If you have been motivated to lower your carbon footprint, then one of the best ways to get started would be to set up a work recycling program. After all, the workplace is where you spend most of your time on a daily basis, and it is also a great way to encourage others to get involved in attempting to save the environment.
Businesses have discovered that cutting down the amount of waste that is generated not only reduces expenses on the bottom line, but also boosts customer satisfaction by proving the company’s efforts lie in their responsibility to protect the environment.
With this in mind, here are the key steps to setting up your very own work recycling program.
Survey your team
If you don’t yet have any form of recycling taking place in the workplace, it would be a good idea to start off by surveying employees and colleagues to find out which materials are most regularly being disposed of; therefore, you know where your efforts should lie when it comes to recycling.
Contact your local recycling centre
Next, get in touch with your local recycling center and ask which materials they typically recycle, before setting up your own recycling program. Once you have a list of the materials that are deemed suitable, follow this up with a meeting with your staff and colleagues to ask their opinions on how the project should be carried out, or designate a recycling manager to take charge.
Appoint a recycling manager
If you are passionate about the recycling project, you may wish to appoint yourself as the manager of the scheme. However, if you simply haven’t got time, have a chat with your colleagues and ask if there is anyone who may be interested in the role. The person you choose should have an inner passion for the program and be a good communicator, as they may need to hold regular meetings with colleagues to ensure they’re carrying out their recycling duties correctly, as well as getting in touch with the recycling center.
It may also be the case that they will need to collect the recyclable materials once the containers are full (whether it be cardboard, plastic, paper, or metal) and compress them into single tie loop bales from balingwiredirect.com, before sending them off to the local recycling center.
Use signs and color coding on containers
Containers should be decorated with clear signs and posters that dictate which material can be thrown in. This ensures that waste can be easily segmented once the containers are full, without having to sift through the different materials. You could also use different colored containers to make it easier for your colleagues to comply with the rules of the recycling project.
Make it easy for everyone to join in
If you wish the entire workforce to become passionate about the project, you need to make it easy for them to take part. One tip would be to place recycling containers around people’s desks and workspaces, as well as in communal areas, so that they don’t have to travel too far out of their way in order to dispose of their waste correctly.