What if you could increase your green credentials while also saving money by making one simple change? You can. All you have to do now is recycle more. Here is our guide to effective office recycling.
What can you recycle at work?
You’re probably familiar with the usual suspects in office recycling. You know, the things you use a lot that frequently end up in the trash, such;
Cardboard and paper
Although most firms preserve digital records, paper remains one of the most common sources of waste. Print only when absolutely essential to reduce paper waste. If you must print, do so double-sided. For lists and notes, use scrap paper.
The good news is that cardboard is very recyclable. When ordering supplies, however, aim to buy from companies that employ recycled materials in their packaging. You can also collaborate with your supply chain to eliminate needless packaging entirely.
Batteries, electrical equipment, and printer cartridges
Electronics are unavoidable when discussing office recycling. Who doesn’t have at least one old computer or printer gathering dust in a closet somewhere? Most electronic garbage is either stored out of sight or, worse, disposed of in a landfill. Electronics contain valuable metals that are discarded. On dump sites, they also include toxic substances that drain into groundwater.
Printer cartridges and batteries are frequently overlooked when it comes to office recycling. Printer cartridges can be recycled at drop-off locations. Sometimes schools and charity may collect them as well. Batteries can be returned to recycling centers or collected in-store at an increasing number of stores.
Food and beverage waste
A hungry and thirsty staff can waste a lot of resources. There’s a lot you can keep out of the garbage, from plastic bottles to food packaging, beverage cans, and coffee cups.
However, before you even consider office recycling, focus on trash reduction at the source. Encourage staff to bring in homemade meals and snacks and to utilize reusable water bottles and coffee cups.
Food waste can be composted or recycled if your municipality provides this service. Anyone for an office kitchen garden?
Make recycling at work easier
We won’t sugarcoat it: recycling requires some work. There are, however, things you may do to make it easier.
Purchase office recycling bins
They’ll make recycling easier by putting food waste and plastic bins in the canteen and paper bins near the photocopier. Recycling containers for batteries and food waste caddies are also excellent investments.
Personally, we believe that these office recycling bins are among the best! They are quite affordable and can be personalized with a sticker of your choice! Ideal for offices who have different forms of waste and want to simply separate them.
Reduce waste by collaborating with your supplier chain
Talk to your suppliers about decreasing packing or using recyclable materials for packaging. Consider the products you purchase and how readily they may be reused or recycled.
Create a recycling action plan for your office
Examine your existing recycling levels in the office. How could you make things better? Recruit staff to help you make it happen. Make sure everyone understands what and how to recycle.
Although recycling is an excellent approach to keep garbage out of landfills, there is one important limitation. Recycling should not be the only thing your company does. Your primary goal should be to minimize or decrease waste in the first place, and to reuse as much as possible. In the short and long run, this will save you money and lessen your environmental effect.