If you’re cleaning out your office space at home or work, you may be wondering how to get rid of your office furniture and other items. It’s not always easy to tell which organizations accept certain items, or whether furniture or junk removal is the best option for you as you declutter your office space. Read on to learn more about where you can donate or remove office furniture so that you can clean up your work space, and learn some tips and tricks for decluttering your office space.
Donate your used office furniture to charity
Habitat for Humanity ReStores in the GTA accept donations of new or like new office furniture and supplies. These might include desks, chairs, other furniture or other office items you might be looking to remove from your space. You can arrange a free pickup from your home or place of business by filling out the form on Habitat’s website. Our pickup team will get in touch with you to discuss next steps to arrange your indoor pickup. You can also donate items through dropping them off at one of our ReStores.
There are several Habitat for Humanity affiliates in Ontario, and you can find the one closest to you by identifying your local region and checking out the affiliate’s website to see their locations near you. Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga represents Burlington, Mississauga, Oakville, Milton, Halton Hills and Georgetown.
Habitat for Humanity GTA serves Brampton, Caledon, Toronto, Scarborough and the region of York. Habitat Durham represents Ajax Oshawa and Uxbridge, and Habitat Hamilton serves the region of Hamilton. To find your closest Habitat ReStore, check out Habitat for Humanity Canada’s ReStore locator.
When you donate to Habitat ReStores, your items are sold to raise money to help us build more homes for more local families. You can learn more about our vision of affordable housing by visiting our website.
Green Standards is a Toronto-based environmental firm which redistributes office furniture, equipment and supplies, serving locations across North America. They accept donations of desks, chairs, bookshelves, furniture and office supplies and stationary. Donated items are given to community organizations and charities. Visit their website to learn more.
Goodwill accepts donations of furniture and office supplies. You can use their online locator to find your nearest Goodwill drop off location. Donations to Goodwill help create employment opportunities for individuals in your community, and profits raised from the sale of items go towards supporting job training, employee and family strengthening programs and employment services.
Furniture Bank Mississauga accepts donations of furniture, including items you may have in your office such as desks (no longer than four feet), chairs, tables and bookshelves (no taller than six feet). Check out a full list of accepted items, and certain specifications for donating, on Furniture Bank’s website. You can get a quote for the cost of having your items picked up, or choose to donate your items through an in-person drop off.
Dispose of electronic waste in a responsible manner
Whether you’re cleaning out a home office or an office in a corporate building, you likely have some old electronics that you’re looking to get rid of. Make sure you dispose of your electronic waste in a responsible way so that you minimize the negative impact on the environment. Before you donate electronic waste from your office, you’ll want to ensure that you’ve erased any personal or company information which may have been stored on the device.
Habitat for Humanity ReStores across the GTA accept donations of electronic waste, and you can find your closest location by following the link to our ReStore directory.
Free Geek Toronto recycles electronic waste including cameras, cables, computers, copiers, DVD players, fax machines, keyboards, laptops, MP3 players, power cords, mobile phones, radios, LCD TVs and more. You can schedule a pickup on their website for a Thursday between 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Recycle My Cell has drop off locations across the GTA, including in Burlington, Oakville and Mississauga. They accept cell phones, smartphones and cell phone accessories, and any mobile device which connects to a cellular network. Donated cell phones are sent to recycling facilities to be refurbished or dismantled, and the scrap materials are used to build new mobile devices and other items. Visit their website to learn more.
Consider junk removal
Of course, it’s better to donate your items instead of just throwing them out. However, this isn’t always possible and sometimes junk removal may be your only option. Many junk removal companies also try to donate what they can salvage, while recycling the rest of the items. There are several junk removal companies in the GTA who service office buildings.
1-800-GOT-JUNK will pick up furniture, as well as electronic waste such as computers, printers, monitors and screens. Visit their website to learn more and schedule your pickup. Junk It! offers large scale junk removal targeted towards commercial organizations, including for restoration, construction and general contractors, movie, advertising and television production, property and facility managers, real estate agents and other businesses. More information is available on Junk It!’s website.
We-haul is another junk removal organization which offers its services for businesses in the GTA. On their website, they specify that they will pick up office furniture, electronic waste and other forms of waste. You can find more information on We-haul’s website.
Tips for decluttering your office space
Chances are you’ll find lots of things you had previously forgotten about while cleaning your office space. If you’re finding that this is the case, it may be helpful to sort your belongings into piles of things to keep or throw out. While looking through old notes or documents, remember to shred anything that is confidential or which contains personal information.
When decluttering your office space, it is also helpful to keep in mind your end goal with the space. Are you seeking to clean up a few drawers so that you can make room for new items, or do you want to completely renovate your office? Determining the scale of your project can help you decide how many items to donate or have picked up.
Finally, remember that your office is a place where you go to work most days. You want it to be an inviting space which makes you feel safe, comfortable and happy. You also want it to be a space where you feel you are able to be productive. Whether that means adding shelving units to organize your file folders or donating old furniture to make room for a new desk, there are lots of ways you can renovate or clean your office space.
While you’re cleaning, you can also do some good in your community by donating to charitable organizations that will use your donated item to have a positive impact on the lives of local individuals and families. Plus, when you donate your used furniture you are saving it from ending up in a landfill, thus helping the environment. Donate your used office furniture today!