If your workplace is starting on the wind down for summer holidays it might be a good time to think about a good old ‘end of year clean up’! And to help you on the path of doing this in an environmentally responsible way here are some tips to take on board to ensure you have a sustainable office clean up:
8 tips for a sustainable office clean up
1. Set a date and communicate to staff. To help get everyone onboard it’s a good idea to clearly communicate the ‘clean up day’ and what it involves. This might include communication via emails, posters, meetings and general discussions. To make it more fun and interactive you might like to name the day and run extra challenges on the day, for some added ideas click here.
2. Ensure adequate amount of recycling and waste bins are available on the day. The idea of a sustainable office clean up is that all waste is disposed of in the most responsible way and that as much as possible is recycled. This might include speaking to your waste management supplier and organising a few more waste containers or extra bins for the day.
3. Encourage Reuse. Singled sided paper in good condition can be kept and used as scrap paper. Put any unneeded stationery items (i.e. folders, paper clips, rubber bands, packaging etc) in the stationery cupboard so they can be reused.
4. Make sure all bins are labelled clearly! This might sound obvious but if it’s not done well then staff may get confused and throw items in the wrong bins which could cause contamination. By making the recycling easy then it’s more likely that employees will get involved and dispose of items appropriately.
5. Know what you can recycle! Before you run the clean up day, make sure you have an understanding of what office items can be recycled. There may be items that you are currently throwing away in the general waste but you could actually be recycling these. Common items that can be recycled in the office include:
- Paper and Cardboard.
- Secure Paper (confidential documents which will be shredded before recycling).
- Toner Cartridges.
- E-waste (computers, keyboards, scanners, mouse devices etc).
- Fluorescent Tubes.
- Mobile Phones.
- Food Waste.
- Coffee Pods (specific brands).
6. Register for a ‘Friday Fling’. Planet Ark Paper runs a programme which focuses on the sustainable office clean up of paper – it is all about getting rid of paper files piling up in your office and flinging them into the recycling bin! To find out more about the ‘Friday Fling’ challenge click here.
For further advice about what you could be recycling on your sustainable office clean up day please contact us.
