INDUSTRY
Pulp & Paper, Manufacturing
COMPANY SIZE
30,000
HEADQUARTERS
Atlanta, Georgia
While revitalizing the GP Center’s 520,000 square feet of office space, Georgia-Pacific partnered with Green Standards to manage and plan the sustainable office decommission of 700+ tons of furniture and equipment. The Blue Sky project achieved 95% landfill diversion while providing in-kind donations to 60+ non-profits in Metro Atlanta.
LANDFILL DIVERSION RATE (745 TONS)
0%
IN-KIND DONATIONS
$0
NON-PROFIT BENEFICIARIES
0+
FLOORS WORTH OF FURNITURE
0
SQUARE FEET OF OFFICES
0+
METRIC TONS OF CO2e EMISSIONS AVOIDED
0
Challenge
The Blue Sky Project was an opportunity for Georgia-Pacific to modernize their current headquarters with renovations ongoing in 4 phases. At the same time, there was a significant amount of older furniture that would not fit into their new plans and it was important to them to find beneficial reuse in the community in which they operate.
With thousands of items being removed in each phase, Georgia-Pacific needed a turnkey solution provider that would expedite the decommission process while identifying and facilitating suitable beneficiary partners.
“We talk about the four Rs, which is Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rethink. It takes it beyond the traditional three Rs and really puts some focus on being thoughtful about what we’re doing. By combining donation, resale and recycling strategies Green Standards has helped us to virtually eliminate waste.”
John Mulcahy
Vice President, Sustainability
Georgia-Pacific
Solution
Green Standards managed the entire process, including the dismantling, removal and relocation of each item, and coordinating between the movers, buyers, local non-profits and specialized recyclers. We also provided documentation and in-depth environmental and social impact reporting to help Georgia-Pacific capture and review the outcome of the sustainable office decommission project.
Result
Through our program, Georgia-Pacific kept 744.5 tons of surplus office furniture and equipment in use, with a landfill diversion rate of 95.7% across all project phases. To date, Green Standards has facilitated in-kind donations worth $315,456 to 64 non-profits and charitable organizations in Metro Atlanta, including The Salvation Army and Zoo Atlanta.
Asset Distribution
Resale
Donation
Recycling
Relocation
Landfill
Beneficiary Spotlights
Zoo Atlanta
“Zoo Atlanta is a conservation based organization, so it’s important that we make sustainability of our own operation a top priority. Whether it’s for wildlife or for people, we thank Georgia-Pacific and Green Standards for enabling this to happen”
Raymond B King
President and CEO
Zoo Atlanta
Salvation Army
“On behalf of the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center in Atlanta Georgia. We want to assure Green Standards and Georgia-Pacific from my heart to yours. Thank you so very much. Gently used furniture artwork, desks, chairs and a vast array of items will find new homes in the Atlanta community.”
Major Michael Vincent, ARC Administrator
Salvation Army
