Recycling at Work

Recycling at work is one aspect of going green that many of us simply don’t get round to doing. We may collectively be getting better at sorting out our recyclables from our non-recyclables in our homes these days but at work it’s a different story. All too often we think that it is someone else’s responsibility to recycle at work. However there are many things each of us can do to help our offices and workplaces become greener and more efficient places.

Recycling Services

All businesses have a legal duty to provide arrangements for waste disposal. However it’s not currently compulsory for companies to offer recycling services in your workplace, nor for the local authority to collect recycled materials. A company must pay for the local authority to arrange for a recycling service to be put in place, which is usually contracted out to a commercial recycling company. Therefore it’s all too easy for businesses to forget about another non-compulsory cost and give recycling a miss – but not if you get involved.

If employees express an interest in recycling at work then a company is more likely to listen and take action. Luckily more and more companies, eager to be perceived as environmentally friendly, or gain ISO14001 environmental accreditation, are offering some form of recycling service.

Getting People Involved

Once there’s a service available at your workplace, then as many people as possible need to get involved in the process of recycling waste materials as opposed to throwing it in the bin. If you’re in charge of your recycling service, make sure there are designated areas at various locations in your workplace where people can place their recyclables – the key is to make it as easy as possible for people to change their habits and get recycling.

Making your recycling points bright, attractive and easily identifiable helps raise the profile of the services on offer. And just to make it even clearer, make sure everyone knows that it’s part of staff policy to recycle – through internal email bulletins or in your staff handbook.

What Can Be Recycled?

Just as at home, there are many items that can be recycled in the workplace, some more obvious than others. Here are a few ideas that you may or may not have already considered:

Paper and Cardboard

Paper and cardboard are two of the most regularly found materials in an office place. We’ve all printed something out unnecessarily, or used more than we need to. So recycling rather than throwing away helps to reduce the amount of waste we produce. Of course reducing the amount we print, and printing on both sides of paper, is even better for the environment.

Newspapers

Because newspapers are made from a different sort of paper material, you should make it clear that people should separate the two items when recycling to avoid cross-contamination. When you consider that nearly every member of staff will pick up or be given a newspaper to read on their way to work at some point in the working week, it’s vital that there’s a recycling service for this material available.

Green Waste and Building Materials

Builders, gardeners or tradesmen may not have the same recycling needs as office workers – however there’s still a need for a recycling service to be put in place. Often it’s possible to re-use or recycle the by-products of hard labour, including timber, bricks and green waste.

Printer Cartridges

Recycling printer ink cartridges is another way of doing your bit in the workplace. There are services available that will take your used cartridges, refill with ink and return for you to use again.

Electrical Equipment

Most 21st century businesses operate using a range of electrical items and technological equipment – and as technology changes, old equipment is often left on the scrapheap. There are specialist recycling companies that will collect items on behalf of a business, wipe all stored information before selling the items on to the developing world or using parts in new equipment. And under the soon-to-be-enforced WEEE Directive, the manufacturers of computers and other electrical appliances will be legally obliged to provide a recycling service.

Recycled Equipment

It’s also possible for an office to get equipped with recycled items – from recycled paper to pencils, notepads and pens. Buying from a local recycling company is a great way of supporting fellow local businesses and doing your bit for the environment.