IMAGINE your workplace without waste paper bins.

A quick glance around the Journal’s newsroom reveals two distinct types of bin, one for general waste and the other for paper to be bagged up and collected by Wiltshire Council for recycling. Our kitchen area houses three further bins for glass, plastic bottles and tins, which volunteers take to the skips in the car park.

Salisbury Law Courts has gone one stage further.

The new court centre in Wilton Road houses Salisbury crown, county court and magistrates court under one roof in a purpose built development completed last summer. It has been designed with sustainability and energy efficiency at the forefront, including a waste reduction policy for the administrative areas.

Staff moved into their new environment in August and I spoke to Michael Atkins, project officer for Her Majesty’s Court Service (HMCS) about the court centre’s new policy.

“There are no bins at desks at all. We all have to take ownership of our waste to make this policy work. It is not easy when you have come from an office where there are bins at desks,” he says.

“Staff have a little pile of rubbish at their desk and when they make a cup of coffee or other break, they take their rubbish to the kitchen/rest room and allocate it to the right recycling receptacle.” Recycling bins have different coloured lids depending on what is to go in, and the policy extends to food waste as well, with a small bin housed on the kitchen worktop. This gets emptied into the compost bin in the car park (to be taken by staff for their gardens once it has been converted into compost).

“Because this is a brand new building, it was easy to incorporate facilities from day one,” explains Michael.

One of Michael’s initial problems with the scheme was finding a suitable commercial recycling company, as there was cost involved. Recycling is now collected by SITA with Wiltshire Council collecting any general waste and cardboard.

“We did have a few teething problems and have now asked the recycling company for a definitive list of what can go in each bin. Ideally nothing would go into the general waste bin, but there are some specific items that the recycling company won’t take.”

Administrative officer, Lorraine Stacey, spoke positively about the scheme: “Recycling at work is a good idea. After all, we recycle at home and it’s good if the rubbish does not have to go into landfill. These are simple things you can do at work.”

“It’s all in the thinking,” says Michael, who is confident the scheme will be a success.