When it comes to office cleaning, London based facilities managers can fall into the trap of focussing on how clean an office is only once the cleaning operatives have finished their work. Although cleanliness is obviously an important part of any cleaning contract you might take up, the way in which recycling is handled is becoming ever more crucial.
This is because recycled material needs to be separated from genuine waste and should, therefore, be handled by the same team of professionals. If you have one contractor for cleaning and another for recycling, then you ought to look at finding a single company which is well-versed in both to unify the processes. Modern office cleaning firms will be experts in providing a single solution for both aspects of modern office life in the capital.
Secure Waste
Nearly all businesses in the capital will have a requirement to deal with some of their waste in a secure manner. This means that a separate system from general waste needs to be put in place. If not, general cleaning contractors might be able to access confidential records from waste paper bins, for example. CD-ROMs and USB memory sticks sometimes also find their way into general wastage systems and these, too, can hold customer records or important financial information.
However, running a secure waste system does not mean that items cannot be recycled. If you want paperwork to be reprocessed, then it will need to be shredded beforehand so that information cannot be gleaned from it. Most good recycling firms shred documents securely before they are reprocessed into new products so that your data remains private. If you shred on site, then there is usually a lot of noise generated from the shredder and large volumes of paper are created which is a hassle. Outsourcing this service is much more convenient and can be carried out alongside your regular cleaning regime.
Bins
Most businesses in the capital now organise their waste into coloured coded bins. In the main, black bins are designated as those which contain material that is destined for a landfill site. Green bins are used to store items which have the triangular recycling emblem on them. In short, this means that they are used to hold plastic material, such as cups and food packaging, as well as things like cardboard.
The third sort of bin usually has a blue cover and is used to hold paper which will be recycled. Even discounting commercially sensitive documents for a moment, all office create a great deal of paperwork which can be fully recycled. Although the concept of the so-called paperless office is well established, all sorts of letters, contracts, plans and other documents are created each day. Don't put this material into general waste if you are serious about environmental concerns.
Green Strategies
Many office boardrooms discuss the need to be greener nowadays as part of the corporate and social responsibility (CSR) policies. However, in order to meet all of the latest regulations, best practices and environmental law, you need an organisation that can recycle and clean for you which is up to date with all of these regulatory restrictions. The minimum standard to look out for in terms of fulfilling your CSR is a firm that is ISO 14001 certified. Processes for continual assessment and improvement in recycling practices are another good thing to ask about, too, when considering a new contractor.