Circular Spaces

Our Circular Spaces initiative helps businesses in central London reduce the cost, carbon and waste associated with office clearances and workplace fit-outs. We help our members find practical alternatives to sending usable furniture to landfill or buying everything new.

Rype Office, our delivery partner, manages the collection of furniture, reuse, refurbishment, remanufacturing, sourcing, design and installation.

Our role is to facilitate introductions and promote the initiative through our networks. Members remain free to use other suppliers if they wish.

What furniture is included?

The initiative can support a wide range of workplace furniture, including:

• Desks and workstations
• Office chairs
• Storage and shelving
• Meeting-room tables and chairs
• Soft seating
• Reception and breakout furniture
• Other suitable office furniture, subject to assessment

There is currently no minimum volume or condition requirement. Furniture is assessed on a case-by-case basis to determine whether it is suitable for reuse, refurbishment or remanufacture. Where possible, furniture should come from sites in London.

How it works

If you have furniture to clear...

1. Tell us what you have: Get in touch with us to discuss the furniture you no longer need.

2. Inventory and assessment: Rype Office uses its AI-enabled inventory software to create a digital profile of each item and assess what could potentially be reused, refurbished or remanufactured. The assessment draws on their engineering expertise and experience to determine what can be economically remanufactured to an as-new condition.

3. Removal and remanufacturing: Rype Office can coordinate removal and disassembly, with transport and storage where required. Suitable furniture can then be refurbished or remanufactured, either directly or through specialist remanufacturing partners.

4. Reporting: Following the project, Rype Office provides impact reporting covering financial savings, carbon emissions avoided, waste avoided and social value created.

Members providing suitable furniture through Rype Office can benefit from a removal cost around 20% lower than the cost of conventional removal and disposal. The saving is calculated against the actual quotation obtained by the participating business for conventional removal and disposal.

If you need furniture...

1. Share your requirements: Tell us about your workplace, requirements and design brief.

2. Explore circular options: Rype Office can advise on circular fit-out options, including reused, refurbished and remanufactured furniture.

3. Design and specification: Their design service includes support from Masters-qualified architects and interior designers to develop a suitable specification for your workplace.

4. Delivery and installation: They’ll coordinate delivery and installation of the furniture as part of the project.

By choosing suitable remanufactured furniture through Rype Office, you can benefit from a price around 20% lower than the cost of an equivalent new product. This does not apply where a client specifically requires an item to be new.

Measuring the impact

Impact reporting is built into the service, helping members understand the financial and environmental benefits of participating.

Following each project, you’ll receive a report on:

• Financial savings
• Carbon emissions avoided
• Waste avoided
• Social value created

Carbon savings are calculated using recognised industry data, including figures published by the Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA). Waste avoided is calculated using average furniture weights based on manufacturers’ catalogues, with data sources provided for auditing.

The value to your business

Taking part gives you access to:

• A practical alternative to conventional furniture disposal
• Circular fit-out and furniture solutions
• Potential savings on clearance and furniture costs
• Furniture inventory and assessment
• Design and specification support
• Furniture reuse, refurbishment and remanufacturing
• Impact reporting for carbon, waste, financial and social value
• Opportunities to contribute to future case studies and shared learning
• The initiative can also help members generate practical evidence for sustainability, procurement, property and ESG reporting.

You can find out more about Rype Office’s previous projects and remanufacturing process.

Get involved

Are you:

• Clearing or refurbishing a central London office?
• Looking for furniture for a new or redesigned workplace?
• Interested in a circular fit-out approach?
• Keen to reduce the cost and environmental impact of your furniture clearance or procurement?
• Interested in contributing to future case studies and shared learning?

Contact your HOLBA Account Manager or send us an email at hello@holba.london