When tenants move out, they often leave behind furniture and other fitout items. Australia disposes of approximately 30,000 tonnes of commercial furniture annually, 95% of which is placed into landfill.36 To address the growing challenge of commercial furniture waste, Investa facilitated a partnership, on behalf of the building owners with FF&3, a circular economy solutions provider, to rehome or repurpose furniture, fixtures and equipment items left by tenants at 1 Market Street and 6 O’Connell Street in Sydney. In partnership with our owners, these projects created the following environmental impact:
1 Market Street, Sydney
• 197 products were given a second life including tables, workstations, chairs, storage units, technology, equipment and books
• Broke down 95% of items into raw materials (6.68 tonnes)
• 82% of items were diverted from landfill (by weight).
6 O’Connell Street, Sydney
• 48% of items rehomed
• 175 items were recycled from seating, workstations, storage and other equipment
• 92% landfill diversion rate was achieved through a combination of rehoming and recycling initiatives
Both projects also delivered meaningful social outcomes. Our owners’ donations from the 6 O’Connell Street building supported five charities, schools and community organisations, including Bandu, Narrabeen Sports High School and ReLove. These contributions helped create functional study, work and living spaces for First Nations youth, students and families in need. This enhanced learning environments, supporting community facilities and furnishing safe homes for vulnerable individuals.
At 1 Market Street, two high-value Eames tables were identified and donated to ReLove, enabling the charity to raise an estimated $2,000–$3,000 through resale. In addition, 200 law books were rehomed through Sydney Props, supporting reuse across film, theatre and staging productions.
These projects demonstrate the effectiveness of a structured, circular approach to end of lease office de-fits. 36. Source: Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Sustainability ideas for furniture.
