CONTACT US
Share: Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn I recommend visiting cushmanwakefield.com to read:%0A%0A {0} %0A%0A {1}
UK & I Thinking Sustainably UK & I Thinking Sustainably

Taking Responsibility for our Waste

Giles Flaxton • 16/08/2023

In 2020, the UK missed its 2020 recycling target after nearly a decade of stalled recycling rates, according to the National Audit Offices recent report on “The Government’s Resources and Waste Reforms for England”.

Waste plays a sizeable part in the UK’s Net Zero goals, disposal and treatment of waste alone (including wastewater) represented 6% of UK greenhouse gas emissions in 2021, so there is a clear interest in reducing the UK’s waste output and improving the processes in place to handle waste that is unavoidable.

Much is discussed around the real estate sectors waste impacts and responsibilities when considering construction and refurbishment, but actions that can be taken in existing work environments to help combat the issue are often overlooked.

Let’s Speak to a Specialist

We’ve sat down with Giles Flaxton, Cushman & Wakefield’s EMEA Responsible Business & Innovation Lead for IFM, to help shed some light and understanding on office workers habits towards waste and its impact on the wider environment.

What are your thoughts on the current mindset of office workers with regards to waste habits?

I think most people are responsible and want to do the right thing. They eat their lunch and put the sandwich wrapper or salad container in the correct bins. If they have a delivery in the office, they will write ‘recycling’ on the box and leave it somewhere obvious. Beyond that most people probably don’t give office recycling much thought, someone else deals with it and the expectation would be that it is removed responsibly.

What part do you believe recycling has to play in this?

Recycling is a key part of an effective waste strategy. Centralised waste bins in an office are the ‘norm’ now and we have come a long way from everyone having a wastepaper bin under their desk.  We are also used to segregating our waste at home and generally we’re so much more aware of the environmental consequences of not taking responsibility for the waste we create. We must ensure that we maximise recycling rates and aim for zero waste.

However, resources are still needed to transport and sort the recycling for reuse which of course means more resource use. Sometimes waste is burnt to produce energy. That’s classed as waste diversion from landfill but really it is just a sophisticated way of setting fire to our problem.

I think we have made a lot of progress but somehow, we have got stuck at focusing on recycling and have forgotten the importance of preventing the waste being generated in the first place.  

What do you believe to be the solution?

I work in the Facilities Management sector and we are partly to blame. We spend our days trying to make our client’s office lives as frictionless as possible, we endeavour to hide our work behind the scenes and make the office always look clean and tidy. There are nicely labelled bins for waste/recycling, and it magically disappears.  Our focus is on a hospitality mindset.

Our customers don’t really need to think about the waste anymore. I think we need to be more transparent and tell our customers what is happening to their waste, no more out of sight out of mind. Think about the BBC Blue Planet series and how it raised awareness of plastic pollution, once images of plastic in the sea were visible on our screens, we were all forced to think about our contribution to the problem.

As well as encouraging people to continue recycling and rewarding that good behaviour we need to focus more on waste avoidance. If you can stop the waste being created in the first place, then of course you don’t have to use resources to recycle it.  

Taking Responsibility for Our Waste chart

(Source: ISM waste & recycling. https://ismwaste.co.uk/help/what-is-the-waste-hierarchy

 

How will the office of the future deal with waste?

Firstly, I think there is going to be very little ‘waste’. Circular economy principles will be embedded in everything we do and the idea of just throwing something away will feel ‘wrong’ and socially frowned upon in the same way as driving a car without wearing a seatbelt is seen as irresponsible.  

I think bringing lunch to work in reusable containers will be much more common, not just from home but when you buy something from the local sandwich shop. If you think about the volume of plastic and paper waste going into recycling every lunchtime it is phenomenal. Also, those shops and cafes won’t be handing out bags and multiple napkins anymore, not accepting a paper bag for your sandwich and crisps is something you can start doing today. 

Waste bins will look very different too, I think they will be smaller because there will be a lot less waste overall, recycling and reuse will be the focus of the bins that remain. Will there be a bin for non-recyclables in the long-term? Possibly, but I think it will be a small bin, not used often and people will feel guilty for using it. I think recycling will be easier and we will be able to deal with the trickier waste streams like food contaminated items. We will also have found a way to simplify the signage on bins, no more multiple pictures and text!

Deliveries will be different too, packaging will be reusable – or at the very least recyclable – and the delivery driver will remove it, not leave it in the office for us to deal with.

Any final thoughts?

Please keep recycling, it’s a vital component of achieving ‘zero waste’ but try to prevent the ‘waste’ occurring in the first place, just because you place waste in a recycling bin doesn’t mean it becomes someone else’s problem, if you created the waste, you are still accountable for it.
For more information or to find out how Cushman & Wakefield can help you, please contact Giles Flaxton.
 
LEADING THE WAY TO A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Sustainability is a complicated topic. And while most of us are generally familiar with the term, the details may be less transparent. Cushman & Wakefield sustainability experts have produced thought leadership to help you navigate its critical components. 
Learn more Subscribe for updates

Author

Giles Flaxton
Giles Flaxton

IFM Responsible Business & Innovation Lead • London

Sustainable Insights

062023impcatinvestingwebcard
Research • Sustainability / ESG

​​Impact Investing and Commercial Real Estate: A Catalyst for Change​

We are challenged by immediate and medium-term social, environmental, and economic concerns. In recognizing that structural shifts are necessary, impact investing has arisen as a potentially powerful vehicle for change.
30/06/2023
20 things to know about sustainability (image)
Article • Sustainability / ESG

Greenwashing and the Sustainability Disclosure Requirements

The FCA is aiming to create an investment environment in which consumers have access to clear, comparable criteria for qualifying sustainable investments, ensuring they are well-informed of what “green” looks like.
Rhiannon Jones • 02/05/2023
windmills
Article

Agricultural Land Value Continues Upward Trajectory Across Nation​

The agricultural and resource land market in the United States is inherently diverse and complex, and it is a significant contributor to the country’s economy. Just as topography varies across the country, so do market trends and land values. Many factors, like locality, land area and resource availability (e.g., water, timber, minerals) have an impact on trends and values regionally.
10/03/2023
112022cop27card
Insights • Sustainability / ESG

​COP27 Egypt Climate Summit: Implications for Real Estate​

In advance of 45,000 participants coming together in Egypt to share ideas, solutions, build partnerships and coalitions—six major considerations were front of mind. Country leaders, climate experts and advisors gathered in Sharm el-Sheikh over the past two weeks for Conference of the Parties (COP) 27.
21/11/2022
Electric Vehicle Revolution
Research • Technology

The Electric Vehicle Revolution

Electric vehicles (EVs) are quietly racing to reshape the car and commercial truck manufacturing industries and meet the growing demands of global consumers and businesses.
Anthony Avendt • 27/06/2022
ESG
Research • Sustainability / ESG

Why ESG Matters to the Future of Investing

Integrating ESG investment strategies is critical to establishing resiliency and creating long-term value.
Megan Krest • 10/05/2022

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING SPECIFIC?

Get in touch and we can assist with any additional information you need.
With your permission we and our partners would like to use cookies in order to access and record information and process personal data, such as unique identifiers and standard information sent by a device to ensure our website performs as expected, to develop and improve our products, and for advertising and insight purposes.

Alternatively click on More Options and select your preferences before providing or refusing consent. Some processing of your personal data may not require your consent, but you have a right to object to such processing.

You can change your preferences at any time by returning to this site or clicking on Cookies.
MORE OPTIONS
Agree and Close
These cookies ensure that our website performs as expected,for example website traffic load is balanced across our servers to prevent our website from crashing during particularly high usage.
These cookies allow our website to remember choices you make (such as your user name, language or the region you are in) and provide enhanced features. These cookies do not gather any information about you that could be used for advertising or remember where you have been on the internet.
These cookies allow us to work with our marketing partners to understand which ads or links you have clicked on before arriving on our website or to help us make our advertising more relevant to you.
Agree All
Reject All
SAVE SETTINGS