Take Action At Work…
In Your Large Organisation

Why Change?

Waste issues are becoming increasingly significant to organisations these days. Three key areas forcing organisations to address waste management include:

Economic Motivation

The cost of waste disposal has significantly increased in recent times. Thus, there is a strong incentive for all who produce waste to minimise it by reducing, reusing and recycling.

Environmental Impact

Waste should be managed responsibly because materials that are limited in supply should be treated with care to ensure that valuable resources are not exhausted. Also landfilling is unsustainable - we cannot continue to bury the problem.

Compliance Requirement

Legislation places responsibilities on all parties to deal with their waste in a responsible manner. Leaving aside cost issues, fines and other enforcement procedures – for lack of compliance – mean that organisations must take waste management seriously.

A message from the Minister Roche

Our aim with this programme is to help your organisation to reduce, reuse and recycle with the ultimate aim of meeting environmental objectives and minimising your waste disposal costs.

Read the rest of the message

Action at Work Seminars

For large organisations

Date	Partner	Description

Recent Seminars
28th Jun 2006Council Chambers, Dublin City	Dublin City Development Board	Waste management seminar for public sector organisations in Dublin City Show Downloads › Agenda › AatW DCC Bernie Lillis.pdf › Case Study - Trinity College.pdf › Laura Byrne - AatW DCC.pdf › Legal Obligations - Marese Feeney.pdf › Race Against Waste - Lorraine Fitzgerald.pdf › Waste in Dublin - Caroline Clancy.pdf
21st Jun 2006County Hall, Cork	Cork County Development Board	Waste management seminar for public sector organisations in County Cork. Show Downloads › Agenda › Legal Obligations - Toddie Cuthbert.pdf › Race Against Waste - Lorraine Fitzgerald.pdf › Sustainable Business Practices Aveen Henry.pdf
20th Jun 2006Tullamore Court Hotel, Offaly	Offaly County Development Board	Waste management seminar for public sector organisations in County Offaly Show Downloads › Agenda › Healthcare Case Study - UCHG.pdf › Hospitality Case Study - Tullamore Court.pdf › Industrial Case Study - Essilor Ireland.pdf › Legal Obligations - Joan Wilson.pdf › Race Against Waste - Lorraine Fitzgerald.pdf
Show More 'Recent Seminars' (23)

'Action at Work' guide

Our 'Action At Work' guide containing all the essential information you need to take action in your organisation and make a difference.

You can download the Action At Work guide (PDF, 3.7MB) or read the key parts on this web site (see below).

Taking Action

The following flowchart takes you through the steps of implementing a waste management programme in your organisation. Depending on the structure of your organisation and the interest of management in the waste situation, you should follow either option 1 or option 2.

Option 1 is usually in cases where management initiate the programme or where there is an Environmental Manager with specific responsibility.

Option 2 is usually where a group of interested staff come together and need some statistics in order to gain management support.

Stage 1 (option 1) Get management approval Set up Environment Team Carry out Preliminary Review Report back to management and Environment Team with results of preliminary review	Stage 1 (option 2) Set up Environment Team Carry out Preliminary Review Report back to management and Environment Team with results of preliminary review Get management buy-in
Stage 2 Carry out detailed waste review / audit. Assess knowledge base of staff.
Stage 3 Report back to Environment Team with results on detailed waste review / audit and assessment of knowledge base of staff.
Stage 4 Set up your Plan of Action.
Stage 5 Communicate your Plan of Action to your staff and Make That Change!
If the information here isn't sufficient, or doesn't address something specific to your organisation you can contact us or one of these helpful organisations for guidance and help.

Helpful Tips

Check the tips on how to Reduce Re-use Recycle…

Throughout the guide there are tips on how to Reduce Re-use Recycle. Section 1 explains the concept of the waste management hierarchy.

Since all waste options have some impact on the environment, the only way to avoid impact is not to produce the waste in the first place. Waste prevention is, therefore, at the top of the Waste Management Hierarchy, followed by reduction, re-use, recycling and composting. Generating energy from waste is next in the hierarchy, while disposal to landfill is at the bottom.

In Section 11 of the guide there is information specific to various waste streams. This section will be of particular use in setting up your action plan.

There is information on:

• Municipal Waste
• Canteen/Catering Waste
• Construction & Demolition Waste
• Bulky Waste
• Green Waste
• Hazardous Waste
• Electrical and Electronic Waste
• Laboratory Waste
• Office Waste
• Shipping & Deliveries Waste
• End of Life Vehicles

Useful Downloads

See below for all of the downloadable files mentioned in the 'Action at Work' guide.

Worksheets

Worksheet 1 - Waste Audit Form

Worksheet 2 - Reduction, Reuse and Recycling options

Worksheet 3 - Action Plan

PowerPoint Presentations

Waste in Ireland

Environment Team Presentation

Training Presentation

Questionnaire

Use this questionnaire to establish the level of awareness that exists among staff and their willingness to participate in a waste prevention and recycling programme.

Questionnaire

Posters

Action at Work Poster

Fact Posters

Reminder Posters

Bin Posters

Helpful Hints

How to reduce reuse and recycle

Green Procurement Tips

Case Studies

Read about what other Irish large organisations are doing to reduce, reuse and recycle.

The Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government

Dundalk IT

IT Tallaght

Bus Éireann

Children's University Hospital, Temple Street

Castlerea Prison

Department of Social & Family Affairs

Jurys Inn