Latest News & Articles
PHS Datashred boosts Knowsley Housing Trust's recyclingIn a drive to increase its environmental performance, Knowsley Housing Trust has held a recycling day for staff, which was supported by advice, logistical delivery and technical expertise from leading waste management and environmental services company, PHS Datashred.
Staff at two offices of the Knowsley Housing Trust, at Tower Hill and Page Moss in Merseyside, overhauled their working environments to rid them of any unwanted files, waste paper and disused office equipment.
To facilitate the clearance, PHS Datashred provided the offices with 15 assorted recycling bins for the disposal of paper, confidential materials, cardboard and plastics. Once staff had finished clearing their waste, PHS Datashred returned to remove the bins, taking the materials for shredding and processing, which it carries out at its own sites in a highly confidential manner under the terms of the Data Protection Act, WEEE Directive and COSHH.
This is the second phase of an environmental programme that Knowsley Housing Trust is rolling out across all its offices. In order to gear up for the ‘Tidy Friday’ clear-out PHS Datashred helped staff to understand the importance of recycling. In doing so, Datashred provided posters to be displayed in communal areas in advance of the day itself. Datashred’s experts were on hand during the day to offer advice on different items, ensuring that all materials that could possibly be sent for recycling, instead of to landfill, were handled in the best way.
“It was vital to get the staff fully behind the project,” explains Jenny Russell, Marketing and Communications Officer for Knowsley Housing Trust, “Ultimately a tidy and clutter, waste-free working environment will benefit them directly, so taking time out of a normal office day to make the effort to ensure our rubbish is disposed of in an environmentally responsible way is just the first step to a more sustainable way of working.”
Mike Cluskey, Regional Sales Manager of PHS Datashred, emphasises the importance of taking a responsible approach to waste disposal such as this, “Most offices have the capacity to recycle up to 80% of their total waste output,” he said, “However, in reality very few achieve this level. Whilst every organisation has an obligation to seriously address its environmental responsibilities, the public sector is directly answerable to a number of key stakeholders. Knowsley Housing Trust is an example of this. By engaging staff in the act of recycling and waste management, this organisation has demonstrated how the process can deliver multiple benefits – in the form of ‘greener’ CSR and PR potential for the organisation, as well as improved working conditions and ongoing environmental awareness for staff.”
