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According to Great Forest, 62% of waste that goes to the landfill is not trash--it’s made up of recyclable glass, metal, plastics, and paper, compostable organic material, and e-waste.  

If you've been given the go- ahead to audit your company’s waste production, it's up to you to find out what type of waste you’re dealing with and whether you can reduce your landfill disposal rate,  ultimately saving your company money. We’ve put together a quick and easy checklist to help you outline your next steps so your team can get moving on what matters: making your company more waste efficient.  

What is a waste audit, really?

A good audit of your company's waste will tell you everything you need to know to streamline your trash disposal and recycling practices for the benefit of your waste management processes.

Waste audits happen for a number of reasons:

• To benchmark your company's current processes and environmental impact

• To understand where there are opportunities for improvement

• For trend monitoring and the development of new initiatives

• To reduce, reuse, and recycle more waste to keep it out of the landfill

First, two key issues must be solved: what is recyclable, and what isn’t? First, check to see if your municipality works with us using our Find My Municipality tool. From there, you can use our “What Goes Where” feature to look up any item. If you don't have access to a web-based app, you can usually find your municipality’s guidelines on your local government’s website.  

Conducting a waste audit is a great way to kick off a high-performance recycling program. Let's move onto learning how to start.  

1. Plan your waste audit

Planning is a vital step in the process for your green team. You need to figure out the who, the how and the why to get this done right. That means calling an official meeting.

• Assign roles and conduct a walk-through
  Knowing how to do a waste audit starts with the right core team. Assign the best green team members you have to this important task and host a company walkthrough.

• Note where waste disposal takes place
  During the walkthrough, you'll visit each disposal location and take note of any obvious issues. These are the locations your team will be collecting waste samples from on your allotted dates.  

• Understand how waste is currently managed
  At the end of your first meeting, outline the A-Z of what happens from the time trash is created > your hauler collecting it > it being sorted at a waste transfer station > when it arrives at the landfill.  

• Recruit your cleaning staff
  No one knows the disposal practices of your company better than your cleaning staff. At your second meeting, invite key members of the cleaning staff so that you can chat to them about how to conduct a waste audit with your team. Once you have enlisted their help, run through exactly what you expect from them so that no questions are left unanswered. They will need a full step-by-step process here.  

• Sync your timelines and schedules
  Set a logical time and date for regular waste audits that involve all of your committed team members and cleaning staff.
  

Tip: Make sure to also chat about how corporate e-waste and other materials are currently managed and take note of any glaring opportunities.  
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Image credit: Advanceddisposal.com

2. Design and prep your audit worksheets

Create or download a waste audit worksheet for your team to use during the disposal audit. This worksheet will help you capture the data you need for decision making.  

Key areas to note:

• Types of waste:
  make sure to record the composition or material of each waste type.

• Where certain waste types come from
  e.g., paper from the copying machine room. That way you can spot where certain types of material are most commonly found on premises.

• What you will need to complete the physical audit
  Have the tools you need on hand! On your worksheet, create a checklist of the required trash audit tools:  
  • A designated sorting area
  • Protective clothing/gear
  • A scale
  • Trash bags
  • A tarp for sorting through the trash
  • Labels
  • Worksheets & pens
  • Storage containers
  • Camera or phones
  • Latex or nitrile gloves
  • First aid kit
  • Cleaning materials
  • Labeled bins
  • Clear goggles
  • Your team
  • Waste samples

3. Collect, sort, and track your waste

Arrange with your cleaning staff to have transparent plastic bags in all waste bins during auditing weeks. During week one, audit your trash for three days—Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday--to get an average. Mondays and Fridays have higher rates of absences, so audits on these days may not be as accurate. Each audit will last for about 1-3 hours, depending on the amount of trash you're sorting through. Get your protective gear on!

• Remove the bags from each waste container for weighing and observing
  Group the bags together by waste type and location, label them, then weigh each group together. If you have a designated corporate e-waste area, it must be audited as well.  

• Take photos
  Every location should be analyzed separately. At the end of each location sample, take photos of the sorted trash.  

• Record waste quantities and weight
  In your waste audit spreadsheet, record the quantities and weight of each group. You'll need these data quantities for later analysis in step two.  

• Estimate averages
  After you've sorted your waste and have completed the cleanup‚ you will need to estimate your averages. Calculate your diversion rate by using the following formula:

                      weight of recycling
                    ____________________    X 100
                     weight of recycling +
                      weight of garbage

Make a note of what is recyclable and what's not.  

• Do random audits for two weeks

For the next two weeks following your initial audit, perform random audits to make sure your averages are correct. Pick 2-3 days over those two weeks (after your initial audit period) to check that there are no major changes in weight or material content. If there are, investigate why.  

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4. Check estimates against existing records

Once all of your data is collected and refined, you can check it against existing records. This is where you will discover areas in need of improvement.

• Cross reference with purchase records
  Step three of conducting a waste audit is taking your data and cross referencing it with purchase records. This will help you understand how trash is created and how much of what is bought is being discarded.  

• Take note of external factors
  Your waste management recycle bins will also contain trash from other sources. Take note of anything interesting (e.g., a lot of batteries in location 4).  

• Cross reference with waste disposal company
  Finally, cross reference your data with your waste disposal company's data to reveal hidden gems. When you recycle shredded paper, waste management companies record your output. Get this data to use when you create your plan to reduce office waste.
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5. Prepare your waste audit report

Your completed waste audit worksheet stack will be used to create a report for management.  

• Graph and chart your findings
  At your final meeting or two, spend time creating graphs and charts detailing your findings for your presentation. Compile all photos and highlight all opportunities found in your audit. For example, if your plastic waste recycling is contaminated with other materials, mention that in your report, along with contamination rates and how it can be improved using a simple educational tool.  

• Establish benchmarks
  You have the data to benchmark your progress. Well done! These benchmarks will act as your baseline starting point.  

• Set goals for improvement
  From here, you'll want to establish new goals to improve every part of your waste management process. You can present these goals as percentage improvements in your report. Set ambitious goals for your company and order them by priority. For example, if one waste management area is non-existent, work on that first.  

Present your findings to your management team and to your company as a whole. Show stakeholders the opportunities in better waste management. Questions like “What can I recycle for money?” and “How much can we cut our landfill diversion by?” are ones that every employee at your company should entertain.  

Here's a quick recap of our 5-step checklist:

1. Plan your waste audit

• Assign roles and conduct a walk-through

• Note where waste disposal takes place (locations)

• Understand how waste is currently managed

• Recruit your cleaning staff

• Sync your schedule and timelines

2. Design and prep your audit worksheets

• Types of waste

• Where certain waste types come from

• What you will need to complete the physical audit

3. Collect, sort, and track your waste

• Collect your company’s waste

• Take photos  

• Record waste quantities and weight

• Estimate averages  

4. Check estimates against existing records

• Cross referencing with purchase records

• Take note of external factors

• Cross referencing with waste disposal company

5. Prepare your waste audit report

• Graph and chart your findings

• Establish benchmarks  

• Set goals for improvement

From planning your waste audit to compiling the report once the data is collected, you now have a route forward. If you have any questions or would like to know how your business or municipality can partner with us, reach out to us here.

Nine out of ten people say that they would recycle if it were easier, so it's up to you and your team to make recycling simple and effective at your company. Check out these recycling tips for the office, and choose one to focus on each week. You'll be surprised at the difference you can make by changing one small thing at a time.

1. Have a wish-cycle target

Does your company have a wish-cycle target yet? Set a goal to reduce improper recycling practices at your company so that waste contamination rates improve. A waste audit is a good place to start, and once you know the extent of the problem, you can work to fix it. Announce your wish-cycle target to the company to get everyone on board.

2. Install a rinse station

Waste contamination is a real problem. One of our best workplace recycling tips involves moving your recycling bins near a rinse station or installing one in the cafeteria where food waste is prominent. When your employees can rinse out their reusable lunch boxes and wash out their recyclables, less contamination will happen when they throw their paper, plastic and glass items away.

3. Put filtered water in the fridge

The studies are in: filtered tap water is the healthiest type of water you can drink. Bottled mineral water has roughly the same mineral content as tap water. So there is no need for bottled water.

Instead of giving employees access to bottled water, make filtered water available in your fridges, and through your taps.

4. Create a paper policy

A vulnerable recycling area in the office is in the copy room, where paper is used. If you want to reduce use and recycle paper correctly‚ take some time to draw up a paper policy. This will outline important recycling rules that your employees don't know about‚ like how to dispose of shredded paper the right way (hint: it's not usually in the recycling). Stick these on the walls.

5. Add more recycling bins

There are ways to recycle more, but first you have to make sure your office has enough bins. So many workplaces only have one or two recycling areas! Consider adding recycling bins to areas of the office that would see a lot of action‚ like in cafeterias, outside kitchens, and near exits. People won't have to walk as far, which means they're far more likely to use them.

6. Set up a reuse station

This can be done for different materials--even for old things your employees don't want anymore. Designate a cupboard or shelved area where employees can take their extra or second-hand office supplies, clothes, and furniture. Be creative with ways to get more use out of these items! Have an additional area where things can be retired after being reused. That's how to recycle old clothes, supplies and products right.

7. Get a web-based recycling app

For unlimited recycling tips and ideas, consider getting a recycling app that will link your employees together and make green initiatives easier to manage. Ask your app things like, "Can plastic straws be recycled?" and "How do I know what can and can't be recycled?." It will have the answers. Apps are a great way to deliver instant education daily.

8. Discourage disposable cups

We all love coffee culture, but it doesn't have to be at the expense of the earth. Reducing your employees addiction to single-use coffee cups will be challenging‚ but you can do it! Part of a sustainable lunch box means making your people aware that coffee cups can't be recycled. Just one cup a day equates to 23 pounds of waste per person each year. The impact is enormous. So put up posters, send emails, and have enough mugs available for everyone to use. Get the word out that your company is anti-disposable cups.

9. Use desktop recycling trays

Here is one of those recycling tips for the office that immediately helps employees collect and recycle a particular material the right way. Instead of recycling bins at each person's desk, try desktop recycling trays that collect paper, or plastic items.

Paper, for example, is lightweight, and employees tend to use a lot of it at their desks. Much of it ends up in the trash because people get busy, but these trays fit neatly in the corner of any desk!

10. Put bins where it counts

A green recycling bin strategically placed in the break room where people eat lunch and congregate is bound to see more action than one in the middle of a hallway. Centralizing bins is a great idea, but sometimes it makes your employees walk too far to make their recycling count. Making it easy is about putting your bins where your people hang out the most.

11. Print on both sides

Reusing paper is a great way to immediately halve your paper waste. Paper recycling tips like this one can be company-wide; all it takes is a commitment to printing on both sides. Any paper that has been used once and can be used again should be placed at the upcycle station or near the printer.

12. Switch to a white board or smart board.

Do you still use large sheets of paper for everything in the office? Switching to a reusable board will cut down on your paper waste.

13. Make printing optional

Who needs to print so much in this day and age of digital screens and mobile technology? Before you print things before meetings, give your employees the option to bring their tablet or laptop instead. There are good ways to recycle, but if you can save on material use, do that first. Announce to your company that printing documents is now optional at meetings.

14. Use easily recyclable products

Products made from recycled materials should always be your first choice. Glass, for example, is infinitely recyclable‚ as long as it doesn't get contaminated. Get management to commit to buying recyclable products only so that you can rid yourself of any non-sustainable items that just become waste.

15. Add organic waste bins

Add an organic waste bin to your recycling program, and fill it with food scraps. Some 30% of what we throw away is food waste. It's a great way to close the food recycling loop: food is grown, eaten, discarded, and made into compost, only to grow more food again.

You'll need a green recycling bin that goes indoors and is emptied regularly. Clear labels, along with educational posters will go a long way to kicking off your food waste recycling project.

16. Avoid food packaging

Aim for zero-waste at lunch! Buy naked food products, and, if you have to, look at switching from packaged ready-made meals for your employees to a more canteen-style approach, where food can be dished onto reusable plates.

17. Compost your food waste

If you've started an organic waste program, then why not compost your waste? So many companies have plants and gardens now that it seems like a waste not to use what you've got. Composting has added benefits, like adding nutrients back into the soil and improving the water quality in your area. If you're looking for a way to use your organic waste, this is it.

18. Appoint department captains

Employees at your company will want to help your green team achieve their goals. To get you there faster, and to keep your people accountable‚ appoint recycling department captains.

One of the most interesting facts about recycling is that with increased stewardship, results improve across the board. Department captains will help your green team engage with various employees.

19. Do a paper audit

The average employee uses 10,000 sheets of paper every year. That's an entire tree's worth of paper--per person each year. Your company can do better, starting with a paper audit. Along with reducing paper use, there are better ways to recycle paper in the office. Find out how much paper is being recycled and how much is being thrown in the trash to begin with.

20. Get a smart search tool

Our "What Goes Where" tool instantly tells you what can be recycled. Simply input the item into the search bar and it will tell you whether or not it can be recycled. Learn how to recycle bubble wrap, plastic wrap, and thousands of other materials.

21. Maintain your company garden

If you have a company garden and an organic waste program‚ instead of sending your compost away, use it in your own grounds.

Grow food, plants, and make your company beautiful using recycled food from your own restaurants, cafeterias, and employees. It will boost the morale of everyone who uses it.

22. Provide incentives

If your goal is to rid yourself of wish-cycling, or to raise your recycling rate by 20%, incentivize it for your employees. Offer a range of prizes for the best recycler or recycling team every month, and track everyone's progress using a web-based app. You'll be amazed how much people will enjoy it.

Use these 22 top recycling tips to reshape your office culture and become a lean, green recycling team! Nothing can hold you back when you have inspired ideas on your side.

Does your office recycling program need improvement?You're not alone! Across America, employees struggle to adjust to the business recycling programs that their companies implement. And there are good reasons why adoption is an uphill battle!The good news is that your green team can take steps to simplify and amplify the impact of your eco-friendly initiatives. It starts with a few tweaks, and the resolution of some core obstacles.So here's how to encourage recycling at work using 7 super-easy ways to improve your existing program. These ideas won't just change your employees, they'll change your work culture.

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#1: Audit Your Office Recycling Bin Locations

‍How visible are the recycling bins at your office? If you don't know, then it's time to do a quick company survey to get to the bottom of the mystery.It may surprise you that your bins are located in the wrong spot, are hard to access by some employees, or are confusing to use because there are no helpful directions nearby.

There are many different ways to optimize where your office recycling bins are placed. Don't just change to any-old location, ask your employees – look at the data, and make an educated decision.According to a Great Forest experiment, the percentage of recyclables in trash dropped by 75% when they audited and centralized their bins.

• Make sure you have enough bins for the size of your company
• Your bins should be visible and easy to access in prominent locations
• Group bins together and separate them by materials
• Place recycling cans near usage hotspots ‚Äì paper bins in the copy room, plastic bins in the break room

Auditing your bin location is one of those office recycling ideas that can suddenly, and permanently improve your recycling results. Hear from your employees, and review your recycling data!

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‍#2: Get an App That Tells You What Can Be Recycled

‍One of the most common issues with your recycling program at work, is that your employees don't know what can, and what can't be recycled. A recent Covanta survey of 2000 Americans said that 62% of respondents worry that they don't know how to correctly recycle things. It makes sense then, to help your employees find out.

• Get a‚ what-goes-where app' that tells your employees what can and can't be recycled
• Work on educating your employees about recyclable materials
• Expand their recycling IQ through mobile technology or by using a recyclepedia

An app like this works to consistently educate your employees, while giving them real-time access to usable information at the moment it makes a difference.

‍#3: Promote a Paper-Conscious Policy

‍When you think of your average workplace, you think of paper, printing, memos and binders. That's why no office recycling program is complete without a paper-conscious policy.Mindlessly printing anything and everything has got to go. Your new office paper recycling push will make sure that your employees digitize their communications as much as possible.Paper recycling supports carbon sequestration and reduces climate change, so it has impact.

• Use recycled paper and print on both sides
• Put up signs discouraging printing in all forms unless absolutely necessary
• Educate your employees on the social, economic and environmental impact of paper use

It's also a good idea to get your janitorial staff on-board so that they know how to recycle paper at work, once it has been sorted.

‍#4: Create a Space for Recycled Office Supplies

‍By now, your green team must have noticed how many office supplies are being wasted every day. This has more to do with a lack of space, than intentional disregard for your recycling program.Employees like things to be easy, and organized. Deliberately designate a space for recycled office supplies, and encourage office workers to drop their old and surplus supplies there.

• Anything that can be reused should go in your reusable supply room
• Stationary, used paper, furniture, broken technology, clothing ‚Äì all extras
• Whenever an employee needs something, they must check the room first

Only allow your employees into the new office supply room if there are no alternatives. Your new supplies should be made out of recycled materials if possible.

‍#5: Buy Products That Have Been Recycled

‍Part of your job as a green team is to make sure that your office recycling program saves your company money. This will involve some sleuthing on your part.If your team notices that the company uses supplies that aren't recycled, you can track down the budget being spent on them and improve it with a pitch for a cheaper, recycled product.

• Investigate the cost of recycled products for your business
• Help your company replace standard products with recycled products, for less money
• There are hundreds of hundreds of brand products products that are made from recycled materials
• Pitch your bosses and make an economic and environmental case for the change

Recycling programs for businesses work best when the green team is able to make these critical changes on an economic level. Be a company that recycles and uses recycled products.

‍#6: Run Weekly Recycling Challenges

‍You've had the meeting launching your corporate recycling program ‚Äì but why should your employees care? To get better results from your team, make recycling a challenge.Not just any challenge, one that has real world benefits if they win! Imagine if every week, the top recycler in every department got to go home an hour or two early? Studies have suggested that friendly competition at work can motivate employees to achieve more and put in more effort where it counts.

Recognize their participation and your employees will support your sustainability goals.

• Run weekly recycling challenges with a desirable reward
• Leaving early, working from home, free lunches, special perks
• Create levels of recognition ‚Äì inter-departmental & consecutive wins

When there's an attainable prize at the end of the week, your employees are likely to inspire each other to do better for you, and for the environment.These small acts of recognition work especially well with Gen Z and Millennial employees, who feel fulfilled when they are acknowledged for doing something meaningful.You'll be improving your recycling practices and increasing loyalty to your brand.

‍#7: Set Fun Monthly Targets That Change

‍One of the best recycling tips we've ever seen in practice is to give everyone a clear and intentionally specific goal every month.Your green team can switch it up, focusing on paper, plastic, cans or other materials to keep employees engaged and learning.

The key here is to set an easy, highly visible goal that will help boost your office recycling program results. Mentioning your goal in meetings will go a long way to keeping it top of mind.

• A month dedicated to waste reduction, or a specific material, or initiative
• Review your current recycling analytics and set an ambitious numerical goal (20%+)
• Make your goal a big deal in your internal mails, newsletters & communication
• Constantly update your goal every week

Pick a spot to showcase what your current goal is that month, and how close you are to achieving it. There should be a desirable company-wide reward if your goal is achieved.These 7 easy ideas will help you whip your recycling program into shape. Take some time to discuss these points in a meeting with your green team. Decide which of these concepts you'll implement to accelerate your program's results this year.With these improvements, your office recycling program will grow to become a cherished and ingrained part of your work culture. Each and every employee will take responsibility for the materials they use and the waste that they create.It's so important to understand the recycling IQ of your company, using new technology and stronger methods of gaining traction and visible results. Good luck!

‍Which of these simple improvements are you going to test out? Tell us below!

When it comes to sustainability in business, examples are a great place to start. Your green team will see how these industry leaders are helping employees, customers and partners go green. With these eco-friendly brands lighting your way, you'll develop amazing in-house practices of your own! Here are six outstanding examples of workplace sustainability to get you started!

1. Patagonia: Environmental activism

Patagonia as a brand has always taken sustainability in the workplace seriously, with eco-friendly manufacturing, distribution and recycling practices across the board. According to the 2019 Patagonia Sustainability Report, they have also taken steps to conduct waste audits to better understand what can be recycled and composted in their bins, among other things.

As one of the most progressive eco-friendly brands, Patagonia gives employees access to a host of opportunities as part of their Employee Internship Program. From 5km runs that support local environmental groups to bike-to-work programs and volunteer opportunities‚ Patagonia allows employees to work for the good of the planet through activism. Encourage your employees to raise money for environmental causes; consistently offer your employees opportunities to volunteer; and have a broad range of green programs that positively benefit the earth.

The Impact

While other brands struggle to retain top talent, Patagonia only has 4% employee turnover. They attribute it to allowing passionate employees to be activists for the environment‚ a central role and mission statement for the company. As a result, the greener they go, the larger they grow.

2. Nike: The lunch program

Nike's sustainable shoes are famously made from plastic bottles and other material scraps‚ contributing towards their vision of a future where old materials create new shoes. It's clear that Nike's sustainable business and innovation teams want a zero waste future. But how are Nike office workers at their Headquarters contributing to their company-wide sustainability goals?

Beyond Nike's sustainable products, they have internal waste management practices that change how employees work. At the World Headquarters, their Reusable Dishware Program prompted employees to stop buying and bringing disposable lunch containers to work. Here are some excellent lunch program ideas for sustainability in the workplace:

- Eliminate non-recyclable coffee cups

- Host "plastic-free lunch days" where employees don't bring plastic to work

- Institute a program that encourages reusable dishware to reduce waste

The Impact

With this one green program, Nike reduced single-use containers (cups and bottles) by 16,000 pounds per quarter‚ and waste per employee was down by 11.5% at year end.

You can read the Nike Sustainability Report here.

3. Disney: Food waste energy

There are hundreds of sustainability requirements in the workplace for Disney employees, and while it's challenging, it has helped the company achieve amazing results with their various initiatives. These sustainable business practices include special funnel-equipped recycling cans to collect liquid waste, and collection of 20 different commodities for a 99.8% landfill waste diversion rate.

Most sustainable companies only dream of a food waste recycling program this efficient! Food scraps and oils from their parks are mixed with biosolids to create biogas, which then creates electricity and fertilizer. The park is then powered according to the principles of the circular economy.

Food waste can be converted into electricity/fertilizer for your company. Create a highly visible food recycling program for employees and consumers.

The Impact

Disney's biogas facility produces 5.4 megawatts of heat and electricity from 120,000 tons of organic material every year. That's enough to power about 2000 homes and contributes to decreasing Disney's power consumption and negative environmental impact.

4. Coca-Cola: In-house education

Coca-Cola is deeply committed to becoming a sustainable company, and they have come a long, long way since 2007. The Coca-Cola green teams have implemented many sustainable business practices that are making a positive impact in their industry.

Coca-Cola's Do One Thing Campaign was an internal program used to educate employees on the sustainability initiatives going on at the brand. The team's main role was to spread awareness and engage employees by getting them to share the one thing they would do for sustainability that Earth Day.

Here are some great green initiative ideas for office employees:

- Launch an education program on Earth Day

- Find creative ways to get your employees thinking about their impact

- Promote sustainable thinking in small ways

A great way to educate your employees about recycling is to give them access to the "Ask Milo" tool, which instantly tells them if an item can or can't be recycled. Our Find My Municipality tool is also a useful resource to discover your local collection requirements.

The Impact

Most recently, Coke announced a new goal to help collect and recycle a bottle or can for every one we sell by 2030. They want to create a circular economy, where new materials don't have to be used for product creation, and existing plastic is reused instead.

Coca-Cola's World Without Waste Program has the company progressing towards sustainability solutions. So far, 88% of their packaging is recyclable. The real issue, they found‚ was that it was ending up in the environment and not being collected and recycled. Lack of recycling education is a serious corporate concern!

The program has three goals: to make all Coke packaging 100% recyclable by 2025; to use at least 50% recycled material in their packaging by 2030; and to collect a can or bottle for each one sold. They aim to work to support a healthy, debris-free environment. This starts with green practices at work.

5. Intel: E-waste recycling bins

Intel has a sustainable work culture that has consistently seen them rank among the world's most environmentally friendly companies. As a company, they recycle 75% of their total waste and have a plan to be zero-waste compliant. It's ambitious, but entirely possible because of their reward program.

Unlike most sustainable companies, Intel links a segment of their employee's compensation to their recycling metrics. In other words, Intel rewards employees who uphold their recycling ethos. At their California campus, for example, e-waste recycling bins make it easy for employees to dispose of their digital recycling.

Consider workplace sustainability ideas like these:

- Place e-waste bins in prominent areas at work and reward employees for using them

- Give your employees individual recycling targets to achieve each month via an app

The Impact

There are a lot of sustainability activities for companies that peter out because of lack of motivation. Intel's highly motivated employees are contributing to their goal this year of becoming a zero waste company. When your employees win, you win.

6. Apple: Consumer engagement

The Apple sustainability drive has seen the brand ramp up their recycling to include customers. Spotting that the materials used to make their devices have persistent value, the company took steps to integrate this into their business model. Now, Apple and environmental sustainability go together like peanut butter and jelly. By recycling electronics, Apple can either reuse materials or make money off the materials they can't reuse.

The Apple sustainability strategy involves consumers in their recycling process by making them eco-conscious and eager to participate. One tactic was to donate money for every recycled device to Conservation International.

Check out other examples of corporate sustainability initiatives from Apple here.

Tips: 

- Involve your customers in your recycling programs

- Develop ways to "close the loop: on your waste materials

- Run imaginative campaigns that motivate your customers to participate

The Impact

It can take years to achieve full sustainability in business. Examples like these remind us to look to our employees and our customers for support. Apple recently created a robot called Daisy that can take apart 200 iPhones in an hour. They continue to encourage inventors to create new ways to access and recycle materials so they can close the loop and achieve total environmental efficiency.

These six environmental sustainability examples should give you some ideas on what your company could be doing to strengthen your green practices at work. You may find your company smaller, and with fewer resources than Patagonia or Nike‚ and that might have been a barrier in the past, but it's not anymore. For the first time, your company has access to tools that give you the kind of knowledge, cohesion, and practical analytics that you need to create incredible recycling results at the office.

It starts here, and it starts today‚ with Recycle Coach at Work. You can't put a price on sustainability, but you can invest where it counts. Your recycling program can be stronger, simpler, and better than ever with the right tools. It's time for company to be part of the solution.

Sustainability in the workplace is about finding what suits your employees and customers, then designing the programs that will help your green team create a zero waste future for your company.

Have you ever wondered about the history of city recycling? As someone who oversees your local community recycling programs, it's good to know where you've been, so you can see where you're going.

The coronavirus pandemic brought many things into sharp focus for Public Works Directors and other leaders who work to keep our cities clean and functional. As recycling centers slowly opened back up, residents heaved sighs of relief. But will it last? The recycling industry has been in crisis for some time. It's clear that reform is needed to revive an industry plagued by vanishing partners, dwindling budgets, and impossible targets.

Today, we're taking a moment to re-orientate. With a brief history of recycling, we're offering you a convenient timeline for perspective and to propose a new way forward. Our hope is that you not only use this article as a historical resource, but that you build upon its ideas to help reshape the future of the recycling industry. Here is a condensed history of city recycling, and where it could go in an ever-changing future.

500BC: The first waste program was established in Athens

The earliest account of recycling is in 500BC, when the first municipal dump program was formed in the Western World. Trash had to be disposed of at least a mile from the city.

1776: Recycling is used as feedstock during the war

The evolution of recycling dates back to 1776, when patriots pulled down a statue of King George III, melted it down, and used it to create 42,088 bullets during The American War of Independence. Paper was also recycled as a vital commodity due to lack of raw materials.

1897: New York establishes the first crude recycling plant

A material recovery center was built in New York, and usable material was separated from trash in picking yards. There, scrap metal, paper, rubber, twine, and more were recycled.

1904: The first aluminum recycling plants open

A more modern moment in the history of recycling came in 1904, when aluminum can recycling factories opened in Chicago, Illinois--the first of their kind in America.

1916: Waste reclamation service implemented during WW1

The famous recycling slogan, "Don't Waste It, Save It," was created during World War 1. Due to large-scale material shortages, the government created a Waste Reclamation Service.

1930: Residents survive the Great Depression by recycling scrap

The Great Depression was an infamous time of shortages, so residents were encouraged to recycle or reuse everything from scrap metal, to cloth, paper, sacks and more. The saying "use it up, wear it out, make do or do without" became a popular phrase.

1940: Recycling supports the war effort during WW2

Like in WW1, recycling became critical to the war effort during WW2. Available materials were commonly recycled, reused and rationed.

1970: "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle": Gary Anderson creates the Mobius Loop

Who invented recycling? No one in particular. As long as there have been raw materials, there has been recycling. But 23-year-old Gary Anderson created the modern concept of recycling with his Mobius Loop logo, which is associated with the "reduce, reuse, recycle" slogan.

1970: The Earth Day movement sparks change

One of the biggest movements in the history of recycling happened in 1970, with 20 million people taking part in the Earth Day marches. US Senator Gaylord Nelson raised national awareness about increasing waste and the need to recycle. April 22^nd is still globally recognized as Earth Day.

1972: The first recycling mill was built in Pennsylvania

How has recycling changed over time? After the wars and marches, recycling started to be commercialized. In 1972, the first recycling mill was established in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.

1981: Woodbury, New Jersey opens the first curbside recycling program

In Woodbury, New Jersey, the very first curbside recycling program was opened in 1981. The concept was simple; residents' recycling would be collected for processing at their homes.

1992: U.S. curbside recycling programs exceed 5,000

By 1988, there were 1,050 programs in the US; by 1992, there were 5,202. This was a fast growth period for the spread of the now popularized city curbside programs.

1995: There are 10,000 recycling centers nationwide

By 1995, over 10,000 recycling centers existed in the US. At one point California recycled 80% of its aluminum cans. Two out of three cans were recycled in the US at this time.

2000: The EPA confirms that recycling lowers greenhouse gas emissions

Another critical point in the history of recycling came in 2000, when the Environmental Protection Agency confirmed the link between waste and global warming. They declared that the best way to lower greenhouse gas emissions and slow climate change would be to recycle.

2006: Dell Computers starts the first e-waste recycling program

Dell computers sparked the e-waste recycling movement by offering residents free recycling services for all of their products.

2018: The China Import Ban

Over the next decade, laws were passed and innovations came to light that improved the industry. Then, China moved to ban 24 categories of recycling imports, which crippled the U.S.--and global--recycling systems. With a new 0.5% contamination standard, China declared that America's recycled materials were too contaminated to use any longer. With nowhere for the recycling to go, and no buyers‚ the system began to experience seismic shifts, breakdowns, and closures.

2019: The U.S. recycling system hits crisis point

Sixteen more materials from the China ban came into effect in 2019. Mass recycling program closures and plant shutdowns were reported. As programs became more expensive to run, municipalities were forced to severely limit or close them altogether. A recycling crisis was officially announced by leading industry experts.

2020: COVID-19 shuts down recycling plants

Even though recycling was deemed an essential service, the sweeping effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that struck in 2020 wreaked havoc on an already ailing industry. There were many closures, and municipalities had to dedicate more time, funding, and effort into keeping their city recycling programs alive.

2021 and beyond: ending "wish-cycling" and launching new models

Experts are now weighing on what the future of recycling could look like. There is a pressing need, now more than ever before, to continue recycling waste to reduce contamination levels and slow the harmful effects of climate change. In the coming years, the industry will need municipal leaders like you to come up with innovative solutions to unprecedented problems. This means improving the rate of technology adoption in the recycling industry, so that digital transformation can have a positive future impact. It means embracing technology-driven recycling education to install a data-centric approach to solving wide-scale "wish-cycling" in residential areas. Considerations like recycling plant automation, encouraging closed loop recycling policy and environmental protections, and finding new models to fund and expand your existing recycling programs is paramount to the future of this industry.

Corporate and residential sponsorships are a route forward, putting sustainable growth back in the hands of the private sector as the public sector recovers and re-orientates. The recycling industry is too important to shut down.

Consider the history of recycling, the battles fought and won to protect the earth and its people. Let's chart a new course to rework the systems that we have to keep these essential city recycling programs alive.

‍What are the origins of the 3 R's?

‍The 3 R's--reduce, reuse, and recycle--are a product of the increased environmental awareness of the 1970's. Early in the decade, close to 20 million Americans celebrated the first national Earth Day to increase awareness around environmental issues. As conservation efforts grew, the federal government responded by forming the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Congress passed laws such as the Resource Recovery Act.

A quick summary of the 3 R's

‍Here's a quick summary of what each item in the waste hierarchy stands for:

‍Reduce: Cutting back on how much waste is created is important to reducing what goes to landfills. Single-use plastics and food waste are two areas where we can have a significant impact in reduction.

‍Reuse: By finding new purposes for items, residents can extend the life of products and help the environment. Examples include:

• Turning empty glass jars into flower vases
• Donating clothing to local non-profit organizations
• Converting a plastic bottle into a bird feeder

Reusing is sometimes called repurposing, refilling, or upcycling because materials are not recycled, but a better use can be found for them. Residents can also bring their own containers to grocery stores to help reuse materials and reduce packaging. Get more upcycling ideas here.

‍Recycle: We all know the benefits of recycling it reduces landfill, conserves natural resources, saves energy, and prevents pollution. But what is recycling exactly? The EPA defines it as the "process of collecting and processing materials that would otherwise be thrown away as trash and turning them into new products."

Recycling starts by choosing to reduce waste and then finding the proper place for materials that are being disposed. The most common categories include paper, plastics, glass, and batteries.

‍Introducing more R's

‍As our knowledge of waste management has expanded, the waste hierarchy has increased to 7 R's.

‍Refuse: Many products that we purchase have unnecessary packaging, mostly plastics. Encourage your residents to ask questions before purchasing a product, such as:

• Is this product available somewhere else with less packaging?
• Do I need this product?
• Is this product sustainable or recyclable?

Repair: Consider repairing products that you own, instead of throwing them out. For example, can shoes with worn soles by re-heeled so they can be used for a longer time?

‍Regift: Sometimes we receive gifts that don't match our lifestyle or preferences. Instead of throwing these items away, consider giving them to someone who will appreciate it. You can also consider hosting a swap party where you and your friends can exchange items so they will be used and cared for.

‍Recover: Consider how the natural process of decomposition can be used to give back to the environment. Organic materials such as grass clippings, leaves, and food scraps can be composted to create nutrient-rich material to be added to gardens. This step is sometimes referred to as rot. You can also learn more about residential composting here.

‍The 7 R's in action in San Francisco

‍Over the last decade, San Francisco has worked towards creating a sustainable zero-waste city with a few impressive records:

• Highest landfill diversion rate of any North American city at 80% (2012)
• Greenest City in North America under the Green City Index (2011)

By 2020, San Francisco's goal is to reduce waste diversion to zero. They plan on creating a comprehensive waste reduction system that focuses on waste reduction through reuse, recycling, and composting. They'll achieve this by:

• Educating residents on placing waste in the right bins: garbage, recycling, or composting
• Advocating for a producer responsibility system, where producers are responsible for the product's entire lifecycle
• Encouraging residents to put the 7 R's into action

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Share Your Story With Us! Does your municipality use the 7 R's for waste reduction? How effective is it? We'd love to hear from you.

Did you know that plastic waste has become a significant global environmental and disposal challenge? Single-use plastics are the largest culprit of our disposable consumer lifestyle.

Globally, 335 million metric tons of plastics was produced in 2016. Half of this was used for single-use products. That means that 17 million barrels of oil was used to make plastic water bottles. To put this into context, this is enough oil to fuel 1 million cars annually.

What are single-use plastics?

‍Single-use plastics, also known as disposable plastics, are materials that are used once before being discarded. These includes plastic items such as grocery bags, water bottles, forks and spoons, food packaging, and more.

What is their impact?

‍Plastics are made from fossil fuels and leave a large carbon footprint. Once plastics are used (sometimes only once), only a small percentage is recycled, and plastics take hundreds of years to disintegrate. Plastics can also cause damage by polluting our oceans, damaging marine animals and birds, leaching toxins into food and drink, and entering our food chain through microplastics and nanoplastics. Plastics now make up 90% of all trash floating on the ocean surface and plastic pieces outnumber sea life 6 to 1. This has caused dead spots with floating garbage in the Mariana and Kermadec trenches of the Pacific Ocean.

‍What are Some Possible Solutions?

‍There are several steps you and your community can take to reduce the usage of single-use plastics. This will include a combination of awareness campaigns and public outreach to increase knowledge on the subject, along with policies to create an incentive for people and businesses to act. Since each municipality is unique, there will be different answers to this issue. Below are some possible solutions.

1. Organize a community event

‍You can work with residents to bring awareness to the impact that plastics have on the environment. There are several events that you may be interested in organizing for your community, including:

• World Oceans Day: On June 8^th, communities around the global will be coming together to protect the ocean by preventing plastic pollution. There are free resources available to plan your event such as cleanups, festivals, lectures or readings. You can also use the #WorldOceansDay hashtag on social media.
• Plastic-Free July: The month of July has been dedicated to raising awareness about single-use disposable plastics and how people can reduce their usage. Millions of people and 159 countries have participated to avoid landfill waste and reduce their eco-footprint. You can join the challenge here and access their free setup toolkit here. Follow them on social media by using the #choosetorefuse hashtag.
• International Coastal Cleanup Day: For the last 30 years, Ocean Conservancy is calling on people to collect and take a note of trash that is ending up on the coastline. This event will be held on September 15th. You can follow on social media and use the #CoastalCleanup hashtag.
• Host A Film Screening: You can also host a short film screening to encourage your residents to begin talking about the impact of plastics. Two films to note include the Bag It Movie and The Story of Bottled Water.

2. Create public education campaigns

‍Develop education campaigns for the general public on how they can reduce their single-use plastic consumption. These campaigns can include posters, banner ads, social media posts and more.

The messaging can focus on conscious consumer choices residents can make to reduce their plastic footprint. Some examples include:

• Bottles: Use a reusable bottle of tap water instead of buying plastic bottled water
• Bags: Bring your own canvas tote bag instead of using plastic grocery bags
• Straws: Say no to plastic straws at restaurants or with your to-go drinks
• Packaging: Purchase food from small stores or bulk food stores instead of using pre-packaged foods

3. Consider plastic policies and the 7Rs

‍San Francisco, CA is an example of a city that has an 80% waste diversion rate. It is the first city in the U.S. to ban plastic bags in 2007 and it also banned harmful styrofoam products such as food packaging and to-go containers last year. Its goal is to become a zero waste city by 2020.

Most consumers are aware of the 3Rs: reduce, reuse and recycle, but you may also want to consider sharing the 7Rs with your community.

These include:

• Repair: Upgrade or fix materials before disposing them.
• Regift: Share or pass along items to someone else.
• Recover: Upcycle to help recover materials and energy.
• Refuse: Say no to materials or items that you don't need such as plastic straws.

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Share Your Story With Us

‍Does your community run promotional campaigns to help increase awareness around single-use plastics? How effective is it? We'd love to hear from you!

Did you know that we produce 2.1 billion tons of waste annually worldwide? Of this, it's projected that we'll generate 60% more clothing and textile waste by 2030 over 2015. However, we can work together to reduce this type of waste.To get started, we've put together a blog to provide you with a deeper understanding of what textile waste is, what causes it, and learn ways to reduce this type of waste. There are many options available, which means you and your team can select the best option for how to reduce textile waste with your residents and with your local community.

What is textile waste?

‍Textile waste are materials, typically clothing, that have been disposed of as they've been deemed unfit for use. Textiles can include items such as clothing, purses, belts, linens, shoes, drapery, and more.

What is causing an increase textile waste?

‍As consumers, we continue to increase our fast fashion purchases and we're spending less time owning the clothing that we buy to keep up with the most recent fashion trends. Fast fashion is when retailers provide consumers with the latest trends at a lower price and sometimes made with lower quality materials. This leads to us throwing out our clothing at a faster rate than previous generations.In the U.S., textile waste increased to almost 40% from 1999 to 2009 and it's estimated to reach 35 billion pounds by next year. In Canada, it's estimated that 85% of used clothing and textiles go directly to the landfill, even though some people are donating these items to charity to be reused.

‍What can be done to reduce textile waste?

‍The good news is that there are many people and organizations working to reduce textile waste. You can encourage your residents to participate in National Textile Recovery Initiative by:

‍1) Creating Awareness Around Slow Fashion Purchases

‍Instead of buying the latest fashion trends every month or every season, you can encourage residents to consider purchasing higher quality clothing pieces that last longer, also known as 'slow fashion'. This requires a change in consumer behaviour and a lifestyle change to buying clothing and textiles for their quality and longevity. This behaviour is sometimes called 'zero waste fashion'.

‍2) Organizing A Community Clothing Swap‍

You can encourage residents to organize a community event where people can exchange clothing that is gently used and in generally good condition with others. This encourages clothing to be reused and allows people an opportunity to swap items without spending money. When setting up the event, it helps to develop rules on how the clothing swap will work and also have a plan in place on how to donate any remaining items post-event.If your residents are currently in spring cleaning mode, they may also be interested in the #threadcycling trend and how to dispose of textile items.

‍3) Encouraging Clothing Donations

‍Most residents may not be aware that they can donate their old clothing and stained textiles to charities and non-profit organizations. Some communities may have programs where they can schedule clothing to be picked up at the curb or clothing can be dropped off at charity boxes.If clothing is damaged or hasn't been worn before, consumers may still be able to give them to charities or non-profit organizations. They'll determine if the item can be reused / repurposed or if it should be recycled. Unwanted clothing and textiles are sometimes sent to recycling plants. Once at the plant, textiles can be cut and used as industrial rags, ground down and reprocessed, or be declared unusable. As you encourage residents to become more aware of textile waste and fashion recycling, they might have more questions about what items can be disposed or recycled. You can send them to the Recycle Coach app to find out what goes where.