As remote and hybrid working models become more common, you might find that your office space in Westminster needs to change.
If this is the case, it provides a great opportunity to reevaluate how your workplace looks and free up some office space. Clearing out the office might seem like a daunting prospect, but once you know how to recycle certain materials it can be quite simple.
To make this even easier, here is our guide with useful tips to decluttering your office, whether your business is adapting to a flexible working model, or if it just needs a clear out.
Bulky waste, electrical equipment and office furniture collections
One of the first things to consider is whether you still need all of your office furniture. Items such as desks, chairs, and cabinets may not be used in the same quantities as before, so getting rid of surplus bulky items can go a long way in freeing up office floor space.
The same goes for electrical equipment. There may be countless phones, computers, printers and various pieces of equipment that are now redundant – and they have to be disposed of in the best way – both for you and the environment.
All of these items that are too big for standard rubbish bins require specialist collection. Before that, however, please see if you can find a way to donate or repurpose these items. If you can’t, then we can collect them from your office and dispose of them locally and ethically. Search our Knowledge base to see how to dispose of any office items.
White goods, like fridges and air conditioners, will be degassed, dismantled and recycled at EMR in Willesden, and all other smaller electrical goods recycled at Sweeep in Kent. Other large bulky waste items are taken to Veolia’s bulky waste sorting centre, where metals, plastics and wood can be separated for recycling, and all other waste is shredded and turned into fuel at our energy recovery facility.
Recycling your cardboard and paper
Next, we suggest you gather all of the redundant files, brochures, folders and other paperwork that is no longer needed in your office. Please don’t forget that envelopes, cardboard boxes, folders, newspapers and junk mail can also be recycled. We can collect this paper and cardboard for recycling.
Segregating paper and cardboard for recycling not only saves trees from being turned into new paper, but it also saves the significant volumes of water and chemicals that are needed to produce it. Manufacturing recycled paper saves 3,799 kWh of electricity compared to making paper from wood pulp. This is enough energy to power a standard light bulb continuously for almost five years. Throwing away paper and cardboard as recycling is also more cost-effective for your business than throwing it away as general waste.
All of the cardboard and paper we collect is taken to DS Smith’s Paper Mill in Kemsley, where it is turned into new packaging material and is back on the shelf within 14 days. This creates an efficient closed-loop system, with 100% of the waste paper being turned into something useful again.
Help do your bit supporting closed-loop recycling of paper by making sure you buy recycled office paper and ensure paper based packaging is made from recycled paper.
Security shredding and confidential waste disposal
You may well find paperwork or files that require discrete and confidential handling – such as bank statements, personal data records and other important or private files.
For sensitive materials like these, we offer a confidential and secure shredding service. Data security is a serious issue, so we take every measure to ensure full security when shredding documents for businesses in Westminster.
The shredding takes place in our secure, accredited confidential shredding facility. Once shredded, you will receive a certificate of destruction confirming that your documents have been successfully disposed of in a GDPR compliant manner. Once shredded the paper is recycled, for example into toilet tissue.
Disinfecting your workplace
Once your office has been decluttered, you may also want to take advantage of our deep cleaning and disinfection service.
As COVID-19 is still affecting how places of business operate, we can provide thorough disinfection of your office environment to make sure your employees remain safe and protected at work.
We assess your workplace before getting started so we know exactly what is required. Please also familiarise yourself with how to handle PPE waste such as face masks and gloves,
Start recycling with Westminster City Council
For your regular daily business activities, we can provide a range of recycling collections for any waste you might have. Our Commercial Waste Services are available to all businesses based in the City of Westminster. We have a wide range of flexible waste and recycling services available to suit your needs.
If you aren’t sure which services you actually require, you can start by booking a waste audit to discover which of our services will be the most beneficial for your business. We will be glad to help you set up a well-functioning recycling system within your business. Some examples of how we helped businesses recycle better are available here.
We are at hand to help implement all the correct bins and bags, allowing you to recycle correctly and responsibly, with nothing going to landfill sites or being disposed of unethically.
For more information about how to improve waste management in your business, download our ultimate guide to recycling at the link below.
