A regular move can cause a lot of waste. But, an office move can be even worse. Business owners will be throwing away tons of paperwork, office materials, plastic wraps, and who knows what else when they decide to relocate. All of this is damaging the environment, unfortunately. But, an office move does not have to be like that. There are many ways you, as an owner, together with your employees, can do to minimize waste during your office relocation. And, we are here to help you out with that. Thus, here is our guide to minimizing waste during an office move. If interested in going green and helping our planet a bit, keep on reading.
Hire an Eco-friendly Moving Company
Moving companies, among other businesses, are also trying to go green. They are doing that for many reasons – to make their business more attractive to clients and, of course, to save the planet as previously mentioned. Minimizing waste during an office move should be much easier with their help. All those eco-friendly movers already have a team of experts who are well educated and trained to perform a zero-waste relocation. Moreover, they will come equipped with eco-friendly packaging materials among other things as well.
Your only job will be to find the right kind of moving agency. This time, besides finding one that is reliable and affordable, you must also find one that is eco-friendly. It may not be easy, but it will be worth it in the end. The most effective way to do this is to ask the people you trust for recommendations or to do your own online research and a background check on local eco-friendly movers.
Start Preparing for the Office Move Ahead of Time
The key to organizing a successful zero-waste move is preparing for it ahead of time. It is simple – the more time you have, the more eco-friendly solutions you will come up with. Thus, as soon as set your moving date and budget, start thinking about minimizing the waste during an office move.
First, decide whether you will hire a ‘green’ moving agency to prepare your business for relocation, or will you do all the moving and packing by yourself. Then, schedule a couple of meetings with your employees where you can discuss this process. But, most importantly, give yourself enough time to research the Internet and to talk to people who understand zero-waste relocations. Talk to as many people as you can about this, and you will be surprised at the number of ideas you can get from the most random persons.
Schedule a Meeting With Everyone From the Office
Even if you are the most eco-friendly person in the world, and even if your commercial movers like Capital City Bins are such, some of your employees may not be. Unfortunately, not everybody cares about the environment. So, no matter how much you tried to organize a zero-waste office move, some of your employees may not be interested and do as they please while packing their own things.
Do not just sit back if you notice something like that. Schedule a mandatory office meeting where you will prepare your employees for the big office move and talk to them about minimizing waste during an office move and going green. Tell them why this is important to you and of course, why this is important for saving the environment. Then, when you make sure everybody is on the same page, try to brainstorm some ideas on how to organize this move as eco-friendly as it can be.
Buy the Right Kind of Packing Supplies
The things that will make the most waste in your office are all the packing materials you will have to buy. Of course, they are necessary for a safe relocation. However, if you are not well organized, chaos is bound to happen. Thus, talk to your movers about packaging that will ease the process of moving and one that is eco-friendly at the same time.
For example, we recommend investing in plastic bins rather than buying cardboard boxes. Why? Because plastic bins are reusable, that is, once you finish your relocation, you can use them for storing office supplies and documentation or something similar. Go for packing materials that either have many purposes, just like plastic bins or for ones that can be easily recyclable. Moreover, try to use things you already have for packing like bigger files or boxes you received in the mail.
Recycle As Much As You Can
As previously mentioned, you should try to recycle everything that is recyclable. That is how minimizing waste during an office move is done the best. So, start by calling your local recycling facilities and see what they take. Most of them take paper (paperwork, cardboard boxes, packing paper, etc.). Some of them also take the glass, aluminum, and plastic as well.
But, do not stop there. Place several recycling bins all over the office. Make sure your employees know which is for what as well.
Things to Have in Mind for After the Move
After you have done your best on minimizing the waste during an office move, breathe out, and start thinking about maintaining a zero-free office space for after the move. Here are several ways you can do that:
- Store all office files digitally in order to reduce paper waste.
- Place recycling bins for paper, glass, metal, and plastic somewhere in the office where your employees and yourself can easily reach it.
- Encourage your employees to bring and use reusable silverware, plates, and cups when eating on a lunch break.
- Start composting.
- Try to invest in high-quality office equipment and machinery in order to avoid buying a new one every once in a while.
- If you have constant office deliveries, ask your deliverers to ship them in returnable containers.
- Ask the vendors to take the packaging they sent back.
If you practice these rules in your office, your next commercial relocation will be much easier, cheaper, and of course, zero-waste.