useful for you once again.

Some of the sustainable ways for disposing of an old office chair include donating it to a charity or selling it to a local business at a cheap price. You can also dismantle the plastic, metal, and other materials from it and send them to recycling facilities near you where they could be molded into other things.

The remaining components such as backrests, cushions, or wheels can be used for different creative activities. By doing so you can contribute to the environment and play your part.

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How to Dispose of Old Office Chairs?

Below are some useful ways to mitigate the environmental impacts associated with dumping chairs:

Donate it to a Charitable Organization

The most effective use of your old chair is to donate it to a charitable organization. It is not only a good way of reducing waste materials but it would also give you the satisfaction of serving your community.

Charity organizations need old furniture (in good condition) for different fundraising activities or to meet their administrative needs. Additionally, they also distribute them to individuals, schools, and community centers who lack the financial means to purchase new furniture.

Therefore, before dumping down your used office chair, search for the charitable organizations in your vicinity and find out what type of furniture they accept. Most often, these organizations come to pick up the furniture or other items on their own so you don’t need to worry about packing or transporting them.

Sell it to a Local Business

If you are unable to find a nearby charity or you simply do not want to donate your office chair, you can also sell it to local businesses at reasonable prices.

If your chair has a vintage classic look or a historical significance associated with it, you can sell it to antique furniture shops or museums.
Local schools, hospitals, or community centers might also buy your old office chair if it is in good condition.
You can also sell your old office chair on different online marketplaces such as OLX, Chairish, or Gumtree.

When approaching these shops or marketplaces for selling your used chair, make sure to thoroughly clean and present it in good condition. Take high-quality photographs that carefully show all the features of your chair.

However, you should be honest when communicating the condition and originality of your chair. Deceiving or scamming someone for the sake of earning a small profit is not only morally inappropriate but it would also influence your credibility and respect in society.

Recycle the Old Office Chair

If your chair is not in good condition, it is better to recycle its components rather than send them to donations or resell them at low prices. For this, you have to disassemble the chair, separate different materials and then contact the relevant recycling authorities to collect them.

Disassemble the Chair

To disassemble an office chair, you have to follow these steps:

First, turn the chair upside down so that its base is exposed to you, and then remove its wheels by simply pulling them. If you cannot remove wheels this way, you can use a screwdriver or wrench to dismantle them.
For removing the starbase, place a piece of wood just above the gas lift and gently tap the base with a mallet. A few strikes would be enough to detach the base. You can gradually increase the pressure if the previous strikes were unable to remove the starbase.
Next comes the gas lift, which can be simply removed by unscrewing the bolts that hold it in its place. Now gently tap it with a rubber mallet until it gets loosened and you can remove it with a simple jerk.
Finally, it’s time to remove the seat of your office chair. For that, you just have to unscrew the bolts that hold it in its place and give a few jerks until it is detached.
Removing the armrests from the office chair makes transporting it from one spot to another easy. However, not all office chairs have removable armrests. You can identify removable armrests by the screws present on them. In that case, you just have to unscrew them and gently remove the armrests from the chair.

Divide the Materials into Separate Categories

After dismantling different parts of your office chair, divide its materials into separate categories.

Metal such as steel or aluminum is widely used in the frame and the base of the office chair can be easily recycled into other products.
Plastic is also considered a recyclable material in general but not all types of plastic can be effectively recycled. In this regard, you have to look for the resin number of plastic in the small triangular box present on it to identify its type. Plastic #1(PET), #2(HDPE), #5(PP) are recyclable plastics. On the other hand, #3, #4, #6, and #7 can not be recycled.
Wooden materials are not recyclable but they can be reused in many other products.
Foam and fabric materials can or cannot be repurposed depending on their condition.

Search Local Recycling Services

Once you have sorted the materials into distinct categories, it’s time to look for local recycling facilities. Consult your society office or search for them on the internet by typing your “city name” plus “recycling center” or turning your device location on and searching “recycling facilities near me”.

Remember that not all recycling centers accept all types of materials, so you may have to consult multiple recycling bodies. Also, these recycling centers pick up your old furniture for free so you don’t have to worry about transportation or other costs.

Repurpose the Left Over Components of the Office Chair

As far as the remaining components of the office chair such as casters, backrests, foam, and cushions are concerned, they can also be used for a variety of purposes. Backrest and seat can be used as organizers. Wheels can be used in different DIY projects especially children can make a variety of interesting things from them.

Fabric pieces can be used to make cushion covers or used as cleaning rags. These are just a few simple ideas for repurposing the leftover pieces of office chairs. If you have a creative streak, you can find a lot of other amazing uses as well.

Bottom Line!

In conclusion, throwing your old office chair in the garbage is the least sustainable solution for dumping it. Instead, you should look for environmentally friendly options such as donating it to a charity or sending recyclable materials such as metal, plastic, or foam to recycling centers.

If your office chair is in good condition, sell it to local thrift stores or online marketplaces such as OLX or Gumtree. As far as the remaining components such as casters, backrests, foam cushions, etc are concerned, you can utilize them in different DIY projects.

Hopefully, you would not throw your used office chair in the garbage anymore nor would you allow others to commit this environmentally hazardous activity.

FAQs

How do I dispose of an old desk chair?

You can dispose of an old desk chair in a variety of ways such as donating it to charity, sending it to recyclable facilities, or reselling it if it is in good condition.

Can the office chair be dismantled?

An office chair can be easily dismantled using the right tools and tricks. To dismantle an office chair, turn it upside down and remove its casters using a screwdriver or wrench. Next, remove the starbase by tapping it with a rubber mallet. Finally, the gas lift, backrest, and seat of the office chair can be removed by simply unscrewing the bolts that hold them in their place.

Can we recycle plastic chairs?

Plastic chairs can easily be recycled and molded into new products. For this, you have to look for the resin number of plastic in a small triangular box to identify its type. Plastic #1(PET), #2(HDPE), and #5(PP) are recyclable and you can send them to local recycling facilities.

How to Dispose of Old Office Chairs?