To reduce your company’s impact on the environment, you should be considering ways in which you can encourage increased recycling in the workplace. Whether you are the CEO, trying to meet recycling targets and build a green reputation around your business, or simply an environmentally conscious employee who thinks their place of work should be putting more effort into reducing waste, these top tips will help fewer items hit the bin. 

Why recycle?

Firstly, it is essential to understand why recycling is so critical to the environment. In the United States, around 254 million tons of trash are produced every year, with about 34.3% of it being recycled. The trash that does not get recycled either ends up in landfill, as litter, in the oceans, or being incinerated. Every single one of those end results creates some form of pollution, damaging a part of the environment. Once you understand the effects of failing to recycle, creating a green working environment will come high up on your priority list.

Creating a green working environment

You may have created some form of working environment already within your business. This is the type of trickle-down system that you will have used to promote a high work ethic, sticking to rules and regulations and punctuality. If the whole business does it and, importantly, sees management doing it, it will become natural. 

If necessary, use internal communications such as emails, posters, and meetings to stress the importance of an increase in recycling. Install recycling boxes by every trash can so that throwing used items away is never the most convenient option.

Incentives

As of 2018, around 91% of plastic isn’t recycled. With much of it taking 400 years to decompose, recycling and reusing it is essential. That’s why implementing incentives within your business to throw plastics away less could be a fantastic idea for reducing your business’ effects on the planet.

If there is a way of dividing your office into teams and competing to recycle the most plastic or throw the least amount in the trash can, you will promote a healthy, environmentally conscious competition within employees. This can also be aided by applying for grants and loans aimed at investing in a greener way of working. 

Recycling technology

Some larger businesses will have on-site recycling technology. If you’re looking to invest in this, recyclingbalers.com remove the middle-man and aid quick recycling. For smaller businesses, simply having on-site recycling points will help spread the classic ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ mantra that is so important to reducing your carbon footprint. 

Summary

To summarize, anybody can help promote recycling. Management will be able to take more significant steps – applying for grants and changing the environmental work ethic of the group – but any employee who notices their business isn’t doing enough can request more recycling boxes, less trash cans, and even mini-competitions between workmates to see who can throw away the least amount of used items. 

Promoting recycling will keep your business’ office space and conscience clean.