Office waste
The cost of waste in UK companies is typically 4-5% of turnover and in many companies, it can be as high as 10%1.
With waste disposal costs continuing to rise, there is more pressure on businesses to look at the areas where they generate the most waste and reduce it.
The benefits to a business are increased turnover through improved resource efficiency. This in turn can help you maintain or improve your competitiveness.
Paper
The most common waste for offices will be paper based. Envirowise recommends that you provide one bin per six people. Identify the main areas where paper is generated, for example photocopiers, and put recycling facilities next to the source.
Look at your printers and check if they only print single sided. Upgrading them may not be an option, but you could re-use the paper in the fax machine.
Find out what type of paper users work in your office?
Water
Although offices have a low level of water use, there are still things that you can do to reduce your consumption.
The most common areas for water usage will be in the washroom facilities. Look at the toilets, taps and urinals. Envirowise has a number of fact sheets that can give you advice and information. Visit the water efficiency page for more information.
1 Source of stats – Envirowise Green Officiency toolkit