How to encourage your employees to recycle more at the office

If you want to encourage your employees to do their part to help the planet, here are a few strategies that you can utilize.

office waste reduction

Recycling is one of the best ways to protect the environment and ensure that there are plenty of resources available for future generations to use. As important as it is for individuals to recycle in their homes, recycling at the office is perhaps even more important because of the significant amount of resources that are used in an office environment. If you want to encourage your employees to do their part to help the planet, here are a few strategies that you can utilize.

Make It Competitive

One great way to motivate your employees to commit to recycling more is to add a little fun competition to the mix. You can have employees compete to see who can recycle the most material within a given time range. If you’re just starting your company’s recycling program, you can host a fun event for your employees to help get them excited about the benefits of recycling.

Make It Easy

If your employees see recycling as just another task to add to their busy schedules, they’re unlikely to participate extensively. That’s why it’s important to make it quick and easy for your employees to recycle. One simple way to do this is to make sure the recycling bins always have space in them so that there’s no struggle to fit new items inside. If you expect a sudden influx of recyclable materials, you may want to utilize a dumpster rental to make sure there’s enough space.



Utilize Recycled Products

For some people, recycling doesn’t make much sense because they don’t understand how recyclable materials are used. To help overcome this stigma, it’s a good idea to utilize recycled products in your company whenever possible. When individuals understand that the materials they recycle can be made into something new, they’ll be more motivated to make an effort to recycle more often.

Stay Consistent

Corporate recycling efforts often fall short because there’s no consistency. While programs might start off strong, a lack of attention to the program results in missing and broken recycling bins, a lack of enthusiasm among employees, and other challenges. To help overcome this, it may be a good idea to have an individual charged with leading the recycling program at your company. This individual can answer questions, ensure proper supplies are available, and keep the program going smoothly for many years to come.

A well-run corporate recycling program can be a great way to boost the pride that your employees feel toward the company they work for. When they understand that your company is doing all it can to protect the environment, they’ll be more likely to remain at the company long-term instead of going to another company that doesn’t have environmental protection measures in place. Thus, a recycling program becomes a win-win situation for everyone involved.