Go green in your office?

Go Green in Your Office

Does your office recycle? If not, it's probably time it did. Businesses across the country are now beginning to take their recycling responsibilities very seriously and with the government, local communities and even your own staff, coming down hard on those businesses which don't acknowledge their responsibility toward creating a greener environment, it more than likely won't be long before the recycled net closes in on your business.

Of course many businesses which don't recycle have actually not had anyone consider how beneficial office recycling could be for them.

Quite frequently an office space without recycling can be less hygienic than one with a hard working system in place. General waste bins can fill up very quickly when they are being frequently filled with all sorts of bottles, cans, paper, cardboard and food waste. Overflowing black bags can lead to permeating office smells and if they're not moved fast, it won't be long before the insects find their way to the goodies inside. Just imagine that on a hot day!

A comprehensive office recycling system, which gives staff the opportunity to dispose of plastics in one bin, paper in another, and food waste in another still, will help to keep the office rubbish area neat and tidy. You'll also find that they more than likely brighten the place up a bit too, giving it a fresher, cleaner feeling.

Of course, aside from the benefits of office recycling to your business, going green in the office should also benefit the environment.

Regular recycling will help to substantiallyreduce your business's carbon footprint. 100% of all metals can be recycled meaning that every piece you send to landfill goes down as a 100% loss. Every time metal is recycled it will save energy and the effort to produce the next item is so much less too. Even Big Foot would be staggered by the size of your carbon footprint if you were regularly sending metals to landfill.

The amount your business is actually allowed to send to landfill is falling all the time. The government are really clamping down on companies who send to landfill when there are other options available and in addition to steadily increasing landfill taxes, the 2010 Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme limits the amount of waste which can go to landfill.

So, if you're ready to start going greener in your office, (and it's time you were), there are some simple steps you need to follow in order to ensure you get everything up and running smoothly and efficiently.

Firstly, you'll need to assess the type of waste your office will be recycling. There's little point ordering a 300 litre recycling bin for glass if the only piece of glass the place every sees is in Mildred's left eye!

Next it's important to make a good estimation of the size of receptacle you're going to need. If you go too small, you'll find you need to have someone emptying the bin for you far more often than is cost-efficient. If you go too big, you may find there's not enough space to fit both the bins and the staff in the office.

It's then important to make your staff well aware of the new office recycling system you have put in place. Just sticking a nice new set of colourful recycling bins in the office basement isn't going to do an awful lot of good if the only ever person to go down there is Colin the Caretaker, no matter how many old newspapers he throws in there!

Finally, you'll need to have a collection service in place. There'll be plenty of local and national companies who can assist with taking your office recycling materials away for you. Be sure to research the options fully as some companies may even pay you for your rubbish, on the right materials.