Office movers Robinsons warn of 'Mary Celeste' effect
Feb 4 2009 by Anna Blackaby, Birmingham Post
Businesses are being urged not to leave “Mary Celeste” offices – abandoning office furniture to go to landfill – when forced to move or downsize as a result of the recession.
Concerned that companies may be discarding their environmental policies at times of understandable stress, Anthony Robinson, managing director of the business movers Robinsons, has seen cases where empty offices are left full of unwanted furniture and equipment following job losses or company failures.
Recent research conducted by Robinsons highlighted that waste office furniture disposal is already a growing problem in the UK.
Over two-thirds of organisations surveyed admitted to disposing of old and surplus office waste in landfill, despite the majority of those companies claiming to have environmental policies in place to stop such practices. And with the number of business failures set to rise by 50 per cent in 2009, according to accountants BDO Stoy Hayward, Robinsons believes the volume of unwanted office furniture will rise.
“The Mary Celeste Effect is unfortunately something we may see a lot more of in 2009,” said Mr Robinson. “It’s an eerie feeling going into an office which on the surface is ready for business, with equipment such as PCs, filing cabinets, telephone systems and photocopiers is situ, but is devoid of staff.
“While we realise that in cases of company failure, CSR may not be at the top of everyone’s mind, we are calling on corporate recovery specialists and liquidators to think about the recycling option when faced with unwanted office furniture. Often, using a business mover with experience of recycling and responsible disposal can offset some of the costs of relocation.
“With 74 per cent admitting to using landfill as the chosen method of disposal, then we can see how the problem of waste office assets is escalating and will only get worse given the current economic climate where many businesses will be cutting jobs and looking to downsize office space.”
Robinsons has recently launched Di-vert to support its existing business moving service. The new service has been designed to minimise the environmental impact of organisations moving premises as well as releasing the hidden value of unwanted items.
Di-vert ensures unwanted office furniture and electrical equipment is either reused or recycled.
