The UK generated 37.2 million tonnes of commercial and industrial waste in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic saw many people working from home. Now, as people across the UK begin returning to the office, it's time to start paying attention to workplace recycling again.
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Collect more waste
You may be recycling paper, but there's plenty of other office waste that you can divert away from landfill sites. Recycling today has advanced far beyond wastepaper, bottles and cans; you can also recycle mobile phones, computers and other electronic waste.
Contact your local council and recycling companies to find out what materials can be reclaimed and repurposed. Then, carry out a waste audit of your company to determine whether any items currently being thrown in the rubbish bins can be recycled instead.
Some items you’re throwing out may have recycling potential including all types of electronic waste; batteries; light bulbs; printer cartridges; and cardboard, including things like pizza boxes if you've been working late and ordered a takeaway.
Organic materials
If you're not looking into disposing food waste in an eco-friendly manner, it's time to start. Add an organic element to your office recycling programme. When compostable materials are disposed of and processed properly, they can have all sorts of environmental benefits such as reviving nutrient-deficient land, growing crops and even producing power.
Look into collecting waste food, ground coffee, tea bags, cardboard sleeves from hot drinks cups, compostable cutlery and plates.
Have more recycling bins
It may seem obvious but introducing more recycling bins in centralised locations will encourage employees to do the right thing. Sometimes, it can be easier to simply drop your waste into a bin next to you. However, when there's a central recycling station just metres away, it's just as easy to dispose of waste responsibly.
Giving employees the option of sorting their own waste makes them more aware of what they’re throwing away. Instead of throwing it in their own bin, they learn what they can recycle, especially if there are graphics on each recycling bin to explain what can be disposed of there.
Try having several bins in a central location and see how many people become more interested in recycling.
A study revealed the average local authority could save around £6,800 per year in waste hauling costs if every business separated their waste at source and recycled it properly. Something to think about!
Litter-free lunch
Some companies take recycling a step further by promoting litter-free lunches. Each new employee could be given their own personal reusable lunch bag, or reusable food box with a lid. This encourages them to stop bringing their lunch in single-use plastic bags. Company literature can also be produced reminding employees to be mindful of bringing waste into the office.
Having a litter-free lunch is something some schools have adopted in recent years to reduce the amount of waste being brought in from home by pupils and staff.
Take-away coffee cups
While nobody would want employees to give up their morning coffee, encourage them to have their own reusable coffee cup or water bottle. Some companies are supplying each staff member with these items, as they are inexpensive, yet vastly reduce the number of coffee cups and plastic bottles required.
Market research shows the average office worker uses an incredible 500 disposable cups a year. Companies spend a fortune on waste disposal, so it's in your best interests to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.
Reuse old office supplies
Why not reuse your old office supplies by having an "upcycle station"? Rather than throwing out boxes of used items such as old file-holders, electrical cables, computer keyboards and just about anything else, ask employees to place them in a designated shelved area.
Then, when an employee needs a "new" office item, its protocol to check the central upcycle station before ordering a new one. This is like your office's version of a second-hand shop.
Monitor and report
Measure and report the progress of your office recycling programme. Complete waste audits on a regular basis to see how you're doing, giving employees the chance to divert even more waste for recycling by identifying opportunities.
Post the results and goals near the recycling bins to encourage employees to do their best. Dividing the results into a how well each team, floor or office is doing can give it a competitive edge, especially if you introduce incentives such as a bottle of bubbly for the winning team each month. Posting the results is also beneficial because people like to see their efforts are affecting change.
A supporter of environmental initiatives, Solent Plastics provides a selection of recycling solutions. All our plastic storage containers can be used time and time again!