How to make it simple, fast, and get the whole team participating.

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Many of us are back in the office and are enjoying being around our coworkers again. With this comes team events, collaborative work, and team lunches and celebrations. What usually comes with all those activities is recyclable containers, papers, and more.

How’s your team managing when it comes to
sorting and recycling in the office?

If the answer is, “not great.” Do not worry; this is a common challenge in many office environments. While most employees have the best intentions when it comes to recycling at work, there are a few key factors that limit their ability. The main ones are; it takes too much time, and the recycling system is unclear. Here’s how you can make recycling efficient and straightforward for your whole team.

The first step is to have someone or a small team dedicated to making your office greener. How many people is up to you. It depends on your team size and how much physical stuff your office uses. When there is a recycling leader(s), your team will know who to turn to with questions, and someone can give the final word on all the details around your recycling program.

 What’s a recycling program? This is the system that your office will put in place to make recycling simple and effective. It will include items such as the recycling pick-up or drop-off schedule, which materials are being recycled or reused, how many bins are needed and their locations, and overall how the office can be green.

When it comes to getting the team to recycle continuously, the best results can be accomplished when everyone knows exactly what goes in which bins. It’s best to colour code your bins AND hang a set of instructions above each set of bins explaining which materials go in which container. Don’t forget to have multiple bins spread around the office, so they’re easy to access to every person.

“If the only recycling bins are only in the kitchen and a 5-minute walk away from someone’s desk, it’s unlikely that they’ll keep recycling ~ even when they have the best of intentions.”

So, now we have the bins clearly labelled, easy to access, and a recycling team leader in your office. The next step, and probably the most crucial, is getting rid of the recycled materials. This is where a regularly scheduled pick-up service comes in. Whether you need weekly or bi-weekly pick-ups depends on the number of people in your office, but it’s essential to have this on a pre-set schedule, so it’s never forgotten.

Why not get paid for your empties and never worry about going to the depot?

If your office is interested in making money from your empties, instead of paying a company to pick them up then it’s time to open a Depozip account. Have your recycling leader create a Free Account and schedule free pick-ups to get full refunds on your empties. Imagine what you could do with that new income stream! It could cover all the office birthday celebrations, replace that old printer, or simply put it away for a rainy day.

For more information about making money on your office’s empties, follow this link.