Recycling is one initiative that can benefit your business and the environment. When you consider adding a recycling program to your office, you may be unsure of how to start or what areas of the business it may affect. You may be surprised at how these choices affect your company financially. A good recycling program can also benefit you by serving as a good public relations example in your community. When you implement a recycling program, you should look at more than just recycling products. You should consider how you use and purchase your products as well.

Recycle

Just as you recycle in your home, you can complete many of the same recycling activities in your office. Many people think primarily of recycling paper when they think of a business, but you can go beyond that. In addition to the paper and cardboard, you can recycle the cans, bottles, and plastics that your business uses. Some businesses may find that this type of recycling is a large portion of their recycling program. Other businesses may just offer these options for their employees to use for their lunches and snacks at work. You can set up recycling bins in your break room, as well as in a variety of locations around your office buildings. You may want to start by focusing on one building and then moving the program to all buildings within your company.

Reduce

Another option is to work on the amount that your office consumes each year. As an office, it can help if you purchase supplies in bulk because these items often contain less outside packaging. You can also move to email instead of written memos to reduce the amount of paper you use each day. When you reduce your waste, you may also find ways to reuse certain items in your office. You can reuse scrap paper to print out drafts or you can

Make Purchases Based on Recycling

Just as you are trying to reduce the number of items you use, you may also want to look at the type of products you are purchasing. You can choose to buy recycled paper instead of traditional paper. You can also buy recycled toner cartridges. Another option is to choose companies based on their current environmental practices. Some companies are much more eco-friendly in the way they make the products and offer better solutions in terms of energy use. As you make these choices it will be easier to implement an office-wide program, and you will find that the changes may be saving you money.

Share Your Success

Once you have implemented a successful recycling program, you can begin to toot your own horn. Include this in the information about your company. You can have a short blurb on your business brochures and on your business’s website. This will let other companies that are eco-conscious know that they are making a good choice when they choose to support your business. There are grants available to help you with any extra costs of your recycling program. Some grants are there to help you set up the program, and others are to help you maintain it once you have started it. Recycling benefits everyone, and as you implement the changes at work, you may also teach your employees how to make recycling at home even easier.

Additional Resources:

• Recycling at the University of Illinois: This article looks at recycling efforts implemented at the University of Illinois in Chicago.
• Office Paper Recycling Guide: Kentucky offers a guide to setting up a paper recycling program.
• National Recycling Coalition, Inc.: This site offers information on recycling.
• Recycling Facts: MIT offers some basic recycling information and facts.