Australian workplaces generate over 12.5 million tonnes of waste each year. 44% of this waste is being sent to landfill. Another way to think of this is that every Australian worker generates 1.7 tonnes of waste a year.
Preston Hire have set up the SuperLife initiative because as a business we want to make a positive impact on our lives and our environment. This is where we need everyone to take some initiative and not just wait for the company to tell you what to do or how to do it.
An example is in Head Office where Renee took it upon herself to implement the first stage of a recycling program. Renee has bins located in the kitchens as well as the printer room to collect paper and cans/bottles. The cans/bottles are being returned via the NSW Return and Earn campaign and the funds collected will be put together for Head Office to use for a morning tea/lunch or something similar.
Paper/cardboard is collected and recycled through our waste management provider and we focus on purchasing recycled goods where possible to complete the recycling process.
You too can commence a recycling program in your branch and set up stations/bins for all appropriate recyclables. If unsure what can be recycled you can access your local councils website or Planet Ark for more information. The location of these recycling bins in an office can play a huge role in determining recycling and contamination rates. Having recycling bins at every desk, compared to one central location, has been shown to increase paper recycling rates from just 28% to 94%!
In head office, whoever’s week it is on kitchen duty, as per our roster, is responsible for collecting these bins and emptying into the big recycling bin. The cans are rinsed out and put in a bin and once full is stored in the warehouse so when there are a couple of bags they will be returned and refunded. Every little bit helps! We want to change a culture and create new habits among all our team members.
A huge thanks to Renee for initiating this process!
PHG has identified Phase 2 to include the return/recycling of Nespresso capsules, and more focus to be on reducing the quantity of what we are actually printing and start working more efficiently and ‘paperlite.’ This in conjunction with our current printer cartridge returns program we already do will help us move towards a better environment for everyone today and in the future.
Want more information about Office recycling? Take a moment to watch this video:
How good a recycler are you? There is always more we can do!
