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Sustainability in the Office
Think "reduction" first. How can your office simply reduce the waste it generates? Address all areas, including paper use, printer and toner cartridges, office supplies, furniture, electronics, food waste, and energy usage. After stressing basic waste reduction, it is important to implement eco-friendly purchasing policies that support your sustainability mission. Centralize purchasing to require product and vendor approval. Use products and services that support responsible manufacturing, follow the "reduce, reuse, then recycle" rule, and are long-lived. Promote reuse, when possible, and look for options to recycle before considering the trash. By implementing eco-friendly purchasing of approved products and vendors, attention can be paid to purchasing items that are easily recyclable.
Doing this research prior to purchase makes determining the product's end life much easier. In addition, the savings from reducing office waste can be significant. A recent study estimates that associated paper costs can be as much as 31 times the purchasing costs. That means a $5 ream of paper may cost your company up to $155 when the printing job is complete (MPCA).
Office Waste Tips
Several waste streams are commonly generated in offices, contributing to significant amounts of trash generated each year. Items which should be looked at include paper, office supplies, furniture, meetings and break rooms.
Paper: Reduce paper use by printing efficiently and selecting alternatives to paper when possible. As a result, printer cartridges, machine maintenance, storage space, and disposal costs will all see a reduction. Reuse paper by printing on one-sided documents and using waste paper for taking notes or telephone messages. Recycle all paper waste generated and work with your recycler to educate employees about your paper recycling program.
Office Supplies & Furniture: Reduce and Reuse waste by centralizing the purchasing of these items. Limit purchasing approvals to "when needed" rather than "when wanted." Provide a materials exchange for employees or donate items to schools and other community organizations that are in need. Recycle any items that are no longer usable.
General Office Tips: Studies have shown it takes three weeks to break a habit. Encourage employees to be more conscious of changing habits, such as drinking morning coffee in a reusable mug rather than a disposable cup, turning off lights when exiting a room, and not printing a document unless absolutely necessary. Set goals to mark achievements in waste reduction, reuse, and recycling within the office.
