New year’s resolution: open a new business in Westminster

A Happy New Year to all our website visitors and best wishes for all that you have planned for 2016.

If part of those plans are starting a brand new business in Westminster or moving your existing organisation to the Westminster area then we extend a warm welcome.

We recognise that waste and recycling may not be at the very top of your checklists for setting up or moving offices, but it will be there somewhere. So can we offer a quick list of 9 things that you can do to make this part of your operation run smoothly.

1. Decide on what kind of internal collection bins you’ll need in the office including personal waste bins at desks and larger receptacles for glass, food, cardboard/paper etc..
2. Place the shared waste and recycling receptacles near to the source of waste creation – so paper recycling near to printers and food receptacles in kitchen/canteen areas.
3. Label each different type of collection point VERY clearly. (You can download a set of posters by clicking on the image at the foot of this page.)
4. Understand what options you have for storing all of the waste collected between collections. Do you, for example, have room for keep wheelie bins? You are required to have sufficient storage space to contain 72 hours of waste production. Please read here.
5. If you generate a very large amount of a certain type of waste such as cardboard, consider the use of equipment like compactors or balers to reduce the volume of the waste. This makes for easier storage between collections.
6. Decide on your organisation’s policy with regards to recycling and whether you are happy for your waste to go to landfill sites or is exported abroad. Some waste collectors like Westminster City Council can guarantee that none of their waste goes to landfill or is exported abroad
7. Once you’ve understood the likely types of waste and recycling, the amount of waste and recycling generated and your on-site storage situation, you’ll then have an idea of how frequent waste collections will need to be. That is really helpful information when you start to look for a local waste collection service.
8. As waste put out on streets for collection is a major issue in terms of cleanliness and public safety. It can only be placed out at the scheduled times. Do read up on your legal duty of care. There is a system of fines in place for the protection of all, so you’ll want to avoid those!
9. Finally, see which waste collection operator is going to fit your requirements best of all and put the necessary arrangement in place.

Waste and Recycling Posters – download by clicking on the image below

Westminster City Council’s Commercial Waste Service is one of your local operators and we’d be pleased to help you settle in and take another thing to do off the list.

You can contact us in any of these ways:

online – via Contact Us

by phone – 020 76416180

by email – commercialwaste@westminster.gov.uk

In order to help you pick the right supplier to collect your waste and recycling please download our “8 tips to selecting a new supplier”.