The saying goes: “Waste not, want not.”
While we’re not 100 percent on the meaning, we’re pretty sure it refers to wasting something that you could want later on. And this old adage is particularly applicable to the workplace where many offices and businesses throw out, create and waste many materials when they could be kept or reused.
As your Brisbane rubbish removal specialists at Anything Rubbish, we know how easily rubbish can be created and how to reduce unnecessary waste which could be adding to company overheads. We share some practical tips to reduce office waste in the workplace in our latest blog post.
1. Cut down on paper serviettes, foam coffee cups and paper and plastic plates. These might seem easier than keeping a clean office kitchen, but their cost will quickly add up while doing nothing for the environment.
2. Go electronic for company manuals, policies and other important document. Share these with all employees through a cloud sharing software like Dropbox or Google Drive and keep one hard copy version for easy reference instead of printing to all staff.
3. Set the company printer to print double-sided and set the printer on a setting to use less ink including a draft or fast setting. Buy recycled printer toner cartridges.
4. Keep shredded documents as packing material filler for any fragile items or items that need to be shipped.
5. Reuse delivery boxes for extra storage.
6. Discourage printing company emails and memos unless needed. A reminder in the email signature can help staff remember this.
7. Establish purchasing guidelines and policies so only items are purchased or ordered when needed. When buying furniture, materials and other equipment look for products that are the most durable and will need to be replaced less often. Make a conscious effort to order supplies or stock from suppliers with minimal packaging.
8. Give older equipment including desks or chairs away to charity or sell them online instead of throwing out.
9. Consider using cloth roll towels or air hand dryers in the bathroom instead of paper towels.
10. Reuse shopping bags as trash liners where possible
11. Buy items in bulk to reduce waste, but with perishable products by only what’s needed to avoid wastage.
12. Be sparing with stationary usage. Don’t use multiple pens at the same time and avoid sticky notes for memos, go electronic instead. Reuse manila folders.
13. Don’t buy bottled water instead invest in a water cooler with a filtration system.
14. Email invoices and pay slips where possible to avoid hard copy printing and envelope usage.
15. Encourage employees to recycle and make conscious decisions to think before printing and copying documents.
These are just some of the ways you can reduce, reuse and recycle in the workplace to cut down on excess rubbish, however sometimes your office needs a complete cleanout and Anything Rubbish can strip offices and recycle old furniture, electrical equipment and other materials where possible.
For office strip out and cleanout for new leases and end of tenancies call Anything Rubbish on0466 245 628 for great value rubbish removal rates in Brisbane and Caboolture.