Before ordering office supplies, check if they exist elsewhere in your department.
Welcome to Week 6 of the 50 Ways to Reduce Your Waste Line. Last week, we asked you to save paper by avoiding to print out emails and reminding others to do the same. This week, we look at ways to reduce the need to order office supplies.
One Thing You Can Do:
Before ordering supplies, it is a good idea to check if they exist elsewhere in your department. Find out if there is any shared space that your department is using to keep supplies. If such a space does not exist, take the initiative to set up one with your colleagues and keep it organized and accessible to everyone in your department. This shared storage space can be a drawer or a cabinet. When someone is cleaning up their office, any reusable items that are still in good conditions can go to this shared space. A variety of items, such as document binders, pen holders and push pins should be reused to maximize their full life span.
Useful Resource: How to Sort Office Waste for Reuse?
By being prudent in ordering supplies, there will be fewer things to sort or dispose of when you need to clean up your office. This poster below has been created to help people to sort their waste when they need to move or clean up their office. It shows some good examples of reusable and recyclable items.
