With 2014 already underway, many people find it is the ideal opportunity for a fresh start, a chance to wipe the slate clean.
New Year resolutions are a chance to make some positive steps in 2014 and reach achievable goals. You could make the usual promises too – lose weight, quit smoking or cut back on drinking alcohol – or you could commit yourself to improving your business outlook.
Making some minor changes in your workplace could improve staff morale, increase efficiency and reduce unnecessary waste.
A clean and tidy working environment can reinforce the notion of a clear, focused workspace.
Recycle
Offices generate tonnes of waste every year and a large portion of what is thrown away could actually be recycled.
The Confederation of Paper Industries estimates that as a country we use 12.5 million tonnes of paper and cardboard every year. Your office probably produces a lot of paper waste: leaflets, envelopes, letters, newspapers, magazines and shredded paper – just to name a few examples.
Other recyclable materials can be found in almost every office – ink cartridges, drinks cans, old electrical equipment and plastic bottles.
All you need to do is find a recycling waste contractor who can help you set up a simple scheme in your office. You can find details here: www.recycleatwork.org.uk
Different coloured recycling bins take the hassle out of sorting waste. The right location maximises the amount of waste recycled and reduces the risk of contamination, which means you won’t have to pull soggy paper out of the bottle bin.
The Waste & Resources Action Programme reports that businesses that have already implemented a recycling programme say it saves space, improves their reputation within the community and is cost effective.
Clean house!
Offices accumulate vast amounts of rubbish – folders and folders of useless and outdated documents, broken electrical equipment and communal fridges filled with month-old milk.
Now is the perfect excuse and opportunity to clean house. Perhaps you could get your staff to come to work in old clothes so you can all spend an afternoon cleaning out the office.
Start by sorting through filing cabinets and shelves, making separate piles for documents that need to be kept, confidential papers that need to be shredded and destroyed, and papers that can just be thrown away. Reorganise your filing system to avoid any waste being kept in the future.
Make a list of the office furniture that needs to be fixed and the stuff that needs to be thrown away. Look closely at the chairs – any that are broken need to be replaced as these could cause serious discomfort and injury to anyone who has to sit on them for long periods of time.
Give the fridge a deep clean: Get rid of any bottles of lumpy milk or lunches that have been there for days, or in some cases weeks!
Arrange for a thorough clean
Even if you already have office cleaners they may not be able to do a thorough job during normal working hours.
They might not be able to use the vacuum as employees could be on important calls. Desks might not get cleaned as they are constantly being used. Toilets may never have the deep cleansing they need because as soon as the cleaner is finished, somebody needs to use them.
While your staffing levels are low at the Christmas period, why not hire a contract cleaning company to come in and make the office immaculate? Nviro is a respected cleaning company that has proven experience in office cleaning. Visit their website today for more details.
