Recycle at Work

Making small changes in the way you dispose of everyday waste can help you to save money and energy. It also presents your business in a positive light.

Visit www.gloseconet.org.uk and www.envirowise.gov.uk for more information.

Reduce Office Waste

How to reduce office waste and save money - top tips for reducing waste in your office.

Do you know how much money is spent on producing and disposing of waste from your office? Many companies do not know what they spend on waste, and few companies are aware that the real cost of waste, including the value of raw materials, energy and wasted labour, can be up to 20 times the cost of disposal alone.

What can you do in your office to reduce the amount of waste that you produce?

Here are some ideas based upon the 3Rs that will help you to reduce your waste. Why not try implementing a few in your office? You will probably also be able to think of some other ideas yourself.

Reduce

* Packaging is something that all have to deal with. Work with suppliers to try and reduce the amount of packaging that you have to throw away. Some suppliers will take back packaging for reuse, and some might be able to provide 'multi-trip' packaging that they can send your goods in again and again. If you cannot manage either of these, try at least to buy goods that are in recyclable packaging and make sure you recycle it.

* Magazines, journals and junk mail create a lot of waste in many offices. Return unwanted mail back to the sender with a label stating that you do not wish to receive any further correspondence of this type. Some senders might take notice of this! Circulate magazines and journals within your office so that you don't have to receive multiple copies of the same thing.

* Paper is the probably the biggest source of waste in most offices. There are lots of ways to reduce paper consumption in a typical office. For example;

* Maximise the use of electronic media. Avoid printed memo's and try not to print out your emails for filing!

* Always do double sided printing where your printer or photocopier will allow

* If you have to print out draft documents, use a small font or the 'shrink to fit' / zoom option available with many software packages.

* Refreshments and catering waste can also be thrown away in your offices. Ensure that vending machines allow the use of china mugs rather than plastic vending cups, and avoid purchasing disposable catering products such as milk jiggers, sugar sachets and paper plates. Confirm the numbers of people attending meetings and do not over-order supplies.

* Cleaning materials packaging waste can be reduced if you bulk buy concentrated solutions which can be diluted.

Reuse

* Before throwing packaging away, see if you can find another use for it, either in the office or at home. Some boxes might be useful when moving house, and a local antiques shop might be glad to receive a supply of polystyrene chips

* There are many opportunities to reuse 'waste' paper. If it has only been printed on one side, why not keep it and use the other side for printing out draft copies of reports and other documents. If you keep a box for storing this paper at the side of your printer or photocopier, you will get into the habit of using it. Paper used on one side can also be cut up and stapled together to make note-pads

* Reuse envelopes for distributing internal mail

* Once a year, conduct a stationary audit at your desk or office area. You will probably be surprised how much you find. Any surplus items can be returned to your office stores for someone else to use

* Office equipment, such as computers or furniture can often be reused. If you have to get rid of old furniture, there may be resource centres or charities in your local area who can take it away for refurbishment and reuse. Check your yellow pages for details. Similar organisations exist which will take your obsolete IT equipment, although try to find a low power use for old PCs (e.g. as a printer server) first.

Recycle

Whilst reducing and reusing waste will cut both purchase and disposal costs, recycling will only serve to lower your disposal costs. Nevertheless, it is an increasingly popular approach to dealing with office waste. Many common waste items found in offices can be recycled, and as recycling options grow due to legislative and technological progress, the list of possibilities is increasing all the time. Typically, you will be able to find recycling opportunities for;

* Paper (of various types and grades) and cardboard
* Plastic cups
* Batteries
* Toner and printer cartridges
* Drinks cans and tin foil
* Furniture
* IT equipment
* Glass and plastic bottles
* Fluorescent tubes
* Mobile phones
* Wood

There is a wealth of advice available from numerous organisations to help you find the best way of recycling your waste materials. In some cases, you might even be able to make some money from your waste, or at least, operate a recycling scheme at little or no cost. The key to successful recycling is to keep the different types of waste separated or 'segregated at source' so that each type of material retains its maximum value.

See our useful links page for a list of organisations who can get you started on the road to recycling.

Further information and free publications are available from the governments' Envirowise programme on: 0800 585794

Their publication 'Green Officiency : Running a cost-effective, environmentally aware office' gives further information on reducing waste in your office. To obtain a copy, ring the number above and request Guide Number GG256.