There are more than 2,000 landfills currently operating throughout the United States. When those close, new ones will be opened and create even more environmental issues. The primary problem with landfills is that they leak toxins and greenhouse gases into the environment around them.
The best way to help reduce landfill operations is to start recycling at home and work. Not sure how to recycle at the office? Continue reading to learn some excellent recycling ideas every business should implement right away.
1. Consider Renting a Recycling Dumpster
Numerous things that can be recycled take up a lot of room your business might not have. Renting a roll off dumpster for recycling can help give you the space you need. You can store items like plastic bottles or containers, cardboard boxes, and metal items inside.
Even better, the dumpster company you rent from will take care of proper disposal for you. They’ll haul the dumpster away once it’s full (or on a designated schedule) and then bring back an empty one. In this way, all the hassle of properly recycling is taken away.
2. Put Filtered Water in the Break Room’s Fridge
Nearly 1.5 billion plastic bottles are purchased daily around the world. This is problematic because many of those are either single-use plastics or don’t get recycled properly. Reducing or cutting out the use of plastic bottles in your workplace could prove highly beneficial to the environment.
Invest in one (or a few) filtered water jugs for your break room’s fridge. Also, encourage employees to bring reusable water bottles to work instead of single-use plastics. You may even consider gifting each employee a reusable water bottle for work.
The difference made by getting rid of plastic bottles is significant. For example, let’s say you run a small business with only ten employees. On average, each employee consumes two disposable water bottles per shift, five days a week.
In this scenario, your company could help cut out 5,200 plastic water bottles from impacting the environment every year. Larger companies have the potential to make an even more significant impact. In this same generalized scenario, a company with 100 employees would reduce plastic bottle usage by 52,000 annually.
3. Add More Inside Recycling Bins
Many employees recycle less because it’s difficult. For example, suppose there are only one or two recycling bins scattered throughout your office. In that case, chances are it’s not an ideal situation for your busy employees.
Adding more inside recycling bins creates more opportunities for employees to recycle conveniently. Consider adding enough that no employee has to leave their desk for more than thirty seconds to recycle something. If applicable, you could even consider small cans for recycling at each employee’s desk.
4. Set Up a Reuse or Upcycle Station
Setting up a reuse or upcycle station is a great way to decrease unnecessary trash. You could choose a cupboard, cabinet, shelved area, or a spare closet as your reuse station.
The way it works is that employees take their extra or used office supplies, clothes, small furniture, etc. to the reuse station. Other employees are free to grab whatever they need or want to use.
You could consider adding a scrap paper box to the reuse station. Any used paper that still has space (and doesn’t contain any confidential information) can be added to the container for scrap paper.
5. Discourage Disposable Cups
It isn’t only plastic water bottles that pose a problem to the environment. Disposable cups (like those used for soft drinks and coffee) can add up over time.
By discouraging disposable cups in the office, you could significantly reduce waste. Consider supplying cups in your break room or asking employees to bring their own from home.
You could incentivize reusable cup usage to encourage employees to avoid disposable products. For example, you could offer free coffee to anyone choosing a reusable cup. Or, maybe you could provide branded swag or free lunch to those who participate.
6. Print on Both Sides of the Paper
Printing on both sides of the paper is an easy way to cut your paper waste by half instantly. Implement a policy that states employees must print all company documents on both sides of the paper. Put signs up near printers and copiers to remind employees.
7. Encourage Digital Note Taking
Instead of using paper to take notes during meetings, encourage employees to use digital methods. There are a few different ways employees could switch to digital notes.
The easiest method is using the notes app included on all modern phones. Many employees might find this helpful. However, not everyone is a fast typer on their phones, which is why you should offer alternative methods.
You may consider encouraging employees to bring their laptops or notepads to meetings. Designate a minute or two at the beginning of each session for employees to get themselves set up.
There arealso reusable notebooks that send all written material to a designated cloud. These notebooks are quite affordable and can be conveniently used in all business situations, not only meetings.
8. Avoid Printed Communication
There’s no reason to be using printed internal communication in the digital era. However, if your office still does this, cutting it out could significantly reduce paper waste. Encourage employees to send emails if they need to communicate with their coworkers.
More Questions About Recycling Ideas for Your Business?
You can significantly reduce how much waste your company creates by making a few changes. At the same time, you can ensure more recyclable items make it to their appropriate destinations.
Do you have more questions about recycling ideas for your business?
Check out our other blogs. You’ll find articles on recycling, the environment, and related topics to help you learn more on the matter.
