Recycling your waste

Recycling is the third-best waste-management option for your business, after reducing and reusing waste. It is less beneficial to the environment than reuse because energy and resources are needed to reprocess the waste before the materials can be used again.

By buying products that can be recycled more easily, you could cut costs and help the environment. You will improve your image with consumers, who feel businesses should do more. Only 7.5 per cent of all office waste, including paper, is recycled when 70 per cent of office waste could potentially be recycled.

The cost to your business of recycling is unlikely to be more than sending your waste for energy recovery or disposal, and it could be much less. Check whether your local authority provides recycling collections at low or no cost.There are increasing opportunities to sell high-quality recyclable materials and some of this can be done locally, for example construction materials. You can search for licensed waste sites in your area on the NetRegs website - Opens in a new window.

Waste exchanges give price information and quality specifications for a wide range of products. Let's Recycle gives details for compost, glass, metals, paper and board, plastics, textiles and wood.You can find price and quality details for recyclable materials at the Let's Recycle website - The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) provides information for businesses that are looking to start recycling at work. Read about recycling at work at the WRAP website