Second-hand goods are as popular as ever, though many of these treasures might have otherwise ended up in the bin once upon a time. Think op shops like Salvos or Red Cross stores, Vinnies, Savers, and perhaps most popular of all, Facebook Marketplace.
These types of markets offer a practical and affordable way to shop amid the backdrop of cost of living pressures, and the money raised typically goes back to those in need—it’s a win-win. The circular economy means goods can find a new lease on life, keeping tonnes of clothing, homewares, furniture and more in use for longer.
These circular economies, as well as donations, are especially important for those doing it tough, no matter how their hardship may have come about. Many facing difficulties rely on it to make ends meet.
At UniSuper, we’ve been busy behind the scenes making our offices across the country even better places to work so we can continue to deliver great retirement outcomes for our members. This includes modernised technology and new and improved office furniture in more suitable spaces.
What to do then with the old bits and pieces that become unwanted but are still perfectly usable—chairs, desks and the like? We’ve been working with partners to make the most of circular economies, ensuring our phased-out office goods find their way to those who need it most.
229 Elizabeth St, Brisbane
Following our merger with Australian Catholic Super (ACS) in 2022, we’ve sought to bring our new UniSuper family together in our offices across the country—consolidating our people in one workspace in each city to foster great culture.
We undertook a de-fit of our office at 229 Elizabeth St, Brisbane in late September 2024. This location was the former Queensland home of ACS, which came into the UniSuper stable following the merger. We sought to bring our people together in one workspace at 300 Queen St, Brisbane.
Most of us would know that moving house usually means waste – scraps, clutter or generally unwanted items – and the same goes for moving offices. The items we looked to replace, like office chairs, desks and other furniture, might have ended up going straight to landfill a time ago.
We worked with Project Net Zero, a 100% First Nations-owned organisation, to give this furniture a new purpose. Some 244kg of furniture was donated to Connected Inc., a not-for-profit charity that assists people affected by hardships like domestic violence and natural disasters. They’ll sell the donated furniture through their op shop in Virginia, Brisbane.
“In the property and facilities space, we’re recognising more and more that you can’t just make a thing, use a thing and throw away a thing anymore—it needs to be that circle of life,” UniSuper Facilities & Corporate Services Category Lead, Paul Lemieszek, says.
“That’s where we’re reusing and recycling and donating things much, much more than we have in the past. This is a small example, but it’s indicative of what UniSuper is seeking to do, and that our industry and our society will be doing in the longer term.”
Paul oversaw de-fit work at 229 Elizabeth St, and is proud to have fostered an uplifted space for our teams: “Property’s always a big investment. It’s a real passion of mine—being in the right space and providing the right workplaces. You can’t develop people without it.”
Remaining furniture not claimed by Connected Inc. will be recirculated through Project Net Zero’s warehouse, and the proceeds from their sale will also be donated. Ultimately, this creation of circular economies kept 2,365kg out of landfill.
33 Burwood Road, Sydney
After the ACS merger, we came into ownership of its former home at 33 Burwood Road, where some of our team has since been based. We’re looking to sell the building as we consolidate at 1 Macquarie Place, Circular Quay, Sydney, where we plan to occupy a full floor from June 2025. As part of the office fit-out at 1 Macquarie Place, we’ll be reusing furniture from Burwood.
The Burwood office will undergo a de-fit similar to Brisbane, which will see remaining furniture donated to charitable causes and kept out of landfill. While work progresses, Andrew Harington, UniSuper National Property Project Delivery Lead, predicts the beneficiaries will be many.
“After the move, we’ll get a breakdown (of where furniture ended up) … it’s a great story,” he says. “It will likely go to housing, education or remote areas. There’s so many options.”
Andrew is the driving force behind our Sydney shift and expects to know just how much landfill was saved once the de-fit and consolidation at Circular Quay is complete. Unfortunately we can’t donate everything – like used carpet tiles – but we’ll explore recycling options to avoid these going to landfill.
To sell 33 Burwood Road, we needed to prove its environmental credentials with a NABERS (National Australian Built Environment Rating System) assessment—the building hadn’t been previously NABERS rated, and leasable buildings need such a rating to be either leased or sold.
What’s a NABERS rating? Simply put, it’s a sustainability measure for buildings, looking at efficiency in energy, water, waste and indoor environment. A star rating from one (making a start) to six (market leading) is then provided for each category—think of it like your fridge’s energy rating.
NABERS awarded 33 Burwood Road five stars for energy and six stars for water, pointing to a well-performing, sustainable building for the rating period of 20 September 2023 to 19 September 2024 and paving the way for a sale.
Once complete, we hope the new owners of our preloved equipment are as thrilled as we are.
You might also be interested in:
Read about some of the initiatives we’ve been working on with our employer partners.