How to Create a Successful Recycling Program at the Office

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Did you know Carolina Fibre offers extensive recycling services to businesses in North Carolina and across the globe? It’s true! Not only do we serve locations throughout North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, we also “go global” by exporting to companies who recycle our materials at their facilities. This means Carolina Fibre is often the bridge that connects recycling companies with the materials they can reuse to build something new in an environmentally friendly and sustainable manner. It’s a big and important job, but we love it and couldn’t imagine doing anything else—especially when you consider the many benefits of recycling. From reducing the waste sent to landfills, to conserving natural resources, to preventing pollution, to saving energy, the importance of a solid recycling program is clear!
While Carolina Fibre Corporation may be the bridge in this scenario, we couldn’t do it without the many businesses with whom we work. After all, they’re the ones that get those recyclable materials into our hands. If you’re thinking of starting up a recycling program at your place of business, your first move is contacting Carolina Fibre. Then, follow these steps for a happier and healthier planet.
1. Let employees know about your new recycling program.
Ignorance may be bliss, but knowledge is power! The first and most essential step to success is making sure everyone is informed and excited about your new program. Write up a recycling policy and distribute it to employees, hang up signs in the break room, by the water cooler, and in other high traffic locations, and send out an email, complete with a cute photo of a puppy. Everyone knows that cute puppy photos are the number one way to get any office workers’ attention.
2. Set up recycling bins in convenient, strategic locations. 
We don’t mean to imply that anyone is your office is lazy, but it’s a fact: the harder it is to do something, the less likely it will get done. Make it easy on your staff by putting recycling bins in the places where trash if produced. A bin labeled “paper” near copiers and by cubicles, and another marked “aluminum” in the kitchen will help everyone make the right decision when it comes to recycling. Forming new habits can be difficult, but if you make recycling a natural and easy part of your office’s routine, it will happen.
3. Create rewards for recycling. 
While the knowledge that you’re saving the planet one newspaper at a time is its own reward, throwing in a few extra incentives never hurts. Whether you choose to reward the department or the individual that recycles the most is up to you, and depends on the size of your business. “Green” prizes are best, such as a gardening kit, a subscription to a local CSA, or a reusable travel mug. Create an air of excitement around recycling, and see what a difference it makes!
Do you have any tips for starting a recycling program? If so, share them on our Facebook. If you’re ready to take your business’s recycling to the next level, contact Carolina Fibre Corporation today.