With climate change never far from the headlines and worldwide climate strikes reminding us of the need to “go green”, there’s never been a better time for businesses to consider their carbon footprint. On the occasion of World Environment Day (5th June), we are demonstrating how easy it can be to introduce small-scale, eco-friendly practices into the working week, on both a corporate and individual level.
Bin the bin. Our offices have large, separate recycling bins on each floor, making it as easy as possible for our staff to reduce the environmental impact of waste that is inevitably generated in the day-to-day running of a busy firm. Increasing numbers of companies are even doing away with workplace waste paper bins altogether, leaving employees with no option but to consciously sort and dispose of their waste correctly.
Rethink your shredding strategy. For confidential waste paper, we use a supplier who shreds the paper on site. 99% of the shredded paper is then recycled using a “pulper” machine, which removes ink and staples in readiness for the paper to be reproduced into new paper.
Think before you print. With tax becoming more and more digitally focused and other aspects of accountancy following suit, firms such as ours have less need than ever to print documents unnecessarily.
Look into local disposal options. Businesses in and around Leicester can dispose of their recycling at Gypsum Close Trade Recycling Centre. Having a handy facility close by makes the whole process of recycling and waste disposal even easier.
Investigate other routes to work. Several members of staff at our Regent Road office in Leicester also walk or cycle to work, an option which should soon become an even more viable mode of transport for many city centre employees upon the completion of works to create safer routes for cyclists and pedestrians on nearby London Road.
Our Tax Consultant and green advocate Kirsty Horobin says: “The steps taken by our firm to be environmentally responsible aren’t complex or time-consuming, and this is the point: recycling corporate waste, even confidential documents, is more feasible than many businesses may think.
“The amount of resources consumed in one day by a staff of 60 can be immense, which is why one-off corporate gestures, such as installing recycling bins, are as valuable as individual contributions like leaving your car at home.”