Recycling is a legal requirement for any business in the UK circa the 1990 Environmental Protection Act, this is mainly enforced with a landfill levy but repeat offenders could face fines.
Over the last decade the landfill tax has steadily increased and the process of recycling has become simpler and cheaper. It’s up to you and your company to properly set up and use recycling systems.
It’s worth reviewing your recycling process and seeing where and how it could be improved.
One company we worked with needed to recycle a lot of cardboard, which was becoming a major expense, after reviewing their options they spent around a thousand pounds on a machine press to process the cardboard on site for easier transport.
While the initial cost was high, this move saved the business money every month as their waste collection cost went down significantly and after two years the investment had paid itself off.
Recycling more saves you money as landfill tax is higher than the price of recycling. It helps boost your employees morale and increases your public image. Even without the positive effects it would have on the environment it’s a net economic gain to recycle.
Try and encourage an eco friendly atmosphere at work. Start a dialogue with employees about what they think could be done to improve your recycling process. Arrange friendly competitions within the office to see who recycles the most.