The National Waste Report conducted in 2022 revealed that the average office recycling rate in Australia is 70%. That’s commendable, but we should always strive to do better. Office waste can often surpass household waste in amounts, especially when it comes to large businesses.
Recycling in the office can help reduce the amount of waste produced by your business and contribute to a positive environment for future development. Not only that, but effective recycling can also bring down operating costs by reducing unnecessary wastage.
But how to promote effective and helpful office recycling solutions? That’s what the rubbish removal experts at Ridly are here to help with. We’ve put together 7 top tips that you can bring to the table and improve recycling in your office. Read on for recycling ideas for work that can improve your waste management and have a positive impact on the environment.
Tip 1: Create an Office Recycling Plan
You’ve surely heard of the phrase “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. That holds true in the workplace and any other initiative you have in mind.
If you don’t already have a recycling plan for your office, you might want to draw one up. Simply start by looking at your office’s current recycling measures. Is the process simple enough for your staff to carry out? Are you satisfied with the current level of recycling in the office? If not, it’s best to set some collective recycling goals to work towards.
Now that you’ve got an idea of where you are and where you’d like to get to, it’s time to look at what needs to change.
Tip 2: Provide Sufficient Recycling Bins
Most of the time, the solution to increasing your office recycling is the simplest one. By having more recycling bins around the office, their ease of access increases, and it becomes less troublesome for your staff to recycle things.
Of course, you don’t want to litter your office space with tons of bins. Placing them in strategic areas can also help to achieve the same effect. This could be around common areas such as exits, or outside heavy-use locations such as in the photocopier room.
Tip 3: Reduce Paper Usage
A staggering 70% of the total waste generated by offices consists of paper. Imagine if we could do something about that... say, going digital! Keeping most of your work and communications online saves you reams worth of paper, plus, it will never get lost in a maze of folders.
For businesses that need to stick to hardcopy receipts and documentation for legal or commercial needs, you can also reduce paper usage by reusing scrap paper for notetaking or switching to recycling paper instead.
Tip 4: Properly Dispose of Electronic Waste
Electronic waste can be tricky to get rid of because they often contain semi-hazardous materials that pose health risks if not managed carefully. Unlike paper, plastic, or glass, e-waste can't just be tossed in the recycling bin and forgotten about.
Instead of doing that, create a collection point for unwanted or faulty devices, then hand it over to a responsible e-waste disposal service when needed. That way, you won’t have to worry about toxic materials contaminating the workplace.
Tip 5: Implement a Composting System
If your office has a kitchen, you could consider using a composting system to recycle food waste from morning tea, lunch, or the occasional pizza party. Whenever you need to throw out food, place it in a separate bin from the regular rubbish. All of the collected food scraps can then be disposed into a compost bin to be recycled into a fertiliser for plants. We highly recommend placing the compost bin outside the office, or things will get a little smelly!
Tip 6: Promote Awareness and Engagement
You may have created the recycling plan, but it is only going to work if everyone is on board. Getting your employees involved is the key to driving real change toward better recycling habits, so you should find ways to promote awareness among them and give them a reason to care.
Instead of holding another boring talk on the benefits of recycling, how about creating a reward-based system that offers small incentives to employees when they recycle? These incentives can be anything from free meals, half day leave, or a special prize.
With something up for grabs, you won’t have to resort to constant recycling reminders for your staff and can rest easy knowing that your whole office is in this together.
Tip 7: Monitor and Improve Recycling Efforts
Before you start celebrating, remember that consistency is key if you want to create a culture of sustainability in your workplace. Take some time each month to keep track of your recycling output and see if they match up to where you want them to be.
Chances are, you won’t get it right the first time. But that’s okay. Look out for areas where you can improve the plan and adjust your strategy as necessary. It will become easier over time to maintain good recycling habits in your office if you keep at it.
New employees that join your company may not have the same mindset toward recycling, so take measures to continuously train your staff to do the right thing for our environment.
Work with Professional Office Rubbish Removalists
While the seven tips above can help you to create, foster, and maintain office recycling solutions, there are some times when you just need to get rid of things — and fast. The best solution then is to work with a professional rubbish removal company who can dispose of your recycling and general waste safely, correctly, and sustainably. Enter Ridly, Sydney’s best rubbish removal company. We can help you with your recycling and waste disposal needs at your office or workplace, so get in touch today if you have waste, equipment, and general recycling you’ve been dying to get rid of!
Now What?
Recycling has been a habit of Australians young and old since the mid-1900s, and there’s a good reason why. We respect our land and want to see it flourish alongside us. So, let’s do our part to extend our recycling habits from home to the workplace. If we all work together, we can create a sustainable environment for generations to live, play, and work in for years to come.
Got some office rubbish that’s too big for the recycling bin? Not to worry, we’re here to help. As Sydney’s leading rubbish removal service, our teams are always ready to help clear your office rubbish quickly and responsibly. Whether it’s old printers, equipment, or desks — or just paper waste and general workplace waste — we can help. Give us a call today and we’ll clear that trash before your next meeting ends!