Top 10 Tips: Reducing office waste

1) Are you an office of coffee drinkers? Provide re-useable cups and mugs for staff rather than disposable ones. Avoid an office tea bag mountain by composting grounds and bags.

2) Avoid printing when you don’t need to. When you can’t go paperless, print double-sided - this alone could save you up to 50 per cent in paper costs - and in black and white where possible. Reuse scrap paper for making notes.

3) Clearly label bins to differentiate recyclable waste. Remember to use a separate bin for food waste and place a paper recycling bin next to the printer.

4) Reuse any incoming packaging such as envelopes and boxes.

5) Use rechargeable batteries and refillable printer cartridges. Donate used but still usable office equipment such as computers and phones to charities, schools and libraries.

6) Turn off lights when they’re not needed and invest in automatic switches for places like the bathroom.

Make use of natural lighting - and remember to open the blinds in the morning.

7) Avoid food waste by developing an office lunch rota and eating as a team. If you bring your own food, use re-useable Tupperware.

8) Is your business made up of more than one office? Why not offer a departmental prize for the team with the highest recycling rate or least waste to landfill?

9) Strength in numbers – collaborate with other local businesses and set up a joint waste and recycling collection.

10) It works well to appoint a waste prevention manager to monitor the office’s waste. This will help raise awareness and motivate colleagues – and inevitably help save you money.