With businesses across the country looking to reduce their impact, the time to create an eco-friendly office is now. The office is the physical embodiment of your company, and going green here will reflect a wider sustainable ethos. However, getting started isn’t always easy.
Great Western Recycling provides industry-leading waste and recycling services to businesses in a range of sectors. We care deeply about the planet, and as such divert 100% of the waste we handle from landfill. If you want to boost the sustainability of your office, we can provide a comprehensive and reliable waste management solution.
In this guide, we provide some great steps you can take to become more eco-friendly in the office.
How to Reduce Plastic Waste in the Office
Plastic is one of the key things people target when trying to be more eco-friendly. And rightly so; it’s estimated that 8 million pieces of plastic pollution enter our oceans every day! If you want to start reducing plastic waste in your office, the first step is, of course, to reduce plastic use.
Don’t offer disposable cups or eating utensils anywhere in your office; instead, provide mugs, glasses, and cutlery that can be washed and reused. You should also encourage staff to bring their own lunch and use reusable water containers. Alternatively, you could provide branded bottles!
If going plastic-free is not possible yet, the plastic you do use needs to be dealt with in the most sustainable way possible. Set up a clear and convenient recycling process with signage explaining exactly what to do. That way your employees have no excuse for putting plastic in the general waste bin!
Plastic Recycling – A Beginner’s Guide to Plastic Recycling >
How to Reduce Paper Waste in the Office
Offices often produce large volumes of paper waste. There’s an easy way to combat this issue – go paperless! With our world moving increasingly online, most tasks can be carried out easily and effectively on our screens – you can even draw up and sign contracts digitally! However, paper use is often a habit, and that can be harder to address.
To start reducing paper use in the office, ban the printing of documents before a meeting. Instead, email documents wherever possible and embrace the plethora of digital tools for notetaking, collaborative working, and brainstorming. For any printing that is necessary, supply recycled paper and make sure the default settings are double-sided.
Office & Commercial Waste Management >
Creating a Sustainable Office – More Top Tips
Set the Attitude
Our first and perhaps most important tip is to start as you mean to go on – together. Improving the sustainability of your office is a collaborative endeavour. That means getting employees engaged and invested in the process is critical to its success. From setting up a dedicated eco team to hosting sustainability talks to displaying or sending out information about the coming changes, communication is key.
Not only will education make staff more motivated, but it will also mean any measures are correctly followed. Take recycling; if people don’t know what to do with plastic and it’s not convenient or clear, they’ll just put it in the general waste bin. By communicating effectively with staff about the benefits of going green, it’s also more likely they’ll consider their personal sustainability – embracing the green commute, and ditching takeaway coffee cups!
Observe Waste Hierarchy
An integral part of office sustainability is what you do with your waste. Managing your waste effectively will not only make your business greener, but it will provide tangible cost-savings too. At the core of any successful waste management process is the waste hierarchy. This hierarchy states what should happen to waste from most favourable option to least favourable: prevent waste, reuse waste, recycle waste, recover waste, and, finally, dispose of waste.
Learn more: What is the Waste Management Hierarchy?
Make Sustainable Switches
There are a host of sustainable switches you can make throughout the office to improve its energy efficiency, depending on how much you want to invest. For example, you could look to upgrade all light fittings with LEDs, which lose less energy through heat. You could also replace windows with double-glazing, and consider retrofitting insulation. All of these measures will not only make your office more environmentally friendly, but also reduce your utility bills!
Ease Up the Air Con
Many offices rely too heavily on their air conditioning – to the point where some members of staff bring in jumpers during the height of summer! To limit air con use to only when is strictly necessary, make the most of natural ventilation. In the mornings, open windows to allow cooler air into the office, and close the blinds on hot days to reduce heat gain. A similar ethos should be taken in the winter months; encourage employees to dress for warmth, rather than just sticking the heating on. You could also get a few office plants; proven to boost air quality and even productivity! In fact, offices with greenery have been found to enjoy a 26% boost in cognition and 30% fewer absences (source).
Go Renewable
To uphold the Paris Agreement, we need to reduce emissions by 45% by 2030, and reach net zero by 2050. This is no easy task, and every business needs to play its part. Switching to renewable or low carbon energy is an easy way for your office to become more sustainable and dramatically reduce its carbon footprint. If it’s an option for you, installing solar panels would be another great investment.
Eco-Friendly Office Waste Management & Recycling
At Great Western Recycling, we know the power of going green. From saving you money to boosting productivity across the board, effective office waste management provides a host of benefits. If you want to transform the way your business handles its waste, we’re here to help. Whether you need one-off support for a clear out or regular, reliable collections, we have all the capabilities and coverage necessary to deliver your total solution.
Get in touch with a member of our friendly team today!
See more: How to Reduce Business Waste
See more: Commercial Recycling – What is it, What Benefits Does it Provide & How to Get Started