Keeping Your Home Super Clean

Does Your Office Compost Food Waste? A Guide to Getting Started

by Jordan Horton

Most workplaces already make a point of minimising the environmental impact of their daily operations. This idea can take many guises, from ensuring the separation of recyclable waste to abstaining from printing documents unless absolutely necessary and choosing energy-efficient office equipment. But what about food waste generated by your office? Is it simply lumped in with the rest of your rubbish and sent to a landfill? If your office doesn't already compost its food waste, now is the time to get started.

Joining an Existing Scheme

Does a composting scheme already exist in your company building that you're simply not participating in? This could be a possibility in larger buildings where you share the premises with numerous other tenants. Have a word with the facilities management team for the building to find out if compositing your office waste has already been made possible. If not, you can discuss the process for implementing a composting plan. But what would a plan entail?

Starting from Scratch

Does the building utilise private rubbish collection, or is the weekly collection a part of the local council's services? If the latter is applicable, then a separate compost bin might require private disposal.

Gauging Interest

The private disposal can be determined by price, which can be influenced by the required size of the bin and the frequency of collection. When numerous businesses share the same building, it can be necessary to discuss the matter with the other tenants (to gauge interest and subsequently arrange a sharing of the cost), or your building's facilities management team can perhaps act as the liaison. When a private company is entrusted with the removal of the compost, they will be able to provide you with a definitive list of what can and cannot go into the bin.

Onsite Use

Does the compost need to be taken off site at all? If the building has greenery and/or any grassed areas, it could conceivably be utilised by the building's gardening team, who should be able to assist in making a list as to what can go into the compost bin.

From Office to Compost Bin

Who will be responsible for the transfer of compostable waste from the collection bin in your office to the main bin? If you have dedicated office cleaners, this duty will need to be implemented into their schedule. For smaller businesses that might designate a team member to remove rubbish, this will again need to be added to their schedule.

If composting of your office's food waste doesn't already happen, it's a relatively simple way to make your office even more environmentally friendly. Get in touch with a facilities management company for more information.

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