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0330 022 5998
When it comes to office waste, the amount generated can be staggering. While many businesses strive for a paperless office, there is often a vast accumulation of recyclable products ending up in office bins destined for landfill. Yes, office recycling can be a frustrating challenge.
“The fact is that every tonne of paper that is recycled can save up to 17 trees and over 7,000 gallons of water,” says Roger Green of Brightwaste Recycling.
“As well as the environmental benefits, there are many other advantages of focusing your attention on office recycling, from reduced costs to promoting sustainability.”
Brightwaste Recycling wants to increase recycling rates and minimise landfill in offices across central Scotland, using nimble, eco-friendly vans to collect recyclable waste in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling.
Brightwaste Recycling can provide recycling containers and sacks, as well as help you improve your processes to make recycling easier.
In a typical office, the most popular items to recycle are cardboard, paper and light card, drink cans and food tins, plastic bottles and containers, tetrapaks, textiles, small electrical equipment, batteries, computer equipment, light bulbs and glass.
To help improve your office recycling programme, here are four quick, practical tips to make sure employees prioritise recycling and reduce your overall waste.
Four tips to improve your office recycling
1. Deskside recycle bins
Making recycling more accessible for your colleagues can help to make recycling an instinct. Instead of walking to the office bin, you can position paper and plastic collection points at the end of rows of desks, making it much quicker to recycle than to dispose of waste in the regular bin.
2. Smaller bins
If possible, swap your larger general waste bin for a more modest bin, make recycling bins larger and give them pride of place in your office.
Research has found that using smaller general waste bins can help to increase office recycling by 20%. You can also label the general waste bin with an eye-catching landfill sign, this helps your employees think twice about which bin to use.
3. Zero-to-landfill competitions
Inspire a little inter-office rivalry by setting recycling challenges. One way to do this is a ‘zero-to-landfill’ competition, where each team or department has to minimise their general waste. The team with the lowest waste weight or fewest bags at the end of the month wins.
These competitions generate real engagement and provide opportunities to send out friendly reminders of what you can and can’t recycle.
These competitions stimulate innovation and teams can become quite inventive with their ways to increase recycling and reduce waste. By keeping an eye on trends, they may inspire you with your next office recycling campaign.
4. Use posters to promote recycling
Posters can be an excellent way to highlight the importance of recycling. your posters can be explanatory, helping people to know which recycling bin to use. They can also provide facts about recycling, helping people to understand the broader implications.
You can also use displays to highlight recycling statistics in your offices. This ensures employees know how much their recycling efforts are valued.
If you need any help with improving your office recycling efforts, then please get in touch with the team at Brightwaste Recycling by calling 0330 022 5998 or emailing.