BOWIE, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 26, 2026--
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260826905800/en/
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that approximately 17 billion pounds of office assets go to landfills in America each year, wasting valuable resources and contributing to the environmental impact associated with manufacturing and disposal.
“We saw how much usable furniture was going to landfills and believed there had to be a better way,” said Dale Ewing, founder and CEO of Installnet, a leading commercial furniture solutions company. “We created Ecoserv in 2012 to help organizations manage surplus assets during workspace renovations, relocations, and closures.”
Rather than treating unwanted furniture as waste, Installnet evaluates opportunities to donate, resell, relocate and recycle each asset, with waste-to-energy considered only as a last resort.
“When organizations relocate, renovate or right-size their workspaces, they have a choice,” Ewing said. “Surplus furniture can become a costly disposal problem, or it can become an asset. Surpassing 60 million pounds diverted from landfills demonstrates what a more strategic approach can accomplish: reducing waste while helping customers control costs, maximize the value of their assets and support the communities where they operate.”
Unlike providers that accept only furniture with resale or donation value, Installnet’s Ecoserv program takes responsibility for all assets removed from a project site, regardless of project size, product type or material condition. Installnet then provides transparent reporting that details how those assets were managed and calculates the project’s overall landfill-diversion rate using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data.
Over the past 12 months alone, Installnet:
"The donated furniture has significantly improved our administrative spaces, giving our volunteers a more functional and comfortable place to work together," said John Krebs V, Fire Chief of the Lineboro Maryland Volunteer Fire Department. "These upgrades strengthen our ability to collaborate, train, and stay organized so we can better serve our community. We're incredibly grateful to Installnet for its generosity and support."
According to Ewing, the continued growth of Ecoserv demonstrates that sustainability and business performance can work hand in hand.
“Sustainability is not retreating,” he said. “It is evolving. Companies are talking about it in more practical terms and focusing on what it can deliver, from greater efficiency and cost savings to smarter use of resources. At the end of the day, sustainability is good business.”
The achievement marks another milestone for Installnet as the company celebrates its 30 th anniversary this year.
About Installnet
Installnet, a leading commercial furniture solutions company, delivers inspired workspaces that help people and communities thrive. Our custom solutions are designed to serve our clients’ unique needs, from project management to access to Installhub, a self-serve platform, to Ecoserv, an award-winning circular decommission program. Supported by a network of more than 250 installation partners across North America, Installnet has helped customers successfully manage workspace projects for 30 years. Learn more about Installnet and Ecoserv.
Installnet has surpassed 60 million pounds of office furniture and equipment diverted from landfills through Ecoserv, its award-winning circular decommissioning program.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday awarded Elon Musk Ukraine's Order of Freedom, one of its highest state honors, for his “outstanding personal merits” in protecting human life and freedom and strengthening ties with the United States.
Musk, the founder of the aerospace company SpaceX, has become one of the most influential, and contentious, private sector figures in Ukraine’s war effort. His decision to provide access to Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet network, was a lifeline for Ukraine after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 and remains critically important.
Starlink has become deeply embedded in Ukraine’s military operations, with commanders and soldiers relying on satellite connectivity to communicate and coordinate operations.
Musk’s decision-making could shape Ukraine’s future military capabilities. Starlink doesn't currently operate over Russian territory, but Zelenskyy wants Musk to reconsider the policy. That would allow Ukrainian forces to maintain satellite connectivity for longer-range drone attacks targeting Russia's military and economic infrastructure.
Musk made no immediate comment on the award, which was announced by presidential decree.
The technology has been integrated into Ukraine’s drone operations, helping operators maintain links with drones and navigate them over longer distances. Ukraine's access to Starlink is the main reason for the early successes of its middle-strike drone campaign, which caught Russian forces off guard and undermined their logistics lines earlier this year.
The campaign has put pressure on Russian logistics in Crimea, giving Ukrainian forces a degree of battlefield momentum that Kyiv has not enjoyed since its successful counteroffensives around Kherson and Kharkiv in late 2022.
Musk has allowed the Ukrainians to use Starlink inside their own territory, including in Russian-occupied regions, but has restricted use of the satellite system inside Russia.
Earlier this year, SpaceX blocked unauthorized Starlink terminals being used by Russian forces in occupied territory, strengthening Ukraine’s position.
Musk is both a crucial partner for Kyiv and a potential source of vulnerability. As Starlink has become embedded in its wartime communications, Musk and SpaceX have significant influence over how the technology can be used, making it important for Kyiv to preserve a positive relationship.
Zelenskyy has sought U.S. help in persuading Musk to permit Ukraine to expand its ability to use Starlink beyond its borders. Musk has said he believes that would be a significant and dangerous escalation, Zelenskyy told reporters last week.
A reported mix-up over whether SpaceX had approved Ukraine’s use of Starlink for operations inside Russia contributed to tensions between Zelenskyy and then-Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who was the government's main interlocutor with Musk.
Fedorov was dismissed in July as part of a broader government shake-up.
Zelenskyy said inaccurate information from the Defense Ministry that SpaceX had approved the bid had contributed to an awkward exchange with U.S. President Donald Trump, who accused the Ukrainian president of deceiving him. He did not say when that occurred.
That contributed to “some of the steps” taken against Fedorov, Zelenskyy told reporters last week, without explicitly accusing him of deliberately providing false information.
Federov's dismissal also highlights the political element of Musk’s role in Ukraine’s war effort.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy talks with Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham at Horodetskyi House during their bilateral meeting in Kyiv, Monday, Aug. 24, 2026. (Henry Nicholls/Pool Photo via AP)
