23 September 2019

By Marija Trivanovic

By recycling office materials you’ll help combat climate change and leave a healthier environment for your children and grandchildren.

You may be doing your part to reduce, reuse and recycle at home and you probably spend most of your time at work — where it can be easy to let your green habits fall by the wayside. And since you spend so much time at work, what you do there can really make a difference. So, here are some ideas to help you take your green thinking with you to the office.

Why recycle?
Recycled office waste is broken down into its original elements and used to produce new materials. This helps reduce harmful waste and conserve raw materials. By recycling office materials you’ll help combat climate change and leave a healthier environment for your children and grandchildren. As well, working with your colleagues on recycling initiatives helps improve morale and supports team building. Bottom line: You’ll feel good about going to work.

If your workplace doesn’t have a recycling program, perhaps it’s time to suggest one: It won’t just reduce your carbon footprint, it could also save your company money by reducing its waste disposal costs. Your boss will be pleased you’re thinking green — about money, and about the environment. (And, if you’re self-employed, your “boss” will be especially delighted!)

What to recycle
If your workplace has an established recycling process, get with the program! Start by understanding what and how to recycle — find out which items go where.

Common recyclable office items include:

• waste paper, including printed paper, unwanted files and notes and used envelopes
• newspapers and magazines
• glass and plastic bottles
• aluminum pop cans
• cardboard boxes
• old desktop and laptop computers
• printer toner cartridges
• cell phones

If you’re new to recycling, start small and focus on one item. For instance, consider all the paper floating around in your office. Cutting down trees contributes to global warming, soil erosion, habitat destruction and a host of other environmental problems. By reducing your consumption and reusing paper, you’ll join the fight against all those issues.

Once you get started, you’ll find that it only takes a few minutes per day to recycle, and yet your individual efforts, however small, will add up. Demonstrating care for the environment can be contagious — your colleagues will see your new-found enthusiasm for recycling, and many will join you in your green efforts. After a while, recycling will become a habit, and you’ll know that you’re making a significant contribution toward a brighter future for everyone.

Five tips to help you live green at the office:

1. Go digital in the office - Remove the use of paper documents, instead send all documents through email instead of paper mail or fax. This removes the need for paper.
2. If you must print, do so on both sides. (Make two-sided printing the default printer setting.)
3. Subscribe to online editions of newspapers and magazines.
4. Buy reusable for the office - Instead of limiting yourself to a reusable mug, reusable straws, cutlery can be used instead of relying on disposables.
5. Reuse envelopes again and again.

Be a socially responsible person in all ways to support a better and happier community. Talk to us to know more.