Environmental, built on substance.
The environmental impact of a workplace project is not just about the products on the floor. It is about how those products are specified, how long they last, what happens to them when they are no longer needed, and how the wider choices made during a project reflect the values of the business behind it.
Environmental responsibility, across four areas.
At Neo Office, we approach environmental responsibility across four areas: the products we specify and the manufacturers we work with, the principles of reuse and circular furniture, how we handle recycling and responsible disposal, and our partnership with Ripple Africa for clients who want to connect their workplace investment with practical climate action.
Sustainable product choices
The most environmentally responsible piece of furniture is one that doesn't need to be replaced. We work with manufacturers chosen in part for their approach to environmental performance: the materials they use, how their products are made, how long they are designed to last and what happens to them at end of life. Steelcase, Ahrend and Actiu all carry strong and independently verifiable environmental credentials, and we bring those into the conversation at the specification stage.
That means helping clients understand lifecycle value alongside upfront cost, looking at recycled content where it is relevant, and making sure the products specified are built for the long term. A chair that lasts fifteen years costs far less per year than one that needs replacing in five, and its environmental footprint looks very different too.
Circular furniture and reuse
Before anything new is specified, it is worth asking what can stay. Circular furniture thinking starts with an audit of what is already in the space: what is worth keeping, what can be refurbished, what can be reupholstered, what can be repurposed elsewhere and what genuinely needs to go. It is not always the right approach for every project, but it is always worth the conversation.
Reuse is also built into how we think about new product specification. Furniture that can be reconfigured as a business grows and changes has a longer useful life than furniture fixed to a single layout — a benefit that is environmental as well as practical.
A tree planted for every installation
Neo Office funds the planting of a tree through Ripple Africa for every qualifying chair or desk sold. Every project adds to the count, giving clients a simple, visible connection between their procurement decision and practical environmental action.
More belowFurniture recycling and responsible disposal
At the end of a product's life, how it is disposed of matters. We help clients plan furniture recycling and responsible disposal as part of the project, not as an afterthought once the new furniture has arrived: carrying out old furniture audits, identifying what can be reused or donated, and arranging collection and recycling through responsible routes to keep as much as possible out of landfill.
Where manufacturers offer take-back schemes or remanufacturing programmes, we flag those at the specification stage. For clients with ESG reporting requirements or responsible procurement policies, we can support documentation of disposal decisions and environmental outcomes as part of the project record.
2052
Trees planted to date through Neo Office installations
How it works
Neo Office funds the planting of a tree through Ripple Africa for every qualifying chair or desk sold. Every project adds to the count, giving clients a simple, visible connection between their procurement decision and practical environmental action.
Ripple Africa
For clients who want their workplace project to carry a wider positive impact, Neo Office supports Ripple Africa, a UK-registered charity working with communities in Malawi on environmental protection, reforestation and long-term sustainable development. We fund the planting of a tree through Ripple Africa for every qualifying chair or desk sold — so a workplace with fifty chairs and fifty desks can fund one hundred trees — and we can confirm the number of trees funded as part of a project. Neo Office can also offer carbon offsetting through Ripple Africa's UN-registered cookstove programme in Malawi. Find out more at rippleoffsets.com.
- UK registered charity (1103256 / SC043082) and US 501(c)(3).
- Working in Malawi since 2003 on reforestation and community development.
- Carbon offsets issued as UN-registered Certified Emission Reductions.
- Trees funded through Neo Office are tracked through the programme.
Ripple Africa in action
Reforestation, fuel-efficient cookstoves and community programmes across Malawi — the work each Neo Office installation helps fund.
What we commit to as a business.
Eco Active member
Neo Office is a registered member of Eco Active, Jersey's government-backed environmental accreditation scheme. We monitor and work to reduce energy use, waste and carbon across our operations.
Sustainable procurement
We prioritise manufacturers with recognised sustainability credentials, including EPDs, FSC certification, B Corp status and other third-party accreditations.
Furniture reuse before replacement
Our aftercare and reconfiguration services support clients in extending the life of existing furniture, reducing waste and embodied carbon.
ISO 14001 (in progress)
We are working towards ISO 14001 certification, the international standard for environmental management systems.
Ripple Africa
For every desk or chair installed, Neo Office supports tree planting through its partnership with Ripple Africa.
Eco Active Jersey
Eco Active is the Government of Jersey's environmental accreditation programme for local businesses, focused on measuring, reporting and reducing environmental impact across energy, water, waste and carbon.
Neo Office is a registered Eco Active member and reports annually on energy use, waste and carbon across its operations. We are also progressing towards ISO 14001 certification, the international standard for environmental management systems.
Partners with proven credentials.
Actiu
WELL v2 Platinum · LEED Platinum · B Corp
Actiu is one of the few manufacturers to achieve both WELL v2 and LEED Platinum certification at an organisational level, alongside B Corp status. Key product ranges are also LEVEL 2 certified.
Steelcase
CarbonNeutral® · SBTi Net Zero
Steelcase operates with CarbonNeutral® certification and has a Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) validated pathway to net zero, reflecting a long-term, independently assessed carbon reduction strategy.
Orangebox
FSC · PEFC · Circular Design
Wood used across the range is FSC and PEFC certified. Products are developed using circular design principles, enabling disassembly, repair and reuse.
Frequently asked questions
A more responsible workplace project
We can help clients make better choices at every stage: products that last, manufacturers with credible standards, reuse where possible, recycling where not, and practical climate action through Ripple Africa.
Making offices awesome.
Whether it is a single chair or a full workplace project, the conversation starts here.
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