Recycling Tips

In the office or around the house, recycling bins not only have a positive impact on the environment, but they can also transform the way you and others think about consumption - and that helps create a better world for all of us.

The Three Rs

Reading, riting, and rithmetic? Nope, those were your great-grandparent's three Rs. The three Rs we're talking about are reduce, reuse, and recycle. The goal of an office or home recycling program should be not only to ensure the future use of otherwise wasted materials, i.e. recycling, but to reduce the overall waste that's produced by you, your business, and/or your family.

Before you even purchase a recycle bin, you can start by looking for ways to cut down waste. For example, if paper and Styrofoam cups are used in the office, put together a presentation showing how much money and energy would be saved by switching to glasses and/or coffee cups. When you need paper towels or office paper, look for products that were made with post-consumer content.

Rec Regs

Next, you'll need to read the recycling regulations for your area. This will tell you which materials can and cannot be placed in recycle bins, and whether you'll need a designated recycling bin for specific materials (recyclable materials can be sorted by the numbers that appear within their recycling logos). In an office, that may mean using separate paper recycling bins and plastic recycling bins. At home, outdoors recycling bins are used for yard waste, while kitchen recycling bins would hold plastic bottles, glass, aluminum cans, etc.

Make It Easy

Getting co-workers or family members interested in recycling is a lot easier if you make recycle bins accessible. Be sure to mark each recycling bin clearly; you could even add illustrations of which products go where. Containers need to be cleaned/rinsed out before they're tossed into home or office recycling bins. If that's a sticking point for some people, come up with a creative incentive program that will give them a little extra motivation. Short on space? Stackable recycling bins can do the job with room to spare.