15 Sep Guide to Minimising Waste in Corporate Environments
Here at Indaver, sustainability is at the heart of everything that we do. We are all aware that reducing waste is an important part of conserving our natural resources and protecting our future environment. Fortunately, some of us are conscious of our impact and have started to make efforts to help, including recycling and re-using water bottles. But, what about minimising waste in the workplace?
Waste Hierarchy
When considering waste management services, the initial step should be to refer to the waste hierarchy. This hierarchy measures the impact of different waste treatment services to help guide you to decide which is the most environmentally friendly.
The first stage is always prevention. If we can reduce the amount of waste that we create, then we are ultimately decreasing the amount of waste that needs disposal of or that ends up in the overflowing landfill sites across the country.
Next is to re-use; utilising materials and resources that can be used again rather than disposed of.
Following this, recycling is the next best method. This involves collecting the rubbish and taking it to the appropriate recycling facilities to be repurposed into something new.
Recovery or energy from waste services are then offered. This facilitates the ability to produce energy in the form of electricity, heat or fuel from residual waste that cannot be recycled.
Finally, is the option for disposal in landfill sites. This is the least preferred method due to its negative impact on the environment. In addition, this does not contribute towards a circular economy, which is something that we are aiming towards.
Waste in the Workplace
When looking at your business plan, it is imperative that sustainability is accounted for. Corporate workplaces are becoming more aware of their economic and environmental responsibility which should be considered when looking to build, expand or improve an organisation.
At Indaver, we suggest creating a waste strategy that can be shared with your employees. Having a policy in place will help to encourage positive habits within the workplace and allows for everybody to do their part.
Don’t underestimate the little changes, as these will have the largest impact in the long run. What matters most is that we are working together to minimise the impact of waste on both the environment and the community. It is important more now than ever for Essex based companies to contribute and show dedication to becoming part of the solution to creating a greener world for us all.
We have listed a few suggestions that can help you to start the process! Don’t hesitate to share these with your staff or amongst your directors to encourage positive change.
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Minimise Single-Use Plastics
Encourage your employees to re-use materials, including plastic water bottles. did you know that swapping to reusable bottles means that you could save up to £25,000 over a lifetime?! The purchase of a reusable water bottle is a fantastic way to reduce the amount of wasted plastic and is a much healthier option for both yourself and the environment.
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Up-cycle your Resources
At Indaver, we always aim to up-cycle our current office facilities. We understand this isn’t always feasible, but you can try to utilise your current furniture or resources that are available to prevent buying new stock. It’s often surprising what a lick of paint can do!
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Reduce Paper Usage
It is important to minimise paper usage as much as possible considering that the UK disposes of 6.3 million tonnes of paper each year! Astoundingly, one office employee consumes around 10,000 sheets of paper every year, and over 75% of this ends up as waste! Reducing paper usage is simple; utilising digital documents and cloud systems can be used within your team to transfer information. Other examples include sending emails instead of letters or sending requests and invoices via digital form only.
Waste Audit
Before implementing sustainable changes, we recommend carrying out an audit to access the state of your current workplace. How much waste do you produce per year? Do you recycle?
Once you are aware of the current situation, you can start to implement small, but impactful, changes to help the environment.
Sustainable Future
The aim of this short guide is to inspire your company to make its first steps towards supporting sustainable waste management services. Analyse your current waste situation and then start to educate your employees to help create a positive change and minimise waste in the workplace.
Our team strongly believes in the power of the community and that we can make an impactful change from working together. We hope that making these simple alternatives can be incorporated into your business to support a greener future.
To find out more about how you can improve your impacts on the environment, visit our waste minimising guide that offers many materials that can support you in your journey to being more sustainable.
