Working in an office may result in a lot of waste generation. Office waste may come from too many documents being printed, employees using single-use items for lunch, or lack of recycling bins.
If you need customised support to manage the waste in your office, we are here to help:
Do you want to know how to recycle office waste? The first step is to know what your office waste is made up from.
What are the types of waste in the office?
The main type of waste in an office environment is paper and cardboard. Let’s look at the types of waste in more detail.
paper and cardboard
Paper waste and cardboard waste are fully recyclable, and simple to identify. They usually equate to 70% to 90% of all the waste in an office. It is great to know that paper can be recycled several times for the same usage: Recycled paper can be recycled to make recycled paper again.
The other waste types are:
plastic waste in the office
Plastic waste is made up of plastic bottles, tetra bricks, single-use plastic cutlery for food and drinks, wrapping foil and bubble wrap amongst others. It contains a lot of varied elements, and unfortunately not all the plastic types are recyclable. It is important to know that when plastic is recycled, it is very often “downgraded”. This means that with the recycled plastic from a bottle of water for example, you cannot produce another bottle of water. Instead the recycled plastic may be used to make lower quality plastic.
glass waste
When we speak of glass wasre we usually mean bottles and jars, used for food and drinks. Glass is one of the most commonly recycled materials across Europe. According to Eurostat, the current recycling rate of glass across the European Union is more than 75%, which is much higher than plastic for example (42%).
Metal waste
In the metal waste group, we can find cans or other aluminium items. The aluminium that is used to produce the most common metal items we use is a very valuable material and its extraction from the ground has a high carbon footprint. The higher the number of times we re-use it, the better for the environment, so recycling it properly is very important!
Organic waste
Organic waste is made of food residues that people discard. It can also contain compostable items such as compostable cuddlery or paper napkins. Organic waste must be disposed of separately, because if organic matter is left in landfill it will produce methane, a gas that generates four times more greenhouse emission of carbon. Organic waste, if disposed of properly, will also become compost, a valuable nutrient for plants.
e-waste
E-waste is a term that groups electronic devices such as mobile phones, computers, printers but also keyboards, mouse and pen drives for example. This waste must be handled carefully and separately. Electronic elements contain components that could damage the environment if disposed of with general waste.
general waste
Anything that is neither recyclable or compostable will end up in the general waste. These are most coffee pads for example. Discarding items in the general waste should be avoided as much as possible, as it is the biggest source of landfill waste and incineration.
Now that you can identify the different types of office waste, you are able to understand what is recyclable, what is not, how to deal with these waste properly and therefore reduce the environmental pollution associated with the disposal of waste. So what are the key actions you can put in place today in your office in order to improve the management of waste?
How to improve recycling in my workplace?
You can improve the recycling rate in your office by implementing a few simple actions that will quickly have a positive impact. Here are 5 tips on how to increase office waste recycling.
- Install dedicated waste containers
It is likely to already be in place, but ensure that there are appropriate waste containers (Or waste bins) for each waste type, and that they are clearly marked: Paper/cardboard, glass, plastics, organic at least.. Metal waste may be disposed of together with the plastic waste, depending on the country. E-waste should be collected from a specific waste provider, so ensure to find out who this is in your location.
- Raise awareness
Raise awareness about the different waste types in your office and what to do with them: The more people know about it, the better they will separate their own waste and the better the recycling rate. You can do this by handing out some recycling tips and disposing them near the bins, sharing your recycling efforts on social media or just talking to your colleagues about it around a coffee and answering questions they might have.
- Find out about local schemes
Understand the local recycling scheme: Some countries and cities recycle differently: Are you supposed to separate the glass based on its colour as in Germany? Are all the plastic types recyclable or only certain ones as in Spain? Knowing the answers to these questions will be key to recycling properly in your office.
- Look for take-back options
Look for any take-back program : Does your print equipment supplier take back the ink cartridges to refill them? Does your IT supplier take back old laptops to recondition them? Can you donate discarded furniture? There are a lot of options out there, it is just a matter of looking for them.
- Reduce non recyclable waste
Reduce the general waste to zero, or at least aim for zero waste! Avoid single-use items, implement reusable containers, buy tea and coffee in bulk… There are many creative ways to reduce the need for non-recyclable items in an office!
Sharing the success
Once you have been able to identify the different types of waste found in your office, to understand which type of waste is recyclable and how to recycle each waste type and implemented all these tips to improve the recycling, you have done a great job! It is time to share your success and inspire others, whether through social media or in your direct environment.
Do you need support on how to manage your office waste?
If you want to make it easier for you and your team to improve the management of your office waste and achieve great results quickly, we are here to help! Reach out to us at hello@wegozero.co so we can organise a zero waste workshop to inspire your team, or conduct a zero waste audit and improve your office waste recycling.
