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Put paper recycling bins in all your offices – a good guide is one bin between six staff.
Put a paper recycling bin next to the photocopiers.
If your printers are single sided – re-use paper in the fax machine.
Segregate waste materials such as paper, cardboard, glass, cans, plastics and cooking oil for recycling.
Work with your suppliers to ensure that packaging received on raw ingredients or materials is recyclable, returnable or re-usable.
Look at the quantities or raw ingredients that you are ordering. Make sure that you are not over ordering – which could indicate a fault in your process flow.
Consider buying in bulk to reduce packaging and costs.
Locally sourced food suppliers can benefit the local economy and cut down on food miles.
Monitor your water and energy use – check the meters over the course of a week at the same time in the morning and evening. If you run a 9-5 site, your consumption should be negligible out of working hours.
Review your cleaning processes particularly the flow rate through hoses – reducing the hose width could still clean effectively, or install trigger-action guns on hoses. You could also install screens over drains to catch solids.
Consider water saving devices such as sensor taps, sensor hand towel dispensers, urinal controls, waterless urinals, low flush and dual flush toilets and air intake showers.
Introduce sensors to lights in rooms that are used infrequently.
Monitor your process to ensure that you are not switching from high content products to low content products which might require high cleaning.
Construct a water balance estimating the water usage for each process and piece of equipment.
Reduce your trade effluent bills by installing effluent metering so that bills are based on effluent flow rather than incoming metered water.
Involve your staff – they are your eyes and ears around the business and can identify areas where losses may be occurring. Provide a suggestions box for staff to suggest ways to be more efficient.
Ensure that lights are switched off at the end of the day except for emergency lighting.
Contact the Carbon Trust for information on energy efficiency.
One man’s waste is another man’s treasure. Contact NISP about your waste – they may be able to put you in touch with someone who can use it.
Businesses can apply for water-efficient devices through the Water Technology list. Through the Enhanced Capital Allowances, businesses to write off 100% of the investment against their taxable profits.

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