Recycling. It’s the lean, green, wonderful thing you can do for your organization, its people and the world as a whole. Believe it or not, just making a few resolutions to up your overall recycling success can make a huge difference in the volume of reusable goods diverted from the waste stream and put back to use. Without further ado, here are the top 10 actions you can take to improve your recycling practices for the new year. Let’s do it.
1. Indoor Recycling Bins
This seems pretty obvious, but you’d be surprised how many offices, business parks and other establishments put their recycling bins outside, where not many people think to look for them. Instead, use clearly marked recycling stations inside. On that note …
2. Put Recycling Stations in Lobbies
Lobbies are one of the best indoor spots for recycling stations, because people pass them so frequently on their way in and out of the building as well as on intra-office errands. Anything people can see clearly is going to get used more often, so make sure they’re obvious.
3. Match Your Decor
Interior design is no longer limited to furniture and fixtures. Most organizations are more likely to adopt recycling measures that fit with their color scheme or overall aesthetic, as Las Vegas City Hall did, working hand-in-hand with our in-house experts. In 2017, we'd love to help determine the quantity, size stream-count and design of recycling bins that will compliment the look and feel of your organization.
4. Consider Deskside Bins
Nothing is more convenient than deskside bins, which allow people to immediately do the right thing … no getting up, hunting around or taking it home to recycle yourself necessary. Now employees, students and others can form an ironclad habit by placing recyclable items where they go right away.
5. Brand Your Bins
Why waste a perfectly good branding opportunity? The Atlanta Falcons, for instance, launched a container collection to encourage environmentalism at the Georgia Dome. They decorated each container with custom panels to highlight the campaign, but used the heavily branded Falcons logo to catch attention and fit with the overall theme of the stadium. Restricted openings ensured that fans used each container appropriately.
6. Always Locate Recycling Bins Near Eateries
It’s surprising how many cafeterias, break rooms and other dining-related locations still don’t have good recycling solutions, even in developed cities and countries. Solve this by making sure you have a good system in place anywhere people eat.
7. Provide Specialty Recycling Bins
Specialty items such as batteries, compost and e-waste need a place to go as well, otherwise they’ll be wasted. Place stations at intuitive locations … i.e. compost near the lunchroom, e-waste near IT, and so on.
8. Get Extra Bins for Events
Events naturally generate a greater-than-usual number of containers, etc. Plan for this by putting extra bins in place beforehand so nothing gets thrown away that shouldn’t be.
9. Don’t Forget Public Spaces
If you manage a space that is used by the public, do the right thing and provide them a way to recycle their cans, bottles and paper. Outdoor recycling receptacles have specific requirements, so talk to a recycling system company to find what works for you.
10. Opt for Durable Containers
Durable is always important. If your recycling containers fall apart, it will be harder to use and empty them. Plus, the frustration that comes with shoddy recycling containers may disenchant your organization and make the whole recycling thing less likely. That doesn’t mean they can’t still fit with your look, however, as you can see here.
There you have it: 10 simple Recycling Resolutions you can and should make this upcoming year.
HAPPY NEW YEAR from Recycle Away! We appreciate your business a great deal and look forward to working with you in 2017.