RECYCLING IN THE WORKPLACE
Below are just a few of many steps you can take to reduce waste in the workplace.
Recycling in the workplace can save a business money and also make for a happier team. It’s just as important as recycling at home because nearly half the waste generated in the U.S. happens at businesses and other non-residential locations. If you are interested in some help, sign up for a Free Waste Assessment.
All Napa businesses, along with multi-family apartment complexes and schools, are eligible for annual awards given to the best recyclers. City awards include cash prizes. Make your sure recycling program is working the best it can, and you could be one of next year’s winners!
Get Green Business Certified
Get certified as a green business through the Bay Area Green Business Program. City of Napa businesses are eligible for a $500 stipend upon completion of the certification. Check out who’s already certified in Napa County.
Go Reusable!
Replace disposable cups with reusable mugs and glasses. If an employee has one beverage a day, switching to a reusable mug or glass can save more than 200 cups from being thrown away per person each year.
Make Bins Prominent
Place recycling bins in prominent locations for printer cartridges, batteries and e-waste. You can also order a free recycling bin for CRV beverage containers from CalRecycle. Consider labeling each bin appropriately to ensure that only what you accept for recycling ends up inside. Check out these labels from CalRecycle and Recycle Across America.
Friday File Fling
Host a Friday File Fling. Have office workers purge file boxes and folders to recycle unneeded documents. In Australia, one day each November is dedicated to file flinging, but you may choose to host your event any time of the year.
Gov't Incentives
If you want to go beyond recycling to achieve a green and sustainable workplace, you can receive national and local government incentives. Find out more from the Department of Energy and dsireusa.org. If your workplace partners with Staples, take advantage of their sustainably-minded resources, such as recycling programs and eco-friendly office supplies and furniture.
Calculate Your Savings
Calculate the energy you save through recycling by using the EPA’s Individual Waste Reduction Model (iWARM). Their Recycled Content (ReCon)Tool also calculates greenhouse gas savings achieved by purchasing recycling-content products.
Purchase Recycled Paper
Purchase only 100 percent recycled paper and as many other recycled or green office supplies as possible. Even better, implement policies to reduce overall paper usage. The NRDC’s Green Your Office offers resources for making this happen. Through simple changes like defaulting to double-sided printing and reusing scrap paper, one EPA office cut paper usage by 30 percent, saving $49,000 a year.
Zero Waste Box
Get a TerraCycle® Zero Waste Box for your office supplies, printer cartridges or break room. You can also check out the full range of Zero Waste Boxes to see if your business disposes of any items that TerraCycle recycles.
Use Prompts
Use prompt cards to encourage positive behavior in the workplace. Try using these friendly reminders to get employees to turn their computers off at night. Download free prompts from Recycle Reminders.
Less Auto Trips
Cut down on employee miles with these tips on How to Make a Trip-Reduction Program Successful by HRO Today.
Get Educated!
Organic Recycling
Implement an organics recycling program for all food scraps, even if your business is not specifically required to under the Commercial Organics Recycling Law (AB 1826). To get started, read these guides by Green Action Centre and Sustainable America.
Manage Mailing Lists
Food Industry?
Is your workplace part of the food and restaurant industry? Save money and food at the same time. Get connected with charities you can donate unwanted food to via Waste No Food, Food Cowboy or Full Harvest. Simplify the process with a platform such as Spoiler Alert, which helps maximize the ROI of food donation and recovery programs, or the app Copia, which streamlines everything from requesting surplus food pickups to tracking tax deductions.
Did You Know?
Some of the top contaminants found in office recycling bins include:
- copy paper wrappers
- hanging file folders with metal bars
- food waste & sandwich wrappers
- non-paper envelopes (e.g. Tyvek)
- sheets of peel & stick labels
- rubber bands
- restroom waste (paper towels, tissues)