Businesses urged to Clean Up Australia

If an office halved its waste from two wheelie bins to one each week, it would save more than four tonnes or 2100 wheelie bins of greenhouse gas emissions. Clean Up Australia is urging businesses to take up the challenge on 26 February.

There are any number of simple and cost-effective actions to minimise the waste from business operations that will help to reduce Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions and limit the impacts of climate change, Ian Kiernan AO, chairman of Clean Up Australia, said.

“Recycling and reducing office waste that ends up in landfill are two easy and cheap ways to avoid greenhouse emissions, and save resources and money,” Kiernan said.

Businesses of any size can easily get involved by choosing one simple activity from the following options:

• Register a Clean Up site in your local area that needs attention. Invite staff, customers, suppliers and supporters to get involved. For a small fee to cover the costs of basic materials, your team can get involved and gain personal satisfaction by removing a rubbish problem;

• Clean up your office is another activity that is simple, easy to achieve and not only helps to improve recycling but improves awareness among staff about caring for the environment;

• If you can't spare the time but still want to help, your business can ‘Adopt-A-Site’;

• Or if you want to do more, contact Clean Up to see what other partnership options are available.

Registrations are now open. Businesses can get involved or find out more by visiting www.cleanup.org.au or calling 1800 CUA DAY (1800 282 329).