Almost every corporation or institution has a dreaded storage warehouse: it’s the building that acts as a catch-all for all the furniture, fixtures, and equipment that no longer have a purpose in their respective departments. In frustration, not knowing other options, companies often trash excess inventory.
Kristine Mahoney, the Facilities and Operations Director of the College of Human Ecology at Cornell, knew there was a better way. With a little bit of planning, she was able to reduce Cornell’s impact at the landfill, clean out unnecessary inventory, and improve the community in which the university operates. Here’s how she did it.
Mahoney decided something needed to be done with the decades of FF&E left in her storage facility, but she didn’t want to simply take a bulk trip to the dump. The layers of a storage warehouse can compound on each other so that the deeper you dig, the more you catch yourself asking questions like “Did Paul Revere make this decorative bowl??” Going through her inventory, Mahoney was actually able to restore and repurpose a few pieces that were valuable to Cornell’s history.
Now she had to figure out what to do with the rest. With the help of her inventory team, she cleared a large “viewing area” for the extra furniture and opened the warehouse up on weekends for Cornell and its surrounding community to come and pick out items. After less than two months, organizations and underfunded school systems were able to receive much needed amenities from the warehouse, and hundreds of people participated in the giveaway. According to the College of Human Ecology at Cornell University, over 5,000 square feet of furniture was rehomed, while 6,900 pounds of books and 5,900 pounds of electronics were either donated or recycled.
Coordinating a warehouse recycle event like Mahoney’s will benefit your company in more ways than one. You don’t need to worry about a growing surplus of FF&E, and you prove that you care about the environment and the community surrounding your operations. Need help organizing an inventory recycle event of you own? At CMCI, we create and manage systems that are easy, smooth, and stress-free—every time. Check out our blog on the benefits of having a Trash Bash.
