Training staff to recycle effectively

Many of us are conscientious recyclers at home, but less diligent when we get to work.

Yet the workplace is full of paper, plastics and electricals that you can recycle. If your staff are throwing these items in the bin instead of disposing of them correctly, you should undertake some training.

Here are some tips to point you in the right direction.

Educate your employees on recycling

Do your staff understand how important it is for businesses to recycle responsibly? They may not be aware of all the regulations companies need to adhere to when it comes to the disposal of electrical and other products.

Some people are also confused by which plastics they can recycle and which they can’t. By training your staff to understand how much they can recycle including electricals, plastics and paper – you’ll hopefully deter them from throwing everything into the nearest bin.

Not only will your staff be cutting the amount of rubbish you send to landfill, they can also help you to save money by spending less on waste disposal.

Communicate your recycling message to all departments

Senior members of staff should lead the way and set a good example to the whole organisation. If directors show their buy-in to the company’s recycling scheme, then their employees will feel obliged to follow suit.

When teaching your staff how to recycle effectively, it’s important not to forget your cleaning staff. Your cleaners are responsible for throwing away large volumes of rubbish each day, therefore, it’s vital they take the lead and recycle wherever possible.

Plus, if you have a canteen or any other type of catering facility, you should ensure your food preparation team are also following the corporate strategy for recycling.

Eliminate individual waste bins

If every member of staff has a bin under their desk, they’re likely to use it for everything.

To encourage recycling, remove individual bins and create one single recycling point. This way, your staff will have to get up and leave their desks to dispose of their rubbish. At a recycling point, present them with a range of options such as general waste, paper, tins, and plastics, etc.

This simple practice can have a big impact on how much you recycle as a company.

Display clear signs and strong messaging

If you provide multiple bins for different waste products, clearly mark each one.

Signage should become a vital element of your recycling strategy. Words and symbols should be used to easily communicate the items that can be recycled in each container. This is important as it reduces cross-contamination of bins.

Posters and emails communicating your recycling strategy will reinforce your message. You could also undertake a monthly review of how your organisation is performing against your recycling target and publish the results. This practice could help you improve underperforming areas within the company.

Phoenix can support your recycling strategy

As well as offering a full range of recycling and commercial waste management services, we also adopt a complete re-use and recycle mentality and have a zero to landfill policy.

Our services are designed to monitor, manage and minimise waste and ensure adherence to recycling codes of practice. This extends to the consolidation of our deliveries and paperwork to reduce our carbon footprint.

For every item we supply, we have a system to recycle it and green products are available throughout our extensive range of products.

We’re proud to be ISO 14001 & ISO 9001 accredited – so you know quality and accountability are guaranteed.

Find out more, contact Phoenix on 01296 660810 or email: sales@phoenixmsl.co.uk