How To Reduce Office Waste Post Covid-19

As Australia cautiously returns to work across some states, commercial cleaning companies are experiencing a sharp rise in waste. This is a real shame as before COVID-19 many offices and businesses were championing the way and smashing their green targets. Before we look to reduce office waste, we should first look at why it has increased.

Why has the amount of waste in offices risen so sharply? Well, it’s all to do with operating in a COVID safe environment, which means single-use.  Sharing is long gone and hygiene has shot up, creating extra plastic and paper waste from:-

• Plastic sanitiser bottles
• Single-use disinfectant wipes
• Paper masks
• Disposable plastic gloves
• Single-use plastic food containers
• Extra food wrapping and serving boxes
• Signage, posters hand-outs about food safety
• Paper menus
• Take-away coffee cups
• Plastic cutlery
• Paper towels from frequent hand washing

5 Ways you can reduce office waste post COVID-19

Ditch disposable

Ask your commercial cleaner to ditch the disposable disinfectant wipes and instead use a reliable 2in1 spray which can be left to dry on surfaces and kill viruses and bacteria.  Or, alternatively, ask them to frequently clean touchpoints with a hospital-grade disinfectant spray and a washable microfibre cloth.

Install Hand dryers

Reduce waste instantly by installing hand dryers. This is also a win for hygiene and as part of your COVID-Safe plan for employees as new model hand dryers have ion technology to kill airborne bacteria and stop the spread of germs and viruses

Ask staff to bring their own lunch

Quite a lot of companies, particularly in major CBD’s provide catering to their employees. This is a fantastic benefit but self serve bain maries and make your own sandwich platters for people to grab and eat are no longer seen as hygienic. It is tempting to order in catering which is provided in single-serve plastic take away containers but this is a costly exercise for your budget and for the environment. Instead, consider giving staff a weekly allowance for lunch so they can make their own to bring in using re-usable Tupperware and containers.

Buy your employees a face mask

It can be quite depressing to see pale blue paper masks blowing up and down a road or floating precariously on top of bins.  It’s also pretty unhygienic to have worn paper masks scattered about the office. Consider supplying all staff with a re-useable washable face maks You can even get them branded in your company colours and with a logo, instantly promoting your business externally as doing the right thing.

Promote flexible working and working from home

Many businesses had to pivot to a work from home model in the first lockdown. This has lead businesses to take a second look at flexible working. There are many benefits such as reduced commercial space to rent, and reduced overheads. Also, the fewer people in the office, the less waste you have!

Chat to your office cleaner about the different ways you can reduce waste in the office as we continue to run our businesses post COVID-19.

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