Re-Freshed
A Circularity Program by Humanscale for Contract
Introducing our Second-Life Program
We restore each chair through a careful refresh process that includes detailed inspection, sanitization, and component review. You get the comfort and performance Humanscale is known for, while keeping high-quality products in use longer.
Find Your Chair
Pre-determined frame & mesh finishes available now. Choose your preferred fabric to complete your circular chair.
Freedom Task
Graphite Frame
959 Available
Freedom Headrest
Polished Aluminum Frame with Graphite Trim
85 Available
Freedom Headrest
Graphite Frame
44 Available
Liberty Task
Black Frame with Monofilament Green Mesh
754 Available
Less Waste, By Design
For decades, we've been creating products for reuse by designing for serviceability and repair.
Humanscale reduces manufacturing waste by extending the life of our products and ensuring they don't end up in landfills. We consider circularity in two phases: product design and the circular system through which the product gets reused.
For decades, our products have been designed around four key pillars to optimize for a circular model.
How it Works
01 Longevity
Many of the components in our products are durable enough to be used a second and even third time. This inherent durability allows for an extended life, far beyond its initial use.
02 Serviceability
Our products are designed in such a way that it's simple to refresh certain components as needed, without having to completely disassemble or discard the entire product.
03 Material Health
Since our intent is to reuse our products again and again, we prioritize the use of non-toxic materials to ensure harmful chemicals, like carcinogens, don't continue to recirculate in the environment.
04 Simplicity
Our chairs have significantly fewer parts - about half the parts as other chairs - reducing their overall footprint and making it easier to replace parts individually.
Furniture waste is challenging to manage. The materials used, like wood, metal, and various plastics, are often difficult to recycle. Proper waste management practices are crucial to mitigate the environmental impacts, including pollution and resource depletion.
The United Nations Environment Programme
Municipal solid waste is projected to increase from 2.1 billion tonnes in 2023 to 3.8 billion tonnes by 2050.
Challenging the status quo
From Linear To Circular
The current economy can be described as linear: we buy products, use them, then throw them away.
In a circular economy, old products become the raw material for new products. This approach offers substantial environmental benefits by reducing energy consumption, cutting greenhouse gas emissions, minimizing natural resource extraction, preserving ecosystems, and reducing harmful mining activities.
Actually implementing a circular economy in the furniture industry is challenging due to high recycling costs, logistical issues, and inadequate processing infrastructure. The "fast furniture" culture, with its disposable, low-quality products, complicates matters further, requiring significant changes in manufacturing, consumer behavior, and waste management.
See how we're making circularity a reality.
Bob King, Founder and CEO, Humanscale
"We believe that it's our responsibility to ensure that both people and the planet are better off because we're here."
Textiles, arm pads, gas cylinders, and casters being replaced per protocol.
Our sustainability approach focuses on minimizing our environmental impact and creating positive impacts that leave the world better off.
Testing success in the field
The Road to Circularity
We've spent the last few decades designing products to be circular. But circularity doesn't happen on its own. Now that our durable products are coming to the end of their long life, we're setting up the systems to make sure the products can cycle through again. And again. And again...
Over the last few years, we've been piloting and testing parts of circular cycle to ensure that the entire system will succeed.
Sale of previously owned chairs to a commercial customer
London, UK.
For our first pilot, Humanscale sold previously owned chairs to a commercial customer. In the process, we learned the importance of conserving energy and limiting emissions through local material processing and setting customer expectations for the appearance of used and restored products.
Returning previously owned chairs to our warehouse
San Jose, CA, USA.
We tested a process for returning previously owned chairs to a Humanscale warehouse, replacing worn parts, and shipping them out of the factory to new customers within a reasonable timeframe.
Leasing chairs to a commercial customer
Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Ongoing at the time of publication, in this pilot we leased chairs to a customer with a temporary office rental. this entailed significantly rethinking internal processes for many Humanscale teams, including legal, sales, customer service, and logistics. Although this project was negotiated directly with Humanscale, we aim to include dealer partners in the future.
Interested in Re-Freshed?
Have questions about the program or current availability? Share your details and a Humanscale rep will reach out.
