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A clean environment at home and at the office is key to a healthy lifestyle. Here are our top tips on how to get rid of large amounts of office trash by yourself. Read on!
Your office environment tells a lot about you. A clean work environment will keep you and your colleagues healthy and happy. Walking into a tidy office can make several differences in your day; it produces an atmosphere of productivity, motivation, and happiness.
It is inevitable for any business, large or small, to encounter large amounts of trash. But it is recommended to keep your office tidy since your office can serve as your second home. Here are office rubbish removal tips.
Toss Outdated Electronic Equipment
As technology evolves, there has been a constant change in computer equipment, leaving offices with a lot of old and out-dated items such as worn out laptops, spare keyboards, broken hard drives, cell phones, computers, and many more, which you will have to replace them, because they have no place and use in the modern office.
It is just appropriate to spend some time going through the equipment and get rid of the useless ones. This electronic waste can be commonly collected for recycling.
Donate Surplus Tools
If you have tools such as chairs, tables, printers, and computers you no longer use but are still in good condition, think of giving them away.
Not only do they take your office space, but they make the place crowded and unhealthy for you. Throwing away is not always the way to go. What you consider as trash because you have used it way too long, or because you no longer use it, could be a treasure in another office.
So, before thinking of throwing away such stuff, consider asking around if there is anyone who may be in need of them.
Try to Go Paperless
A large amount of rubbish that comes from the office is paper. Setting printers to use double-sided printing will maximize paper usage. You can also introduce and implement digital-based strategies such as switching your bills and banking online.
This will not only help you remove rubbish but will also save you tons of time, as you can easily and conveniently manage your payment at the tip of your finger.
Buy Durable Products
Most of the products used in the office are durable stuff. For instance, tables, chairs, printers, and computers.
When buying such products, buy those that can last long. Avoid plastic or any other material that lasts only a few years.
If buying printers, focus on the future. Will you need to do bulky printing? If so, go for a printer that can handle what you may print in the days to come.
Keep Bins Under Control
Offices tend to produce a lot of rubbish, no matter the size or type of industry. Printouts alone can fill the bins very quickly, not to mention takeaway boxes and coffee cups. It is essential to empty bins on a regular basis. Also, check personal bins under each staff member’s desk.
Use Hand Dryers
Usually, the use of paper towels increases waste in the office bathroom. Hence, the use of hand dryers could help eradicate this issue. Besides, a hand drier does not use much energy. Therefore, it will still be more economical for you. Alternatively, you may use cloth roll towels.
Nonetheless, these towels need to be disinfected to ensure office staffs are safe.
Use Designated Recycle Bins
Specially designed recycle bins for specific types of waste, such as aluminium cans only, glass bottles only, paper, glass, organic waste and general waste only, should be adopted. This is an excellent strategy to deal with waste as it makes sure that waste streams can be recycled with ease.
Make sure that the bins are clear label, and is distinguishable. It is useful to include an image of what you must put in the bin.
Reduce or Reuse
It is not always that you need to get a new file folder, you could just put a new label on the top or turn it inside out. You can also talk to your suppliers to reduce packaging and what comes into your office.
This way, you can ensure that the packaging coming to your office can be recycled or reused. Or just talk to them so they will take the packaging back after delivery.
Encourage Recycling
It is essential to encourage and educate employees on utilizing the recycling system. Making them understand the financial impact, environmental cost associated with waste production, highlight the potential savings, and how they are improving the world around them.
You can also offer recycling incentive programs to employees, probably in the form of a competition, but should be fun and engaging. If you find out the implementation of recycling is low, set departmental goals. And engage employees as much as possible.
Buy Only What You Need
Create a one month budget for your office for non-perishable goods. Buy them in bulk. This helps minimize packaging waste in the office. As for the perishable products, ensure that you buy only what you need.
Plus, ensure that you also buy it in bulk. This, too, will minimize packaging waste. However, when dealing with bulk goods such as stationery, ensure that there is no misuse.
You could have a store manager to help control usage.
Stop Mail Delivery
As a company or business, you can rely on technology to communicate with your customers. Talk with the company or customers you have been sending or receiving emails from and explain that you want to start using emails in place of mails.
Next, talk with the post office personnel and cancel all emails. This will help reduce paper waste in your office.
The above tips and tricks will not only work for large offices but also the small ones. However, a lot of cooperation is necessary when it comes to reducing rubbish in your office. You may have to explain the importance of rubbish removal or reduction to some staff as some may not see the need to.
Still, you may have to give some staff enough time to adjust their lifestyles. Why? Some people have grown without recognizing the necessity of reducing waste or controlling it.
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