Does Your Business Have the Energy to Recycle?
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By: Adam Groff
Going green and saving green go hand in hand when it comes to businesses that recycle. Most businesses produce excess waste that is perfectly reusable, renewable, and recyclable.
How exactly are businesses saving money and the planet with their byproducts?
The Business of Recycling
Businesses large and small have a range of employees on staff each day and every employee adds to the amount of waste produced.
Considering most people recycle at home, if businesses consider themselves one big household, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be recycling too. Restaurants, retail stores, and especially office buildings are all great candidates for recycling.
By simply putting a recycling bin next to the office printer or having a recycling container next to the dumpster, businesses can do their part to save the planet without really changing the way they do business.
The Benefits
Because the bottom dollar is always at the top of the list, businesses will love the cost effectiveness of recycling. Companies that recycle have lower waste removal fees and businesses that use recycled materials are eligible for government tax credits.
In addition, there are actually companies out there that pay businesses for their bulk paper and cardboard waste. Not only that, going green looks good for corporations and if they do it right, they might even be recognized with an eco-friendly business award.
Savings and public image aside, businesses that recycle are playing a huge role in saving the planet. If just a third of the major businesses in the world do their part to go paperless, recycle, and use recycled materials, it’s possible to cut world-wide waste by 10% a year.
Not only that, but businesses that are recycling their waste are also helping create jobs. Waste management is a growing industry and the recycling sector continues to grow with every aluminum can, glass bottle, and paper product recycled.
Read related content:
- The Top U.S. Cities for Sustainability
- Ford to Cut Landfill Waste by 40% per Vehicle
- How Going 'Green' is Good for Business
Recycling Programs
As stated before, every employee on staff adds to the amount of waste a company produces. And, according to the EPA, the average person produces 4.5 pounds of waste each day. That’s over one ton of solid waste a year.
By initiating workplace recycling and diversion programs, businesses can get their employees in the habit of recycling. In fact, businesses that have food-diversion programs in place cut 30% to 80% of their solid waste from ending up in landfills.
Businesses can get involved with workplace recycling programs in any number of ways. The most common way is by simply calling city waste management and having containers delivered and a pickup schedule arranged.
And, as for all those old desktop computers, fax machines, and company laptops, recycled electronics can either be dropped off at a recycling center or picked up at the office. Considering electronics sit in landfills for centuries, this is a recycling must.
When businesses do their part to recycle, it not only saves the planet, it saves money and creates new jobs.
Companies that haven’t already should try a greener approach to doing business.
About the Author: Adam Groff is a freelance writer and creator of content. He writes on a variety of topics including business improvement,online reputation management services, and green living.
