Despite assurances, many residents remain convinced that serviceable office equipment and furniture taken from the old Council offices has been land filled.
A Freedom of Information request has revealed that “Any monies received by the clearance contractors for the sale of goods is offset against the invoiced costs of labour, transport, skip hire, and recycling costs”.
This suggests that there is very little incentive for the contractors to reuse or recycle equipment.
Asked how much (%) of the equipment from the old office premises has been either a) reused, b) sold, c) recycled or d) scrapped? the Council responded with the following information:
“No furniture has been sold directly by the council.
The majority of the furniture will be recycled as materials with no more than 4% being disposed through landfill. This is a contractual requirement. All electrical equipment is recycled in accordance with the WEEE directive.
703 PC’s and thin terminals were reused and 398 were disposed of and replaced with thin terminals which are more environmentally friendly consuming less power and reducing CO2 emissions in line with the council’s carbon reduction plans, easier to support and enabling flexible working which is part of the ethos of the building.
475 Monitors (15 and 17 inch) were reused and 480 were recycled as they failed to meet the minimum flexible working standard of 19”
621 Telephones were reused and 480 were disposed of as they did not facilitate flexible working or meet the 1Gb throughput which is now the industry standard.
A number of organisations have collected furniture and equipment for reuse:-
• York Explore;
• Future prospects (Filing cabinets coat stands Pedestals) for use in existing office;
• Elderly Persons Homes (Office Chairs, desk, bookcase, pedestals)
• Children’s centres (office chairs, reception/meeting room chairs, storage cabinets, pedestals, desk fans);
• Howe Hill Homeless centre (Kitchen equipment, and furniture);
• York Crematorium (Desks, filing cabinets, chairs, pedestals for new reception, book shelves) ;
• Respite Service (Chairs);
• Canon Lee School (32 task chairs, 3x low tables, 12 chairs, conference table plus 15 chairs and storage cupboard for special needs children’s centre);
• St Georges and Osbaldwick Primary schools;
• Badger Hill Primary School (soft furnishings for children’s reading area);
• Domestic Abuse Service (filing cabinets, pedestals, chairs, shredders, coat stands);
• Foxwood Community centre (Chairs);
• Lifeline (Desks and Chairs) for use at Blossom Street;
• Adult Learning Centres (Office chairs, meeting room chairs, book case, filing cabinets);
• Pine Trees Day Care Centre (Chairs and pedestals);
• Yearsley Pool (Office Chairs, book shelves, monitor stands, desk trays);
• Hazel Court (Desks, Chairs, Soft furnishing, and Cupboards);
The Council has struggled to convince passers by that equipment apparently dumped into skips outside the St Leonards Place office earlier in the year “was being sorted for recycling”.
