Schools in Phuentshogling will no longer have to deal with the hassle of discarding broken furniture or auctioning it off for little value. The Phuentshogling Thromde and the Bhutan Board Products Limited are collaborating to refurbish old-school furniture locally. This is expected to offer high-quality furniture at prices half the cost of importing new ones.
This initiative is expected to not only reduce waste but also ensure that schools can continue to equip students with the necessary tools for learning, all while staying within budget.
Phuentshogling Thromde plans to improve school infrastructure and facilities in the 13th Five-Year Plan to create a better learning environment.
As part of this effort, the Bhutan Board Products Limited is refurbishing old furniture by reusing steel frames to create new ones.
“The desks and chair frames are usually auctioned as scraps. From here on, we have asked them not to do so, rather we would repair and make new furniture without compromising the quality. The price would also be about 50 per cent less. That’s how we started the project,” said Sherab Namgay, Managing Director, Bhutan Board Products Limited, Phuentshogling.
According to Thromde officials, instead of replacing old furniture with expensive imports, the initiative is expected to reduce the cost by over 50 per cent.
“They gave us a huge discount and also this is a business opportunity. The collaboration can reduce imports. Also, there is a huge advantage when we source it locally rather than importing it. We can fix accountability if it does not turn out well. Therefore, this is another plus point aside from good quality and price,” said Uttar Kumar Rai, Phuentshogling Thrompon.
The Bhutan Board Products Limited officials said the initiative will help manage school furniture more sustainably, reducing costs and making use of local resources.
“One main benefit is cost saving because when the frames are auctioned as scraps, their values are very low. And this is something we can repair within the country thereby reducing imports. For example, we are investing nearly Nu 3,000 for a classroom desk. Now, we can repair it and make it new at around Nu 1,600,” said Sherab Namgay, Managing Director, Bhutan Board Products Limited, Phuentshogling.
The Phuentshogling Thromde spent Nu 6.4 M to refurbish furniture for four schools, benefiting about 4,000 students this year.
Meanwhile, Bhutan Board Products Limited plans to expand this model to schools in Chhukha and Thimphu, promoting a more sustainable and cost-effective approach.
Kinley Dem, Phuentshogling
Edited by Sonam Pem
