Commercial’s Green Apple Award winning waste reduction programme was launched in 2006 with the objective of reducing waste to landfill by 75% by 2010.
By the end of 2007, waste had already been reduced by 88.5%.
Landfill waste is a significant environmental hazard, not just because it is a potential eyesore and can cause local air and water pollution, but also because methane, which is often given off by decaying matter, is a significant greenhouse gas. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), methane is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
To reduce landfill, Commercial’s programme focuses on the three Rs:
Reduce – For example, print management and paperless fax using Ecopy, Equitrack and Faxpress dramatically reduces unnecessary paper consumption.
Reuse – For example, the cardboard and plastic reuse system currently reuses over 90% of waste internally with no additional energy consumption.
Recycle – Having recycled over 10 tonnes in 2007, Commercial is currently reducing recycling rates through better use of waste reduction and reuse.
The company has commissioned a feasibility study to see if the company can become Zero Landfill which will be reporting back before the 2010 CSR Day.