Every office should be making every effort to be more sustainable. But what about creating an office that produces zero waste?
It may sound impossible, but it’s not. It does take concerted effort to eliminate waste at the source, but it is possible. What’s more, this is a goal that every Sydney office should aim for in the very near future.
As the premier rubbish removal company in Sydney, here are our key tips to creating a zero-waste office.
It begins with communication
Tell your people what you aim to do and together, you can work out the best way to do so. Communication is key; how are your people supposed to contribute to your vision if they don’t even know that you’re aiming to create a zero-waste office?
Education is everything
People cannot reduce waste if they do not know how. Therefore, education is everything when it comes to creating an office free from waste. You should be informing employees on the best practices to reduce waste at the source. From there, encourage recycling everything that cannot be reduced, such as some paper waste.
Regular education sessions and training is an absolute must. This will help ensure your employees are reminded of how to best reduce waste, ensuring impactful actions in the workplace. When everyone fully understands what is required, the results will be much improved.
Understand what waste your office produces
One of the most important steps in the process is truly understanding what kinds of waste your office actually produces. Without this information, it’s nigh on impossible to effectively reduce that office rubbish!
Take stock of what the average employee produces every work day. For example, you might give each employee a spreadsheet to fill out, every day for one week. On this spreadsheet, they can record how much paper they used, the food waste they may have produced and any other kinds of rubbish that appeared throughout the day.
You can then collate this information and report back to management, green teams or your employees. This data and other relevant information will allow you to form a zero-waste strategy that actually works.
Reduce paper use
Paper in the modern office should be a thing of the past. Unfortunately, many office workers and businesses across Sydney seem to be quite nostalgic about paper… we don’t get it. In fact, some studies suggest that the average office worker uses around 10,000 sheets of paper every single year. That’s absolutely ridiculous! Clearly, paper must be phased out in a more efficient manner.
The best way to phase out paper is simply to make it redundant. That means updating the technology, software and hardware in your office to the point that paper has absolutely no use in your business. Processes must be refined to the point that paper is not necessary at all. Only then will your business (and the natural world) reap the benefits of a zero-paper environment.
Food waste in the office
Workplaces produce plenty of food waste, every single day. Your people must eat!
The best thing about food waste is that so much of it is compostable and therefore, entirely bidegradable. However, a lot of food waste still ends up in landfills across Sydney and the rest of the country. This is a huge problem because it’s not only a waste of biodegradable materials, but food waste can result in contamination and health hazards in some scenarios.
Composting bins in the workplace are a must if you want to negate the impact of food waste, and improve your relationship with the environment. It has been proven that employees who fully understand the importance of not wasting food (because of those who are starving), and portion control, produce far less waste.
Consider office supplies
Office supplies, such as pens and markers, staplers and hole punchers, and much more, often end up in the bin once they’ve reached the end of their useful life. From the bin, they arrive in landfills and because these items are often made of plastic, they’ll sit there for thousands of years. That’s a poor result.
Fortunately, there are a number of providers which offer biodegradable and more friendly solutions for office supplies… including zero-waste options. Pens that are made from cardboard are one option, while colour pencils should always be used over plastic highlighters. This is because they are made from wood products and can be used almost entirely.
It’s okay if you can’t be a zero-waste office; if you’re able to ensure that everything you are using is recylable or able to be repurposed, it’s a fantastic start.
Encourage people to bring containers
Everyone loves a cheeky takeaway lunch at work. But this treat inevitably arrives in a plastic container. Even if the container is cardboard, there will be waste once that tasty meal is finished. It is possible to avoid this waste entirely, either by encouraging staff to bring their own containers for when they get a meal to go or by providing them yourself. Glass containers, or metal, similar to Tiffin or Bento style, are best for the environment. If your people must use plastic, ensure the containers are durable so that they get plenty of life from them.
Sydney office waste removal
It’s important that you work with a truly professional organisation, when it comes to dealing with office junk in Sydney. Some companies will care about your zero-waste strategy, and will do everything in their power to help. Sydney City Rubbish is one of those.
We value sustainability over all else, which means we’re the ideal partner for a business that is aiming to create a more eco-friendly workplace. Get in touch with Sydney City Rubbish today.
We can’t wait to chat.
