Its international earth day 2020, and we thought it would be the perfect time to share some simple but useful tips on how you could be more sustainable in your business, and have a positive impact on the environment.
Using the hierarchy of waste is very important, this means making sure you reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible in your facility before you dispose of something and send it to landfill.
Strive for zero waste – Reduce how much waste you send to landfill
Zero waste does not exactly mean 100% of all waste is recycled. The best definition is that nothing is sent to landfill – that everything is in some way going towards a circular economy. Which means that zero waste actually is possible, it is not as difficult as you may have originally thought! Here are some helpful solutions:-
Go paperless.. or as much as possible
The biggest volume of waste produced by the average office by a staggering 60 – 80%, is paper! And it’s the waste which can most easily be eliminated, or at least dramatically reduced! Consider reducing your paper waste in your business as much as possible, this is a great starting point. Ask staff to be more economical with their printing, print less, or use recycled paper.
Reduce or ban disposables, like single use plastics and coffee cups
Consider telling each employee you are going to strive towards a more environmentally friendly approach, and encourage them to bring their own reusable coffee cup, and water bottle. No more single use coffee cups, plastic cups, plates, forks and knives etc!
This is a step you can take to reduce the amount of daily waste coming into the facility. It may seem like a small change, but it can drastically reduce the amount of coffee cups and plastic bottles filling up your waste and recycling streams!
Increase awareness in your organisation, and encourage staff to recycle more.
Banish the bins under ever desk, and have a clearly marked, easy to get to recycling station in each office area, giving staff no excuse but to join in with the recycling goal.
Consider small session or meeting with your staff to explain your new sustainability goals, and tell them how your recycling system will work. Being clear on your expectations will help them strive towards the same result you desire. Even a email or newsletter to all staff will increase the awareness – the majority of your staff are probably already well aware of how to recycle.
Have great recycling bins!
Take away staff’s individual waste and recycling bins! Yes, you read that correctly. At Unisan we love waste and recycling stations in a central point for your internal office recycling bins. Employees will become much more mindful of what they’re throwing out rather than just thoughtlessly throwing it in the bin under their desk. Make sure there are clear graphics on the bin station, and they are likely to become more recycling conscious and chuck the waste in the right stream, which prevents stream contamination.
Make sure the internal office recycling bins are designed to encourage staff, students or members of the general public to dispose of their waste responsibly. Office Recycling Bins are perfect for schools, universities, and professional working environments where large volumes of recyclable waste are stored
Reduce your plastic footprint with the Longopac Continuous Liner System
Consider switching to the Longopac continuous liner system to reduce your plastic footprint, which will help your business be more sustainable. Click on the links below to read the case studies!
Reduce labour costs by 38%
Reduce plastic usage by 70%
Reduce collection costs by 35%
Increase recycling rates by 58%
Try signage reminding people to recycle in the office
Apart from clear and very visual signage on your waste and recycling station, try putting signs on the wall, or even tent cards on the table in your office lunchroom. These could have messages like “Don’t Forget to Recycle” or “Did you know ____ this can be recycled?”. Signs with simple statements like this are constant reminders to employees on how to properly sort their waste when they’re done eating, and ultimately increase your office recycling rates.
Incentivise staff with a reverse vending machine
Incentive good recycling habits – reward staff for recycling with a ticket incentive scheme, offering whatever reward you choose.
Clearly show that your organisation is committed to recycling! Our machines have fully customisable graphics on 3 sides of the machine. This is a perfect opportunity for you to demonstrate your commitment to recycling through clear on-brand messages. A well-designed machine can stand out in your office and create a talking point around your recycling habits at work. Read more on the Cafecrush reverse vending machine
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Some helpful blog posts for you to read that relate to helping your business recycle better and be more sustainable: