3 Easy Tips [Improve Your Office Recycling]

Recycling collection at the office can be challenging. What can you recycle in the office and can’t recycle is based on who services your waste management and which materials their recycling depot can take.

Below is a list of a few examples to improve your office recycling.

1) Remove desk-side collection and invest in centralized recycling bins

Convenience is arguably the most important factor when starting out an office recycling program.

The reasons are simple: If recycling bins are too far for people to access or not all streams are available, they’re more likely to put their recyclables into any or the first bin they can find for disposal.

Deskside bin often only have a garbage and one recycling bin, so if you are not willing to provide separate bins for all recycling streams (garbage, cans and bottles, paper, organics, etc.) contamination is inevitable.

2) Have distinct in-office recycling station posters on or above each waste and recycling bin

Once the users of your recycling program are brought to the centralized recycling collection station, it’s the signage and information that will help quickly identify what items go into each bin.

The presence of clear signage associating each material (garbage, cans and bottles, paper, organics, etc.) to its correct bin for collection is critical to a successful recycling program.
Here are a few ways to create effective recycling signs:

• Use common standardized colors on signs and bins which helps people easily identify each waste and recycling stream
• Less is more. Focus on having one or two key items highlighted as acceptable in the collection bins
• Use icons or pictures to complement the text on your sign with images of acceptable recyclable materials

3) Train staff to create recycling awareness

Having effective signs compliment your office recycling bins and go a long way for creating a great recycling program, but it isn’t everything.

So, how do you encourage employees to recycle? One example is to hosting fun training sessions for your employees.

Bring everyone together to not only discuss the parameters of your waste management program but to engage staff, educate and stimulate conversation about recycling and sustainability.

Another way is to openly communicate the success of the program through the use of environmental progress posters or meetings to celebrate and encourage the further success of the recycling program.

With these three office recycling tips in mind, you could begin seeing better results in your office’s recycling and sustainability objectives.

But you don’t have to save the environment alone! Our team of experts can provide the resources you need to build a successful office recycling program.

Please check out our Recycling Collection Services or Secure Shredding Services today for a free assessment!

Article was updated by Jason Gale - Environmental Coordinator on September 5^th, 2019