All businesses produce waste, from as little as a few sheets of paper to several skip loads a week. There are lots of good reasons to try to recycle as much of your waste as possible:
- a new law came into force in October 2007 requiring businesses to recycle some of their rubbish if they currently send it to landfill.
- there is a rising tax on sending rubbish to landfill which will increase over the next few years. Recycling will reduce the amount of waste you send to landfill and can therefore save you money.
- being green is also good for business. It can improve your corporate image and impress your customers and clients.
- for electrical and electronic waste, such as computers and printers, a new regulation called the WEEE Directive requires the separate collection and treatment of this waste. For more information, please click here
For general information and advice on waste and recycling,
please click here
How do I set up a recycling programme for my business?
The first thing you need to do is look at what you throw away and find out if it could be recycled. The easiest items to recycle include paper, cardboard, glass, metal, electrical and electronic items and wood.
If you are going to arrange for a recycling collection it is worth noting that many companies will only collect if you have a minimum quantity. This may limit what you can recycle.
Alternatively, rather than have the waste collected, you might want to take your recycling to a local disposal site.
For a list of both recycling collection companies and waste disposal sites, please see the bottom of the page. Remember to follow the Duty of Care regulations when disposing of your waste. Please click here for more information.
Once you have decided what items you are going to recycle,
you will need to separate these from your general rubbish. This
might involve buying separate bins or making space in your office
for the materials to be stored before collection.
The next step is to inform your employees about the changes about to take place. You might like to establish a 'green team' with members from each department, or advertise the changes on your staff website or notice boards. Remember to involve all members of staff, from cleaners to senior management.
Lastly, think about what your business buys and whether these products can be made from recycled materials. Purchasing recycled paper for your office is a great place to start and there are now lots of stationary items, such as pens, made from
recycled car parts. The possibilites are endless!!
For the rubbish that can't be recycled, the council provides a commercial waste collection service. For more information, please click here