10 great ways to reduce your Office Waste

Reducing office waste improves resource efficiency, cutting down on the cost of materials, and has a positive impact on the environment and office waste management costs.

1. Use both sides of the paper

Be honest, how often do you use the backside of a piece of paper before starting on a new one? It’s easy to do, but by utilising each side of the paper, you’ll soon realise how much you waste your savings. And if A4 is too big, then why not fold the paper in half to create 4 clean sheets? An even better alternative solution would be to use erasable whiteboards. 

2. Limit printing 

Working in an office environment, you may find yourself printing endless sheets of paper. But is this necessary? By limiting the amount you print, you’re allowing the ink to last longer, as well as reducing your carbon footprint. You should only print if necessary. Be strict with yourselves and your staff, and make sure you only print items if you need to show someone away from the computer.

3. “You’re gonna need a bigger bin”

This one may sound slightly strange, but removing individual bins from desks, will encourage employers to take rubbish to larger recycling bins placed around the office. Therefore, the rubbish is being sorted into the correct bins and can be recycled more efficiently. This change will also cut back on the amount of metal or plastic bins the company will need to replace when they break. 

4. Better light than never

Using fluorescent or LED bulbs in the office can save your business a huge amount of money. Not only do these need to be replaced less often but they also use less energy. 

5. Don’t buy bottled water

We’re all aware that we must use less plastic. One way to combat this in the office is to install a water filter. This means that employers are less likely to go and buy bottled water and instead fill up their reusable bottles at work, creating zero plastic bottle waste.

6. Celebrate wins along the way

A great way to get everyone on board is to incentivise them. Even those who aren’t concerned with the environment may start pulling their weight when they learn that they could be rewarded. 

7. 86 the coffee cups

Each year people throw out 16 billion disposable coffee cups worldwide. Try providing employees with reusable mugs instead. Or use them as prizes when employers reach recycling milestones. And if the message still isn’t getting across consider banning the use of disposable cups altogether. 

8. Go paperless

If you’d rather ditch the paper and embrace the digital world, then why not go paperless? By converting all paperwork and files into digital copies, you’ll no longer need to print, scan or copy items in the workplace. Paperwork is the largest overhead expense in any organisation. This is because it’s one of the most highly used items on a day-to-day basis, so your business could be saving £1000s just by switching to digital. 

9. Ask Vendors/Couriers to Keep the Packaging

If you’re conscious of the amount of packaging your office handles, whether it’s from ordering new supplies or equipment, it may be possible that your couriers take all packaging off your hands. 

10. Work with experts to reduce office waste

An initial office waste audit is a good start, but working with a professional commercial waste management company over time can make sure you keep on top of new recycling opportunities and best practices, for ongoing improvements.

Office Waste Management Plan

If you’d like to work with an expert, get in touch with CDDL Recycling today. With waste management plans for all industries, we could help you reduce your business waste and costs. For more information on business waste management check out our page.