Dealing with office waste is an important part of office management, and systems should be regularly evaluated to see if they can be improved. One of the biggest concerns in commercial waste is that not enough is being recycled, and all businesses should be making an effort to increase their recycling remit.
The UK produces of millions tonnes of waste every year, and the amount we throw away keeps rising. Around three quarters of the waste is from industry and construction, with the other quarter chucked by households and small businesses. The average household produces a tonne of waste annually, much of which could be recycled.
If you produce a lot of waste, then you need a reliable partnership with a local commercial waste and recycling company. Most businesses will need extra waste and recycling collections than offered by local councils. Here are some top tips for implementing an office waste strategy that works.
1. Measure and track
If you haven’t got one already, set up a system to track the amount of waste your business is producing on a monthly and yearly basis. You need to measure this to achieve good management, and you can’t set targets for reducing waste if you can’t measure what you’re producing. Use a data management program to track figures such as recycling rate.
2. Reduce waste
By reducing the overall waste your company produces, you can simplify waste management and save money in the process. Take steps to encourage staff to reuse items and consider if waste could be donated to local charities or organisations before sending it to landfill.
3. WEEE Management
Any business will understandably have a large amount of electronics to throw away, as systems are upgraded and replaced every few years. There are laws surrounding the discarding of electrical items which need to be followed by all businesses. Keep waste electrical equipment separate from all other waste and recycling, and arrange for it to be collected by a certified WEEE recycling company.
4. Encourage recycling
It’s always a good idea to try and reduce the amount of general waste, so in addition to reusing or donating, you can also make sure staff are recycling everything possible, rather than throwing it in general waste. Incorporate double sided printing throughout the office as standard, and make sure you have a clear list of what can be recycled at each station. Make people stop and think before putting something in the general waste bin.
5. Limit suppliers
It’s a lot easier to have one waste partner for all services, rather than dealing with multiple providers. An office services provider such as Regional Services can dispose of all waste and recycling, including WEEE and bulky waste when needed. Reduce time wasted on organising collections by having one waste management partner.
