6 Tips to Help You Reduce Office Waste

Office waste is often more than 80% recyclable, but without proper systems in place, it’s very easy for many recyclable items to end up in a landfill. We’ve added 7 tips to get you thinking about how you could recycle more and reduce waste in your office Some may seem obvious, but it’s easy to slip into bad habits, especially if you are very busy! Implementing PaperCut Software can help reduce paper waste even when everyone is too busy to think about it.

  1. Think Before You Print!

While most office paper can be recycled, printing something when you don’t really have to is a waste. Before printing think to yourself, “Do I really need this paperwork? Could this be emailed instead of printed out?”

PaperCut offers a way to remind you to reduce paper use by presenting your environmental impact in a fun way. Learn more about how PaperCut implemented a cool feature that let’s you see real world impact in real time here.

2. Print in Black and White

Printing in color uses up toner, while printing single sided wastes paper. Unless color is absolutely necessary, print in black and white to save on toner. Likewise be sure to always print double-sided when it comes to more than 1 document. PaperCut offers control over unlimited prints that would be sure to help you keep printing in check.

3. Be mindful of Lights and Electronic Devices

At the end of the day, be sure to shut down your computer. Try getting colleagues into the habit of doing the same. Also make sure other appliances are off as well. If you’re the last to leave the office, think about doing a little walk through and shutting down any lights or appliances that may have been left on.

Similarly, think about setting the air conditioning and heating system to a timer. This way they won’t be turning on during the weekends when no one is there and racking up that bill.

4. Go Paperless

Individual printers are a thing of the past. Depending on the size of your business, you can inlcude MFP’s in your office. This way there’s enough for the amount of employees you have, and there’s control over what is being printed. By control, we really mean just being more cautious when printing and thinking before you print.

Electronic filing via document management is also the now. There aren’t as many filing cabinets for documents in offices. If you absolutely feel like you still need it though, try to just keep the most crucial documents your business needs. If you still need some convincing, here are 5 Benefits of going paperless in the workplace.

5. Ditch Disposable Cups

Treat your employees to ceramic or a thermal mug for office use. Throw in a reusable water bottle sporting the company logo and get rid of the disposable cups. This way you won’t have to keep spending and it’ll be much better for the environment.

It’ll be a nice gesture for your employees who will thank you for it. The environment will also thank you for it.

6. Reduse, Reuse, and Recycle

There is no shame in reusing office items such as packaging, boxes, and stationery items. If they’re still in good condition, reusing instead of throwing away could help you cut some costs. Some items can even be repurposed for other uses around the office. In the end though, be sure to dump packagaing, boxes, and stationery that can no longer be used into recycling.

ecoprintQ is an authorized solution center that creates solutions and brings you the support you need. By following these tips (or some at least), your business will be sure to save money and reduce office waste.

We’re here for all your sales or technical needs. If you would like to learn more about PaperCut or how we can help, call us at 800-236-8499 or email us at sales@ecoprintq.com.