Waste Not, Want Not: Ways to Start Recycling In Your Business

Posted on Jan 21 2016 - 8:01am by John Sollars

Recycle

Businesses can enjoy many benefits by starting up a recycling scheme. Aside from the major benefit of doing your bit for the environment, you can also save money and you could even improve your brand image.

But how should you get started with your recycling scheme in your business? Here are a few key steps to keep in mind.

Work Out What You Can Recycle

The first thing to do is work out what materials are suitable for recycling in your business. Most offices get through a large amount of paper, so this could be a good place to start. By simply separating your paper from the other rubbish you will probably be able to recycle a large amount of material over the course of a few months, making a big difference.

Another thing to recycle is your empty ink cartridges. You may order in a lot of ink cartridges from a store like StinkyInk.com, and if so you can arrange to recycle these once the ink runs out. These can often be used again, which is an excellent way to reduce waste, so try to find somewhere you can take them so you don’t have to throw them out.

Then there are other types of materials that may be specific to your business. For example, if you are involved in manufacturing plastic products, you may find that you produce a large amount of waste that can be recycled, so make sure you dispose of the waste material properly.

Find a Recycling Service Provider

You will probably want to work together with a recycling service provider to make the job of disposing of your recyclable waste easier. There are many available, so start by looking in the Yellow Pages to see what you can find.

Some will provide you with bins for your paper waste and will then pick up the material to be recycled every week. Other providers may specialise in recycling e-waste, and this is important because you cannot just send your computers to landfill.

The government also provides some advice on choosing a waste carrier on the Gov.uk site, so have a look through this when making your decision.

Get Everyone Involved

Whatever you decide when it comes to your recycling, the one thing you should focus on is getting everyone involved. It will become a lot easier if you get your staff involved and ensure they are all enthusiastic about making a difference. Many of your staff may well be keen to do more recycling, and it can be a great way to increase staff loyalty by showing them that you share their values.

Send them information about your recycling targets, get them involved in meetings, and ensure that everyone is on board to get the most from your recycling efforts.

Show Off Your Green Credentials

Once you set up your recycling programme, make sure you state your green policy on your website to take advantage of the benefits it can have for your brand image. And don’t stop at recycling – change your light bulbs to more energy-efficient bulbs, invest in eco-friendly furniture and computers, encourage staff to take the public transport to work or cycle and more. There is lots that you can do, so see how green you can make your business.

About the Author

John Sollars runs a successful printing ink business. Whenever he has the chance, he likes to share what has worked for him with others. You can read his articles mostly on business, marketing and technology websites.