<p dir="ltr">&nbsp;</p>
<p dir="ltr">Many companies are unaware of how waste generation impacts their bottom line (i.e., the net income). The waste hierarchy focuses on preventing and reducing the negative impact of waste as well as improving resource efficiency. According to the hierarchy, the most preferred option is waste prevention, followed by reusing, recycling, recovering, and waste disposal. The hierarchy helps to simplify and support waste management in companies. It is an improvement of the traditional approach of &lsquo;the three Rs&rdquo; (reduce, reuse, recycle).</p>
<p dir="ltr">By applying the waste hierarchy approach in the office, a company can reduce the amount of waste generated and save costs. Plan how to implement waste hierarchy in the office and monitor the progress&mdash;establish a benchmark to know what and how much waste you&rsquo;re producing and create a strategy to produce less. Focus on sorting and segregating waste to ensure its recyclability and value recovery.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The aim is to keep resources in the system longer and minimize the waste sent to landfills and incinerators. Implementing this action in the office can expose and influence employees to apply the experience in their personal life.&nbsp;&nbsp;<strong><br></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><strong>Estimated Impact</strong></p>
<p dir="ltr">UK offices generate an average of 22kg of waste per person per month.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In 2018, the total amount of waste generated by offices in the UK was 10 million tonnes. The most common type of waste generated was paper and cardboard (5.5 million tonnes), followed by food waste (1.4 million tonnes), mixed recyclables (1.3 million tonnes), and plastics (0.9 million tonnes) - (DEFRA).&nbsp;</p>