Office based businesses inevitably produce all kinds of waste.
These days, more businesses recycle their waste responsibly, or contract office rubbish removal companies to manage it.
However, we can always go one step further.
Whilst it’s far better than simply dumping waste in landfill, recycling actually produces waste of its own, and often pollution.
The best way to go when it comes to sustainability, is reusing waste. By reusing items, you’re entirely removing the cost and impact of disposing of or recycling.
Furthermore, by reusing certain items, you’ll also be saving money on rubbish removal costs.
Here are some common forms of waste and tips how best to reuse them.
Furniture
Businesses are constantly updating their chairs and workstations, both for functionality and to keep up with modern design trends.
Unfortunately, so much of the old furniture ends up in landfill.
The demand for second hand chairs and desks is growing, as businesses look for more sustainable ways to update their offices.
Therefore, selling chairs and desks to refurbishment companies, or directly to other businesses is an effective way of ensuring these items are reused.
Wooden pieces can be easily adapted into other furniture, artwork or just scrap wood by woodworking contractors.
Due the size of many pieces of office furniture, reusing it will certainly save your business money on rubbish removal costs.
Paper
The average office worker uses 10,000 sheets of paper a year.
Even more concerning is that half of all printed items end up in the bin, on a daily basis.
More and more paper is being properly recycled, but reusing this waste where possible is the best practice.
Utilise scrap paper for note taking, and shredded paper for packing boxes when required.
Plastic
Some plastic items are made to be reused, such as refillable printer cartridges.
Unfortunately, other items, such as containers, plastic tubs and bottles are often thrown straight into recycling or landfill.
However, most of these items can also be reused.
Bottles and containers can be repurposed as small planters, and you could create a small garden inside your office or at home.
Plastic bags should also be collected and reused, instead of being thrown into landfill or recycling bins.
Avoiding the need for rubbish removal when it comes to plastic means a much better impact on the environment.
Electrical Equipment
Recycling e-waste is an involved and often expensive process.
To avoid this entirely, have your old computers refurbished or taken apart by professionals, so that parts can be reused.
The same goes for phones, tablets and printers.
Increasingly, office businesses, schools and other organisations are selling their second-hand computers after refurbishment, to other businesses or individuals.
This is a far better alternative to just letting them sit around as common office waste.
Clothing and Books
Clothing and books are arguably the easiest items to reuse.
Have your staff bring their clothing and books into work, and then donate them to one of the many organisations or op-shops in the area.
Second hand books could also be used to create an office book exchange, encouraging reading and communication between staff.