Some of the products and items used in office scan be toxic and can be harmful to the human health as well as the environment. Hazardous materials are those that can be said to be toxic, explosive, radioactive, flammable, and corrosive. If you look at some of the waste items in an office, they tend to fall within these categories; printer ink toners, damaged fluorescent bulbs, batteries, damaged electronics, and so on.
These may appear like harmless items when viewed on a smaller scale; but when they accumulate, they can have huge negative impacts on the environment. This is why office and commercial building owners should always engage professional clearance service providers. The UK law is very clear on how to manage e waste in the infamous WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Recycling) regulation of 2014. Failure to comply means attracting a fine or even jail time!
What to Consider when Clearing an Office
When hiring an office waste clearance company, ensure that such a company is registered and has the relevant authorization to offer clearance services. As the office owner or manager, it is your responsibilty to ensure any waste is disposed of correctly. This includes any hazardous waste. Thus when a contractor or company comes to clear the waste, you should check to be sure that they are indeed able and authorised to offer these services.
Not only will you be adhering to your legal obligations, but by being environmentally aware this will help you in other areas. Recruiting staff, winning contracts and working with certain suppliers can all be improved by presenting an ethical brand. By actively trying to reduce waste and then recycling and disposing of junk properly you can help to cement this image. For example, when it comes to the disposal of old computers, you could consider donating them to charities, local schools or youth centres.
In terms of any cleaning to be done inside the office, the business should be opting for more eco friendly and less hazardous cleaning products and can ask their contractors to use only those types of product. As well as how toxic the cleaning product is, it’s important to consider whether it’s biodegradable and what type of packaging is used.
Many UK companies are striving to embrace green methods of waste clearance and disposal and as the office owner or manager, you too should embrace this.
A good office clearance company should be passionate about the services they offer and be able to show a portfolio of all the former clients they have worked with especially office and commercial building owners. With such, you can bet on their professionalism and skills when it comes to working in an office environment. You can also seek out reviews and testimonials to see what others think about the service they have received.