By Biba Hartigan

Here in the UK we send more municipal waste to landfill than any other European country. Not only is this costly both to the public purse and the environment but it is a shameful waste of resources.

60% of office and commercial waste is made up of paper and card which is easily recycled. But before you go dumping it all in the recycling bin, think again. While recycling prevents waste from ending up in landfill, it is costly both in energy and cash to collect and process. Better by far to prevent rubbish going in the bin in the first place. Simply by implementing green housekeeping, you could reduce it by half or even more.

It is surprisingly easy to use less paper. Double sided printing has a dramatic effect and can be easily introduced by setting computers and photocopiers to default to double sided. Photocopiers should also default to single copy printing after each use. Computer networks and email enable staff to work on drafts of documents without the need for printing. It is also unnecessary to print numerous copies of large reports, print one and hand it around. While all emails should include a message to discourage the recipient from printing. If your printer doesn't do double sided printing, reuse the back for drafts, scrap, memos and notes. Boxes, packaging, envelopes, wallet folders and hanging files can all be reused. If you don't want to reuse envelopes for external use, they can be used for internal mail.

It's not only waste in the office that matters, what about the waste you create elsewhere? Check computerised mailing lists regularly and delete duplicates and out of date records. Review your packaging, is it reusable, recyclable, compostable or made of recycled materials?

Once you've done all you can to reduce your paper waste, recycle. Paper that biodegrades in landfill produces methane, a global warming gas, 20 times more potent than CO2. WRAP www.wrap.org.uk, has information on how to set up a workplace recycling scheme and can put you in touch with someone who can help in your area.