Recycle for Nottinghamshire

The County Council, District Councils and Veolia working together in partnership

Recycling at work

Do you know how much it costs to dispose of the waste from your office? If not you are not alone, many companies are not aware of the real cost, but companies that are are also aware of the value of the raw material, energy and waste labour!

Here are some ideas based on the 3R’s. If you think of any other ideas please contact us!

Reduce

  • Packaging is something we come across every day. Try and work with your suppliers to reduce the amount of packaging they use, which you end up paying 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 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, always do double sided printing where your printer or photocopier will allow and avoid printed memo's and try not to print out your emails for filing!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 such as using boxes for storage or archiving.
  • 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.

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
  • Glass and plastic bottles
  • 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.

Further information and free publications are available from Envirowise at www.envirowise.gov.uk or 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.

Making small changes at work can help save energy and money.

Recycling at work