Recycling at Work – Why is it So Important?

Why do we need to recycle?

Researchers have announced that we need to make drastic changes in the four big global systems that run our society. Energy, land use, cities and industries. Our impact on the planet is getting to a crucial point, where soon it will be too late to change.

Dr Debra Roberts, the IPCC’s ( Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) co-chair says that people’s lifestyle can make a big difference.

That’s a very empowering message for the individual. This is not about remote science; it is about where we live and work, and it gives us a cue on how we might be able to contribute to that massive change, because everyone is going to have to be involved.

So where can we begin helping the planet? Let’s start in the workplace.

How easy is it to recycle at work?

You may find it easy to recycle at home, but it can be trickier in the workplace. Offices surrounded by paper, coffee cups, cardboard and drink cans should be recyclable. However, habits are easily made and all of these things are often thrown away in the wrong bins. Lucky for you, we have a plan to help break these habits.

Recycling at work – Billi’s top tips:

• Begin at the top with senior management. Encouraging the top members of staff to recycle sends only a positive message to other members of staff. Noticing this will help involve them in the scheme.
• Set up a marketing movement in the office with posters, flyers, email reminders and internal newsletters. Visually representing the message and portraying it around the office will remind staff.
• Eliminate all single-use bins, this will minimise cross contaminated rubbish. As well as this,  walking to the recycling bins will help to get a little exercise in your day to day routine.
• Communicate to the cleaning team to ensure they are aware of the recycling scheme.

If these tips are taken on board and all workplaces take recycling more seriously, we can all individually help our planet. What are your top tips to help promote recycling in your workplace?

For us, our main goal is to completely minimise the need for single-use bottles. We are doing this by encouraging all staff to drink from glass bottles, and if they’re going to drink from plastic – they have to recycle them!