Getting your household to recycle is one thing, getting your workplace recycling is another task altogether. As hard as it may be, it’s part of your duty as a responsible employer to encourage workplace recycling, wherever possible.
In the UK, we use 12.5 million tonnes of paper and cardboard every year! By just recycling paper and cardboard in the workplace, it could save space, reduce clutter and massively reduce the environmental impact that comes from making all of that paper and card. Over a quarter of companies who recycle at work say that they have saved space by having designated areas and clearly labelled containers and bins for specific materials.
If you are an eco-centred business owner or an eco-savvy employee, you can do your bit to help in the workplace. Let’s look at why it is essential and what you can do.
Why should a workplace recycle?
The main reason for recycling at work is just the same as at home – to save the environment. Every time you recycle a something, you are reducing the amount of non-biodegradable product that is sent to landfill. Because these products don’t breakdown quickly, they take up space in landfills, which results in the need for more landfill sites. If you encourage colleagues or employees to recycle, you can be sure you are doing your part.
You will also be doing your part to create more jobs for your community. Recycling plants need staff and the wider the variety of recyclable items they must sort in the plant – the more staff they’ll need.
As a business owner, it can be beneficial to have a recycling plan in your workplace, as younger generations of workers especially see this as a big draw to a company. Studies have shown one in 10 millennials would quit their job if their employer wasn’t environmentally friendly. So it won’t just help you keep employees, but can also attract potential candidates to your company. Millennials especially consider a workplace’s recycling and sustainability policies when deciding whether to join a company.
Ways to increase your workplace recycling
Introduce recycling bin areas
Rather than having personal bins at people’s desks or workspaces, create a recycling hub. Having a personal bin makes it easy for someone to just throw away anything without thinking about recycling. By creating a recycling area, employees can see clearly what needs to go in which bin and have their colleagues to keep them accountable.
The MyBin Create Cardboard Recycling Bins 60 Litres - Pack of 5 offers an ideal solution to creating a recycling hub in your workplace at a budget friendly cost.
Ditch the paper cups for reusable cups
Everyone needs a morning cup of coffee, tea, or whatever it is that gives you that little boost. What happens once the drink is gone? The cup will often just go in with the general waste which might save on washing up but isn’t very eco-friendly. You can easily change this by getting your employees reusable coffee cups. Why not add your brand logo onto the flask as well? Free marketing while saving the planet.
Go paperless
This is a firm favourite and a relatively easy change to make for most workplaces. With the world moving towards a technology centric society, the need for paper is reducing. By encouraging employees and colleagues to go paperless, you will drastically reduce the amount of paper you throw away.
It also has several benefits for both your business and your employees as having sensitive business information printed out can pose security risks but there is no chance of losing something important if it is saved onto employees work computers or laptops.
Recycle scheme
By following these steps, you can easily create a recycling stream in your workplace.
Step 1 – Identify your waste
You need to find out what type of recycling waste you create. Once you know this, you can get the bins with recycling stickers to match.
Step 2 – Get your employees on board with the scheme
For the scheme to work, you require your employees to be on board. Use posters around the workspace to catch their attention, maybe even set up some incentives for recycling. The more creative, the better.
Step 3 – Make it clear what goes where
Colour coding your bins may work best for this. You need to ensure it is something your employees and colleagues understand.
If you are just using ordinary bins to create a recycling hub, using something like the Bin Waste and Recycling Stickers - Pack of 3 will help employees know what to put where.
Step 4 – Think about what you buy
If you are planning on making your workspace environmentally friendly, it would make sense to do the same with the things you buy. Make the change, where possible, to products that are made using eco-friendly materials and/or that are made locally to reduce carbon emissions on their delivery to your workplace. This isn’t always possible, but actively trying to source eco-friendly products will help with your eco-friendly revolution.
If you were to purchase the Cardboard Recycling Bins 60 Litres - Pack of 5, you would be buying an environmentally friendly product. The bins are made from cardboard that can be recycled once you have finished with them.
These are all small things that you can easily implement to do your part in your workplace. Sometimes there are no alternatives, so don’t kick yourself if you can’t make the switch with everything. It’s best to remember that even the smallest of changes can make a massive difference.
If you’d like to find out more about the eco-products and recycling solutions we have available, please contact our sales team on 01777 858009 or email sales@kingfisherdirect.co.uk.
