Office Supplies amnesty saves Cambridge council £1,200

Over a grand’s worth of office stationery has been handed in by staff at Cambridge City Council as part of an amnesty on office supplies that was launched to cut costs and encourage recycling.

Just over 700 pieces of stationery, worth £1,217, were returned by workers including 105 envelopes, 79 plastic file dividers and 191 paper file dividers.

The clear out of the Guildhall headquarters was organised to make the offices tidier and highlight the importance of using stationery items again before disposal, according to Cambridge News. Council offices in Mandela House and Hobson House were neatened up of their extra supplies as well.

At Guildhall masses of paper were handed in weighing over three tonnes – if stacked up they would have been almost the same height as Westminster Cathedral.

Jas Lally, head of refuse and environment said: “I’m really pleased with how everyone assisted and collaborated. We are keen to reduce the amount of paper we use and if we can do things electronically we will.”

Stranger items that were handed in included a printing calculator worth £50 and an adjustable book rack that would fetch just over £20. Regular stationery essentials like spring files, ring binders, magazine racks, document wallets and suspension files added to the tally.

It is hoped the initiative will make staff more aware of re-using office supplies instead of purchasing new items, which should help the council to save money and slash its expenditure budget.

Many British councils are feeling the strain of government austerity measures and are launching a series of initiatives to cut costs with some opting to consolidate their scattered offices into single spaces that are cheaper to run.

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