Questions and Answers

I have been asked to develop a strategy for compliance with asbestos legislative requirements across our property portfolio in relation to surveying. Could you outline the approach to developing a strategy and how I can prioritise the necessary actions in a large portfolio?

How does the final guidance on biodiversity net gain (BNG) differ from the original proposals?

Our office waste audit has revealed the large number of inkjet cartridges that get thrown away every month. I am wary of buying recycled ones as we have tried them in the past and found them to be of inferior quality. Do you have any better suggestions on how to reduce the environmental impact of printing and copying?

I have recently been asked to prepare a short sustainability report for our site. We are an office-based business with limited impacts on the environment. Can you give some basic guidelines to get me started?

We had been thinking of installing solar panels on all our warehouses, and selling any surplus energy back to the grid. Will this still guarantee an income now that the Feed-in Tariff scheme has come to an end?

We are planning to replace all the smoke detectors in our office building. How should we go about disposing of the old ones?

Where can I find all the information to include on a hazardous waste consignment note? Can you explain all the different codes that are required?

Our office building is being refurbished, with most of the office furniture being replaced. The old furniture is worn and slightly outdated, but most of it is still serviceable. What is the most realistic option for keeping it out of landfill?

At our site we have a skip for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). Most of the items are printers and photocopiers. During a waste audit we discovered that the contractors have classified this waste as “metal” and are using the EWC code 20 01 40. The waste does not go to a specialised WEEE site. Are we likely to be in breach of the WEEE Regulations with this arrangement?

Also, we sell some of our printers to the Republic of Ireland. We buy them from a manufacturer and do not rebrand them at all. Do we have any obligations as producers or distributors under the WEEE Regulations?

I am concerned that old paint pots and tins containing a small amount of hazardous residue are being placed in our non-hazardous waste skip. The manager responsible argues that, because the amounts of residue are so small in relation to the total quantity of waste in the skip, they are bound to fall below the threshold concentrations for hazardous waste. Please can you advise.