Offices, just like homes, become more productive when there is less clutter around. Messy workspaces can be distracting and inconvenient for the employees. When employees have to rummage through piles of stuff and go through tons of drawers to find what they need, you waste valuable time and money.
A clean office is also a good sign that your business is organized and cares about maintaining its space. This can encourage employees to work better and keep their individual cubicles clean.
If you’ve recently started to declutter and have no idea what to do with everything, here are some things that you can do.
Sell electronics and gadgets
At some point, there comes a time when your office needs to start updating its systems and get new computers. When this happens, you’ll be left with a tone of old computers that you have no idea what to do with.
One thing that you should remember is that you should absolutely not throw them out in the trash. Electronics have a lot of parts and machinery that are toxic. If you let it go in the landfills, it will eventually leak mercury, lead, or some other toxic material, which will then be absorbed by the soil. You can’t simply throw them away with all your other garbage.
The best practice for this is to either donate it or sell it to an electronic equipment dealer. They have special equipment and machinery that turn old tech into something new. Sometimes they refurbish old parts, and some are melted and used for something else.
Donate old furniture
For old furniture like couches and chairs, you have a variety of options you can do. If it’s still in a condition that can be used, you can give it away. Try asking around the office if anyone wants to take it in. otherwise, you can actually donate it to a charity so that it doesn’t go to waste.
In some cases, the furniture is so old that it is beyond use. What you can do is give it away to organizations that can recycle it. As a whole, the furniture might not be of use. But they often take it apart and use the parts for something else. Even people make it their job to take old furniture and transform it into something entirely new.
Leaving items on the curb is actually not legal unless you have an agreement with a collector. You can get into touch with your local government offices or trash collectors to see what you can do with them.
Have shredded paper recycled
Ideally, the paper should be whole when recycled. However, those that contain sensitive information and private details should be shredded. Luckily, some groups can recycle shredded paper. It can be molded back into new paper.
If you want to know how to get rid of all those shredded papers, you can check with your local municipalities and organizations. Some of them would accept them, and their only requirements would be to have them placed in paper bags or clear plastic bags. The fibers are broken down through some water and chemicals to allow them to be incorporated in creating new materials.
A good practice is to shred paper of the same kind to avoid mixing them. What they usually do is separate the contents by the kind of material used on them. You can make their lives easier by shredding batches of the same kind.
Invest in an online storage system
Most old companies and businesses have tons of manuals and files that contain tutorials and policies. As more files gather, it can accumulate and take up a lot of space. One way you can reduce this is by moving them all online. Not only does it protect them from deterioration, but it can also make them more accessible to new employees.
For businesses that regularly use heavy data like videos and images, cloud storage is handy. It’s recommended to have ones with unlimited storage systems as well. You can have all the assets and materials in a single location for future use, instead of having to worry about running out of space.
Even when decluttering, it’s important to do so in a way that benefits the environment. Businesses use up a lot more carbon footprints than normal households, so it makes a huge difference if they start becoming more conscious. Make sure that you are disposing of your stuff the right way and to the right people.
