Reuse & Recycle: Norfolk School District
Overview
The Norfolk (VA) School District implemented cafeteria upgrades at six of its elementary schools. The first step was to remove and dispose of existing tables and seating, before contractors arrived to clean, paint, polish floors, and install the new furnishings. The District’s schedule allowed only a single day to remove the furnishings.
The District selected Meteor Education to supply new cafeteria tables and seating. A longtime IRN partner, Meteor suggested to the District that reuse offered the most cost-effective means to dispose of the existing furnishings, along with environmental and social benefits. The District agreed, as long as Meteor Education and IRN could meet their tight timeline.
Project Scope
Cafeteria upgrades at six elementary schools across Norfolk, VA, required old furnishings to be removed within a tight two-day window.
Items Reused
A total of 369 items — including 112 large folding cafeteria tables with attached seating, 33 round tables, and 224 chairs — were placed for reuse.
Scale & Impact
IRN coordinated with Life for Relief & Development to deliver the furnishings to schools across five different states.
By the Numbers
| Furniture Type | Number of Pieces |
|---|---|
| Rectangular Tables with Seats | 112 |
| Round Tables | 33 |
| Cafeteria Chairs | 224 |
| Total | 369 |
Implementation
What set this project apart was the physical bulk of the 112 large rectangular cafeteria tables. With attached seating, these could not be packed tightly into trailers. Additionally, the large number of tables made it challenging to find the appropriate recipient(s). Even among IRN’s large network of charitable partners, there are few that are capable of absorbing 145 large cafeteria tables, accommodating nearly 1,000 students, from a single project.
IRN’s longstanding partner Life for Relief & Development (LRD) supports educational and other humanitarian development across the U.S. and internationally, particularly in Afca, the Middle East, and other parts of Asia. LRD matched the Norfolk furnishings with six independent U.S. schools in five states from Maryland to Arizona. Working closely together, LRD and IRN’s logistics staff set up a loading and shipping schedule to fill five 53-foot tractor trailers in a single day, mixing and matching the Norfolk inventory with the specific needs of each of the recipient schools identified by LRD.
| School | Number of Pieces | Destination |
|---|---|---|
| Granby | 30 | Ann Arbor, MI |
| Sewells Point | 25 | Detroit, MI; Elk Ridge, MD |
| Mary Calcott | 252 | Elk Ridge, MD; Louisville, KY |
| Fairlawn | 20 | Yonkers, NY |
| Ingleside | 28 | Yonkers, NY; Phoenix, AZ |
| Poplar Halls | 14 | Phoenix, AZ |
IRN also coordinated the load crew for the project, splitting and moving the crew from school to school as needed to meet the load schedule. The first truck arrived in Norfolk at 7:00 AM. The fifth and final truck arrived at 2:00 PM, and was filled and dispatched to its destination by 2:40 PM.
