Recycle, Reduce, Reuse: How Time And Teamwork Keep Decommissioned Office Material Out Of Landfills

As the office landscape continues to evolve, the practice of decommissioning is no longer simply about clearing out space. It has become a strategic opportunity to maximize value and minimize waste. Whether companies are downsizing in response to hybrid work models or expanding into upgraded, modern spaces, many are now adopting a more environmentally friendly approach to what’s left behind. 

Furniture, fixtures and equipment are increasingly being repurposed through resale or donation to nonprofits, extending the life of valuable resources while supporting community organizations in need. 

“Donating materials from decommissioning projects not only reduces waste, it empowers communities, supports local initiatives and gives resources a second life where they’re truly needed,” said Leopardo Construction Director of Sustainability Patty Lloyd. 

Leopardo frequently partners with Eco Tekk International to ensure sustainable outcomes during decommissioning. This includes recycling and donation efforts as well as minimizing environmental impact through responsible disposal practices. 

“Many building owners are allowing companies that vacate their offices to leave high-quality furniture and equipment behind,” said Eco Tekk President Rick Sidor. “Companies reconfiguring their space or vacating it may also have excess furniture that needs to be disposed of or repurposed.”

Leopardo’s in-house self-perform team has played a crucial role in its decommissioning projects. A core strength of the company, this group of skilled tradespeople includes drywallers, painters, carpenters and laborers. 

“Having an in-house self-perform team gives us the ability to approach decommissioning with more precision and intention,” said Lloyd. “It’s not about removing items quickly. It’s about understanding what can be recovered, and how we can relocate materials in a way that preserves value and minimizes impact.”

Many perceive decommissioning projects as being primarily about furniture removal. While this is a key component of the process and a specialty of Sidor’s team at Eco Tekk, there is much more to the process. 

Decommissioning may also require the removal of mechanical systems, data storage infrastructure, workstation wiring, fire suppression systems and other related components. It can also include plumbing demolition, the recycling of uninterruptible power supply systems — which may involve recycling hundreds of batteries and electronics — and the safe removal of technology.

When removing this much furniture and equipment, firms like Leopardo and Eco Tekk need to consider not only the fastest, most efficient solution for their client but also the most sustainable one.

“Our goal is always to divert as much material from the landfill as possible,” said Lloyd. “We work closely with Eco Tekk to ensure items are either recycled or donated to nonprofits and municipal organizations wherever we can.” 

This was a particularly daunting task on a recent decommissioning project the companies collaborated on for a leading Chicago law firm. This 650K SF decommissioning project required Eco Tekk’s laborers and Leopardo’s self-perform team to clear out 26 floors of furniture and materials. The team also had to safely dispose of a data center with a generator, 4,500 gallons of diesel fuel and a 4,000-gallon fuel tank. 

The project was tackled by focusing on one floor a week, Sidor said. The Leopardo and Eco Tekk teams removed and processed millions of pounds of material. They carefully deconstructed the space to salvage as much usable material as possible. 

Over 24 different entities received material, including many municipalities, law enforcement, schools, and individuals. Among the recipients of the repurposed materials were Lambs Farm and Little City. These nonprofit organizations provide vocational and residential services for adults with developmental disabilities.

“When an item is thrown out, it doesn’t just disappear, it persists in the landfill, taking up energy and resources,” Lloyd said. “There is a growing consensus that circularity and waste reduction are critical components of measuring carbon footprint. Reusing and salvaging materials limits what goes in the landfill and increases the lifespan of these materials.”

Lloyd added that these concepts of carbon footprint and circularity are key to ESG reporting and documenting sustainable projects, which help partners recover value and reduce environmental impact.

Leopardo Sustainability Associate Kyle Quan explained that typically on decommissioning projects, the team conducts salvage assessments where they walk through the space and take note of what materials could be reused or donated. 

“For this project, the team identified several different offices, workstations, shelving systems and other items that could be redeployed and reused,” he said. “As a result, we were able to divert more than 90% of the materials from the landfill.” 

Sidor said that the success of this project came down to two things: time and teamwork.

“The outcome of a decommissioning project really comes down to the willingness of the team to work together,” he said. “And the team consists of more than just Eco Tekk and Leopardo. It includes the willingness of the client, the contractor, the building and the trades. We all have to work in tandem to make it happen.”

He said that often, clients view the decommissioning phase of a project from a linear perspective. As a result, they delay decision-making until they're further along. When this happens, it gives his team less time to find the right homes for materials. 

“People who accept furniture need as much time to figure out if it will work with their space as if they were buying a new product,” he said. “So if we're just given a month to find new homes for the materials, potential users of the furniture don’t have a lot of time to make a decision about taking it.”

The law firm client on this project, however, brought Leopardo and Eco Tekk on very early in the process. As a result, the team had plenty of time to get everything redeployed. The results of this project can be credited to the hard work of not only Leopardo and Eco Tekk but also the client, project manager, property management team and vendors, Sidor said. 

“This highly collaborative decommissioning project embodied the principle of leaving a place better than they found it, setting a strong example for future decommissioning efforts to follow,” he said.  

This article was produced in collaboration between Leopardo and Studio B. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio. To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to studio@bisnow.com.