As the rubbish in landfill sites piles up and we’re starting to feel the effects of climate change, more and more businesses and even households are trying to cut down on the waste they produce. Waste has a huge negative impact on the environment, and we all have an obligation to help conserve our natural resources and to reduce waste. Here are a few simple steps you can take to reduce waste in your business.

Buy Refurbished Equipment

Start off on the right foot by buying used and refurbished equipment instead of brand new. Of course, you’ll want to make sure the machines are fully functional and won’t easily break down, so be sure to purchase equipment from a trustworthy resource. JJ Bender has almost 40 years of experience in the office automation equipment industry, and sells used wide format equipment, printers, copiers, and more.

Every piece of equipment they offer goes through rigorous quality checks to ensure that you get a machine that performs as well as a brand new one. You can purchase printers, copiers, used wide format equipment and other office essentials here: https://www.jjbender.com/used-printing-equipment/

Go Paperless

Almost anything can be done online or sent through email these days. Cloud storage services such as Dropbox make it easier for colleagues to share and collaborate on documents without ever having to print them. Even documents that need to be signed can be signed electronically using a service like DocuSign.

If it’s not possible to go completely paperless, do impose rules on printing in your office, such as making sure that only final drafts of documents are printed, and printing on both sides of the paper.

Avoid Single Use Items

If you have a break room in your office, have reusable glasses and mugs on hand for water and coffee, instead of paper or plastic cups. Encourage your employees to bring their lunch to work in reusable containers.

Many office supply vendors now offer products with less packaging or none at all. Some of them offer deals if you return the packaging to them for recycling. Explore these options to reduce waste.

Recycle

Recycling items whenever you can is so important. You may have heard the saying that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Be sure to set up a dedicated bin in your office for recycling, and be diligent about actually taking the contents in to be recycled. Be sure to also recycle items like electronic equipment and batteries, which need to be disposed of properly. Consider partnering with your local recycler if your business generates large amounts of these materials.

Always recycle the paper products your office consumes. Even shredded paper can be reused as cushioning when packing delicate items for shipping. There are many creative ways you can recycle paper and paper products—you could even have an office contest to get your employees to actively participate in your efforts to reduce waste.

Almost everything can be reused, recycled, or refurbished, with a little creativity, innovation and commitment. It’s everyone’s job to consume resources responsibly and without being wasteful. In the end, we will all reap the benefits or have to face the disastrous consequences depending on how well we take care of the environment.

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