Recycling In The Office Ideas & Solutions

In this day and age, we’re all aware of the damage done to our planet through carelessness and the overuse of landfill. That’s why everything from electric cars to carbon-free holidaying are becoming more and more prominent. Alongside these big changes in habits, there are many smaller ones that we can all make that are just as effective. Effective waste management and the recycling of domestic and office waste are an important step to take.

Here at Viking, we take the future of our planet very seriously. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to office recycling and the office recycling solutions that you could implement in your office.

What are the Purpose and Benefits of Recycling in an Office?

The purpose of recycling in an office seems pretty clear: it’s a great way to be proactive about preserving our environment. As an office is filled with staff who regularly dispose of items such as paper, aluminium cans, plastic bottles and much more, it’s the perfect place to make a big difference with recycling.

When it comes to benefits, aside from the obvious advantage of contributing to such a worthy cause, there are several ways that office recycling can benefit your business.

Cost Cutting – Saving on costly waste management solutions by using green recycling can be a great benefit of recycling in the office.

Team Building – Making recycling a priority in your office and involving staff in your efforts to implement office recycling solutions will help bring a sense of togetherness.
Positive Image – Using social media to discuss your recycling efforts and encourage others to get involved is great for your company’s brand image.

Office Recycling Solutions

Creating an environment within your office that encourages employees to get involved in recycling and do their bit to contribute is essential. Here are a few office recycling solutions that can be implemented easily, but make a big difference:

Create an Office Recycling Station

Your employees are unlikely to go too far out of their way to recycle at work, not to mention the fact that, as an employer, you’ll want to make it as quick and easy as possible for them. Setting up a few office recycling stations around your premises will make it simple enough to get involved. Well-placed internal office recycling bins, with clear labels should do the trick.

Remember OrganicMatters

How often do we throw those lunchtime leftovers straight into the bin without thinking? Consider a separate bin for organic, compostable leftovers (this includes tea bags and coffee grounds). As long as they’re regularly emptied, keeping things hygienic, these are one of the oft-forgotten office recycling ideas.

Remember the Basics

One of the main waste products in an office is unwanted paper. Make sure you have paper recycling bins near printers and desks. It might seem obvious, but obvious is often a good place to start.

Try Upcycling

We’ve all thrown out old office equipment when a new order arrives, from out of date branded items to filing systems, but these are types of things that employees could find useful to take home. Try offering these things out to staff. You can also encourage staff to upcycle clothes and personal items by holding a swapping event.

Go Paperless

Every office most likely needs paper for some documents but try to encourage employees to avoid unnecessary printing. Making sure certain processes, such as holiday requests, are made paperless is a great way to avoid wasting paper.

How to Recycle Office Furniture

We may tend to stop at smaller items such as food waste and paper, but what about big items like disused sofas, office chairs and desks? If you’re refitting your office or just refreshing a few items of furniture, it’s the perfect time to recycle office furniture.

There are plenty of companies you can get in touch with in order to recycle your office furniture, just give them a search and they’ll often come and collect it for you, putting it to good use somewhere else. Before you do that, why not offer it out to staff? You never know, an employee could be looking to furnish a home office. What a great perk of working for your business.

According to Envirowise, bad waste practices cost UK industry at least £15bn every year and only 7.5% of office waste reaches recycling facilities. The benefits of recycling for both the environment and your business are clear to see. There’s no better time to start, so grab some office recycling bins and get started.