Some states like California have adopted mandatory commercial recycling measures to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other industrial and corporate waste. Most states offer ideas, support and direction regarding the options available and incentives if any.
Making a Corporate Recycling Program Work
Pennsylvania, a state with mandated recycling regulations for many office paper and other specific items, provides a ten step set of guidelines on designing a successful program:
- Top Level Support - Senior management must be on board to provide necessary approvals and resources.
- Recycling Coordinator - A person genuinely interested in recycling and capable of interfacing with personnel at all organizational levels should be chosen. If a company chooses to hire someone specifically for this position it is important to make every effort to hire the right person for the job.
- Recycling Task Force - Departments most effected by recycling protocols are part of this task force and need to be available for continuing follow-up support and evaluation of the program.
- Knowledge of Waste Stream - The coordinator should assess the amount of recyclables in your organization's waste stream, and where they originate. This assessment is knows as a waste audit. The waste audit should focus on offices, cafeterias, lounges, restrooms, vending machine areas, boiler rooms, maintenance areas, storage areas, and other locations where trash originates.
- Waste Reduction - Waste reduction opportunities should be identified during the waste audit.
- Markets for Recyclables - Rates will vary between collection vendors. Some will pick up and haul and others will not. A full evaluation of end users needs to be established early in the process.
- Internal Collection - After discussing requirements of vendors consider the following: Containers, Storage, Collection Personnel and Materials Preparation (if any).
- Education and Promotion - All interested parties, employees, vendors and customers should be aware of the program and know their participation expectations. A positive promotion program with customers may be integrated into a marketing campaign.
- Evaluation - The coordinator should meet with the task force, management and other personnel involved on a regular basis to re-assess the program.
- Procurement Policies - Consider revising bid specifications for recyclable materials used in packaging and other waste related items.
Kentucky offers a specific guide for the recycling of office paper. Many states make available a variety of resources to help increase knowledge and enthusiasm for their programs.
Additional Ideas Recycling or Eliminating Corporate Waste and Products
IBM found two compounds they were using to be harmful to the environment; perflurooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). They became the first in the industry to develop alternative chemicals and completely replace the two environmentally unsafe waste products.
Nike developed the Reuse-a-shoe program in 1993. In the year 2009 just under 2 million pairs of athletic shoes annually were ground into a granulate material used to make synthetic grass, gymnasium flooring, basketball and tennis courts.
Hewlett-Packard has recycling programs in over 30 countries around the world. Recycled materials are processed into raw materials used everyday in new products.
Dupont recognized that 3.5 billion pounds of carpet end up in landfills every year. Reclamation centers are set up all over North America.
Whether choosing an established program or inventing a brand new way of making use of something classified as waste, the environment will benefit. In addition to taking care of the eco-system, customers, employees, vendors and others involved will increase their levels of respect and appreciation for the company.
Mother Teresa was a calm loving woman, slow to anger. She was however quoted as saying, "I only feel angry when I see waste. When I see people throwing away things we could use."
W Denis Nurmela - - Built multi-million $ companies from scratch - Church & Non-Profit Leader - Educated & Avid Reader - Coach, Consultant, ...
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