Keeping Trash from
Going to Waste
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If your office hasn't caught the green bug yet, recycling is a great place to start. According to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), an incredible 80 to 90 percent of solid waste is recyclable. But you have to begin with the folks who are actually generating the bottled water, cans of soda and scrap paper: your staff.
Follow these nine simple steps to launch a successful office recycling program:
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Get up close and personal with the trashcan. You may not want to be this cozy with what's being thrown away, yet it's the only way to know which products are recyclable. Ask your building management or municipal waste management company for a list of the items they recycle and those they don't. It may also be posted to their website.
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Start small. If you zealously provide employees with a ten-page handout detailing every recyclable item and all the benefits of the program, you're going to overwhelm their go-green circuitry. As with any organizational change, start with a brief overview of the plan, and a few actionable suggestions that make it easy to comply.
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See the forest for the trees. Paper is the logical starting point, since the average U.S. workplace generates one to two pounds of paper product waste every day, according to the EPA. It's not just memos and faxes, either: those coffee cups are a major culprit. The average worker uses up to three throwaway beverage containers daily.
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Follow guidelines scrupulously. As you move into larger recyclables, such as ink cartridges, computers, and other electronic equipment, be sure you adhere to local and state regulations as well as EPA standards.
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Appoint a recycling program coordinator. Select someone whose enthusiasm for sustainability makes them a natural choice to oversee the program, and who possesses the drive and initiative to both plan the program and see it through.
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Start at the top. Like all initiatives, a company recycling program will be more successful if there is executive buy-in. If the staff sees the CEO recycling her coffee cup (or better yet, using a ceramic mug), they'll take their cue from this behavior.
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Nail the details. Place clearly labeled recycling bins in strategic locations: copy rooms, break rooms, cafeterias, and near printers and fax machines. Consistently communicate the program's progress, and consider instituting incentives to motivate participation.
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Arrange for disposal. If your building management doesn't handle this, you may need to contract with an outside service. Be sure the workers are trained, as well: if the janitorial crew ends up tossing all the separated recyclables into the same bin as regular trash, your entire effort will be wasted.
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Expand your sustainable efforts. Once your recycling program becomes part of your company's daily activities, look for other ways to reduce and reuse existing products, which will not only shrink your carbon footprint, but can also save your business money. And that's the greenest reward of all.
~ Source: www.inc.com
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