Have you recently started working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic? Now that you’re carrying out your tasks from your own dining table or desk, you might be finding that productivity is at an all-time high for you and your business. This is a significant adaptation and one that could affect how your business functions for the foreseeable.

Although you’re settling in well to this new way of working, overseeing your business waste at home can be just as costly as when you were working in the office. Continue reading this article for a closer look at your business waste while working from home. A lack of waste management can cause costs to your business, in both security and budget.

Working From Home Due to COVID-19

Since the 23rd of March, the UK was ordered to go into lockdown by Boris Johnson. At this time, hospitality outlets closed, supermarkets had a higher demand and businesses who were able, began operating from the comfort of their own homes.

This, as you can imagine, put a massive strain on businesses financially, and unfortunately, has caused some companies to fold. For those who have thrived or are surviving, furloughing and government funding has given some mode of support. 

Businesses who are able to continue operating due to their employees carrying out their tasks at home are at an advantage. Some have returned to their working site now that lockdown rules are beginning to lift, but this isn’t the case for all businesses, as well as those who are now going to stay remote-based.

Why Is Waste Management Important at Home?

Although all tasks are being carried out in a domestic setting, your work-related waste is still technically commercial. If your business deals with any paperwork that is deemed as confidential improper disposal of this can breach the Data Protection Act. 

The Data Protection Act’s regulations ensure that all business’ waste is collected, stored and destroyed accordingly so that no sensitive data is leaked without consent. An example of this type of paperwork would be CVs, financial records or even a simple letter that holds a client’s name or address.

Not only would breaching of this information risk your clients/customers’ safety, but it can reflect badly on you as a reputable company and conjure up fraudulent issues, fines and even prosecution. This issue can arise for suppliers and employees’ confidentiality too.

While working from home, it can sometimes be easy for you to get distracted and naturally get rid of commercial and confidential waste in your usual household bins, which is why implementing a home waste policy as you would at work guarantees that you are always preventing breaches. 

What You Can Do

To avoid any type of breach, we recommend that you keep as much sensitive documentation in the office as possible. If you’re in need of certain information, visiting the site might be more sensible than bringing it home with you. If you do not require the paperwork outside of the office, there is no reason for you to take them home. 

If unable, import all of the required information into your computer. By transferring your paper-based files into a secure digital system, you reduce the risk of leaking information by disposing of it incorrectly. Then, with any hard copies, shredding is the best way to ensure that all information is destroyed. 

Not only can this solution reduce the risk of breaching, but it also allows for your business to become paper-free, which if you didn’t already know, is highly beneficial to the environment and your business. Did you know that paper accounts for 25% of landfill waste? All the more reason if you ask us!

Not only will you be implementing a ‘green’ movement into your business which helps the environment, but consumers will see you as a more reputable business with a fantastic ethos – thus, encouraging further conversions. 

If neither of these solutions are feasible, keep all documents until you can dispose of them correctly and safely. One option would be to return the paper waste to your office for collection from there.

How We Can Help

Here at Fresco Environmental, we can provide you with a reliable, affordable and tailored waste management solution in the North West that’ll ensure that all of your confidential business waste while working from home is dealt with appropriately and safely. Our services can be utilised for all types of industries; construction, admin and hospitality, to name a few.

Our mission is to minimise landfill output and deliver businesses with a dependable service that has their best interests at heart. In any way that we can, we are always striving towards environmentally-friendly solutions for waste disposal, no matter the type.

All of our clients are offered a complete bespoke-designed waste management solution to suit their business. In terms of confidential waste, you can opt for all information to be shredded at your business premises or off-site at a secure and professional destruction centre. This allows for no security breaches, and it’ll protect your business, employees and consumers.

If you’d like further information on how we can assist you in waste collection and waste disposal in the North West, please visit our website or contact us on 0151 423 9900