How to reduce waste in your home office

Be mindful about waste when working from home.

Why not consider how much waste you produce in the office and as an individual? With many of us currently working from home, how can you look to reduce it?

Preserving the environment

Recycling, reusing and reducing the amount we of rubbish we consume has never been more prevalent. This may be the case in the home and can easily be transferred to the home working environment. You could conduct your very own mini audit, bringing in knowledge that you have of waste at work. This exercise may identify how you can cut down on waste, plus helping to feel good about doing your part in preserving our environment.

Energy

Conserving precious electricity in the home office is one of the easiest ways to reduce waste. Ensure you unplug appliances when not in use, shut down PC’s at the end of the day and don’t forget to turn off your monitor. Turn off lights in the toilet and be aware of the thermostat temperature. Turning down by just 1 degree can make a huge difference.

Paper

One of the many ways in which you can cut down on paper usage is to use both sides of the paper when printing. You could also consider increasing your document margins slightly to help reduce the number of pages you print. Instead of printing lengthy office policies or handbooks, consider filing them electronically on a shared drive that everyone can access. There are a wide variety of recycled office papers on the market that are almost as good as virgin paper.

Why not save any confidential paper waste in a secure place and take into office, just as you would do at work? It can then be collected by a professional shredding company at your workplace. You can then take steps to avoid a data breach.

Waste

You may already be recycling at home, but if not consider installing separate bins for different waste. Create a paper recycling bin and bins for glass and plastics. Batteries can also be recycled at a variety of shops, so save them until your next trip out. Don’t forget about your printer and toner cartridges too. These must be recycled, and most companies now offer a free return service. Save these until you head back to the office. Your e-waste can also be recycled too. Save anything that is broken for when you’re back in the workplace. These can be collected by a registered waste carrier to shred all components and recycle the different parts.

Consolidate orders

Order supplies like tea, coffee and sugar in bulk to cut down on the amount of packaging used and the amount of CO2 produced delivering the items. Even better, consider a more local supplier to use minimise cardboard packaging and CO2 emissions.

Re-use

Reuse items such as binders and folders. Consider recycling your ink cartridges with refillable versions. Cardboard boxes and envelopes can also be reused if in good enough condition.

These are a few of the many ways to reduce waste in your home office. Contact The Shredding Alliance today to enquire about our domestic shredding service whilst working from home.