GPP Academy - Rethinking Office Design: How Circularity is Changing the Workplace

Worn, Not Worthless: Giving Office Furniture a New Lease on Life 

Office fit-outs are seen as fresh starts—but all too often, they send tonnes of usable furniture straight to landfill.

Beyond wasted resources, this is a growing environmental burden. Buildings account for approximately 39% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with research showing that repeated interior fit-outs across a building’s life cycle often contribute more emissions than the initial construction. According to data from Sustainable Office Solutions (SOS), office interiors alone can generate up to 190 kg of CO₂e and 77 kg of waste per square metre.

To raise awareness about more sustainable options when it comes to office interior design, Swire Properties partnered with SOS by JEB Group to deliver a powerful workshop on Rethinking Workspaces – Office Design for Sustainability & Wellness as part of the Green Performance Pledge (GPP) Academy. The goal: to help tenants explore how office design can reduce environmental impact while promoting wellbeing.

Understanding the Impact

The session began with opening remarks from Rob Wall, CEO of JEB Group. Andy Russell, Group Strategy & Growth Director of JEB Group, then presented on SOS’ Ethical Clearances & Relocation services. A group of 27 participants from 19 tenant companies learned about embodied carbon—the invisible footprint in every chair, desk and partition. According to SOS, a standard task chair has 110 kg of embodied CO₂ emissions upon purchase. If the chair is replaced three times over 20 years, that adds up to 330 kg CO₂. Refurbishing the chair instead reduces that total to 268 kg CO₂.

SOS takes a circular approach: reuse, refurbish, remanufacture, donation and recycle. In just four years, the team has diverted 8,600 tonnes of furniture from landfill and avoided 8.6 million kg of CO₂. Since 2021, their collaboration with Swire Properties has avoided 154,879 kg of CO₂ emissions—equivalent to cancelling more than 360 one-way flights from Hong Kong to London, Heathrow¹.

The Business Case

Circular design and use of responsible materials also make business sense when considering the economic and human benefits of sustainable practices. Taking the example of 79 linear meters of partitions with 35 doors, SOS demonstrated that reusing partitions could save HKD700,000 and cut emissions by 29,030 kg of CO₂e. Modular systems allow reuse across locations—reducing both cost and environmental impact.

The workshop also highlighted wellness-focused design, from low-VOC finishes and acoustic pods to biophilic layouts. These elements don’t just lower environmental impact—they boost employee wellbeing, productivity and retention.

Getting Hands-On

What set this workshop apart was its immersive, hands-on nature. Following the presentation, sleeves were rolled up and tools were picked up as teams cleaned, repaired and restored real office furniture.

From deep-cleaning chairs married by stubborn coffee and soy sauce stains to exploring modular, sustainable partition systems, the session brought circular solutions to life. Participants raced to replace chair casters, demonstrating just how quick and satisfying small-scale repair can be. A lively quiz tested knowledge on sustainable furniture materials and what to consider when making better purchasing decisions.

Perhaps the most powerful takeaway? Seeing worn-out items reupholstered, polished and fully functional again—often in just a few simple steps. The experience challenged the “just replace it” mindset and revealed how accessible circularity can be in everyday office environments.

Rethinking the Future

Survey feedback confirmed the workshop was a resounding success—100% of post-survey respondents said the workshop improved their understanding of office furniture refurbishment as a sustainability practice. More importantly, the mindset shift was clear: tenants said they would think twice before discarding.

With regulatory changes on the horizon across Asia, sustainable fit-outs are quickly moving from best practice to business imperative. For forward-thinking tenants, the question is clear: How will your next office design support a more responsible legacy? 

Planning your next fit-out? Reach out to Swire Properties to explore how the GPP can help future-proof your workplace.

¹ Based on ICAO's Carbon Emissions Calculator, a one-way economy-class flight from Hong Kong (HKG) to London (LHR) generates approximately 425 kg of CO₂ per passenger. Dividing the 154,879 kg CO₂ avoided through the Swire-SOS collaboration by 425 kg results in the equivalent of approximately 364 one-way flights avoided.
Source: ICAO Carbon Emissions Calculator (accessed June 5, 2025).