ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT MANUAL
9.
Section 9 – Re-use / Re-cycling Policy
Version:
02
Page:
1 of 1
Issue Date:
12 January 2002
Authorised by: Marjorie Dickenson
REUSE / RECYCLING POLICY
SimuLab is committed to reducing the quantity of waste going to disposal by using and promoting
recycled materials wherever possible.
The goals of this policy will be achieved by:

Avoiding where possible the generation of waste.

Separating where possible wastes which are generated for recycling.

Purchasing products with recycled content and low waste generation capacity wherever these
are cost and performance competitive.
9.1.
Reuse
Reuse of waste material means that the product is used again for the same or similar
applications. This usually (but not necessarily) occurs at the same location and involves
minimal processing. It is often very easy to implement, as it generally involves no other party
and so may be achieved by internal policy decisions of one company. Examples of this
involve the reuse of old office paper as note pads, printing on both sides of paper, reusing
envelopes for internal documentation and reusing delivery boxes for storage where possible.
This can save substantial amounts of materials and money over time. Other examples of
reuse might come from company gardens where tree clippings can be mulched to provide
fertiliser and ground cover to prevent water loss.
9.2.
Recycling
When a waste cannot be easily reused, then the next most appropriate method for disposal
is through recycling. This can normally only be performed on wastes that have been
separated into specific categories (paper, green, chemical solvent etc.).
Offices may recycle any paper products by collecting them separate from other wastes and
sending them to a reprocessing plant. This can be very economical even if the waste is
removed at a small cost by the recycler, as it generally leads to a large reduction in the
volume of material disposed of by waste handlers (who normally charge for waste disposal
by volume and weight). Laboratories may recycle solvents from cleaning processes and
instrumentation. As well as lowering the purchase costs for these products (which can be
quite substantial), this provides the added bonus of lowering the overall requirement of
industry for the production of hazardous chemicals. Examples of this might be the recovery
and redistillation of propanone used to wash mineral samples of oil or the use of a solvent
recycler for the high performance liquid chromatograph.
9.3.
Purchasing recycled and low waste products
SimuLab employees shall seek wherever feasible to purchase low waste products or
products with a high-recycled content when they are cost- and-performance-competitive with
non-recycled products. Those persons involved in purchasing and procurement should also
review their purchase of all products for which a recycled alternative is available. Examples
of products where this applies are:
Paper products such as:

office communication paper, letterheads and envelopes;

all forms of office stationery;

photocopy and computer paper;

office equipment components;

toner cartridges;

ink jet ink;

garden products and landscaping materials;

soil mixes;

mulches; and

old construction materials for landscaping.
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