Reducing waste

Follow these top tips to start reducing the waste your business produces.

Tips for the office | Tips for the factory

• Use printers and copiers that are set to print on both sides.  Check your printer can do duplex printing.
• Does your office use recycled office stationery?  Ensure any stationery purchased has high levels of recycled content.
• Encourage electronic circulation of documents and archiving to avoid unnecessary printing.  If possible, switch to electronic billing for customers.
• Consider replacing any local printers and copiers with one or two large, networked, multi-function printers, copiers and scanners.  This reduces the use of consumables and discourages people from printing unnecessarily.
• Purchase reusable products.  Look at items such as refillable ink cartridges, rechargeable batteries, and reusable mugs and glasses.
• Use a plumbed-in mains water filter, chiller or fountain rather than a replaceable drum water machine.  This will save most offices hundreds if not thousands of euros per year.
• Segregate your paper and cardboard for recycling.  Improve the amounts of materials collected by having fewer general waste bins and more recycling collection points.
• Make best use of charity and community sector /social enterprise recycling schemes.  Use these for IT products and furniture, as well as for commercial services.

Need information, advice or support? Contact us on 1850-green1 (1850 473361) (helpline is available Monday to Friday between 09:00 and 17:00). Eligible companies may also submit a request for a free Resource Efficiency Audit. It is recommended that companies register and use the audit tools prior to requesting a Resource Efficiency Audit.