Tips for reducing office waste

Much is spoken of about how we can improve recycling rates at home, however, much less so is commented on how we can reduce the impact of waste from our places of work. Recycling is often low down the priority list for our businesses but doing so can not only help the environment but can also save you money and give you something to brag about to your clients and customers.

Here are some simple and easy to adopt tips that you can use to reduce wastage in the workplace.

1 – Turn off all of your electronic items at the end of the day rather than leaving them on standby overnight

2 – Set your computer monitors to switch to standby during periods of inactivity

3 – Switch to energy efficient lightbulbs

4 – Take advantage of natural light and leave artificial lighting off for as long as is possible without impacting on your work

5 - Recycle paperwork but try and move towards electronic communications wherever possible through online systems, phone calls and emails. Paperless is the way forward.

6 – When you do have to print try and use products like recycled paper, refillable ink printer cartridges and opt for manufacturers that use non-toxic chemicals. Better yet use one communal printer rather than several around the office.

7 – When ordering food or sourcing food for your office try and shop locally. Not only are you supporting other local businesses, but you’ll also be reducing your carbon footprint.

8 – Be flexible with working. If an employee can work from home, car pool or use public transport to begin their working day then you should try and encourage it to reduce emissions

9 – Allow casual attire during the summer. There’s nothing worse than being stuck in stuffy suit and tie during a baking summer’s day. Allowing more casual clothing during the summer can not only keep your employees happy but also reduce the need for expensive and resource intensive air-cooling systems.

10 – In the bathroom opt for recyclable products such as non-single use plastic handwash and paper towels.

11 – Retain packaging such as boxes and mailers for reuse later down the line

12 – Waste sorting is essential but in a big workplace this can be time consuming. Delegate up tasks between several members of staff to even out the workload.

13 – Enquire about recycling and green policies with suppliers carefully before choosing to strike up a relationship – otherwise all your efforts could be of no use

If you’re looking for advice and help with creating a thrifty and eco-friendly waste policy then speak to LSPS today. We offer a complete waste disposal management package to businesses and offices in Leicestershire to help them meet their needs and adhere to regulations. We also have a secure shredding service to dispose of confidential waste. To find out more please contact us on 0800 083 7807.

24-hour plastic-free challenge – could you do it?

According to research from the environmental charity Greenpeace – nine in ten people asked admitted that they were concerned about plastic waste and the effect that it has on our oceans.

Single-use plastics are often dubbed an ‘unavoidable’ part of our everyday lives. However, from coffee cups and plastic straws to single-use carrier bags there have been plenty of victories in recent years to help curb the mountains of plastic making their way to our oceans, polluting water sources and harming marine life.

Environmental charity Friends Of The Earth is encouraging people to go one-step further and take on a new challenge called Drastic On Plastic. This experiment asks those taking part to take a pledge to avoid single-use plastics for a 24hour period, or as long as they can.

The idea is to start your timer on your phone and leave it running until you use your first piece of single use plastic such as a packaging on food. Once this happens you stop your timer and record your findings on their website. These findings will help to highlight the difficulties people face in reducing plastic waste and where stronger action is needed. Those interested in taking part can register here: foe.uk/0702-timer-challenge.

Friends of the Earth’s plastic-free campaigner Julian Kirby said:

“Lots of companies have made proud claims about reducing plastic - but just how easy is it to avoid plastic bags, cups, bottles and packaging in our everyday lives?

“Take the plastic challenge and find out how long you can go before you have to use an item of throw-away plastic.

“And by letting us know which bit of unwanted plastic ended your challenge, it will help us put pressure on retailers and manufacturers to reduce the waves of pointless plastic pollution that blights our environment and harms our wildlife.

“It’s time for the government to get drastic on plastic - and that’s why we need a new law to ensure tougher action to end the plastic pollution crisis.”

Here at LSPS, recycling is of great importance to us and we help businesses and individuals all across Leicestershire to reduce the amount of their waste that ends up at landfill sites. Our Waste Transfer Station is open to traders and has an extensive range of state-of-the-art equipment.

To find out how about we can help with your waste disposal needs please contact us on 0800 083 7807 or visit our website for further information.