Nowadays, everyone knows the benefits of recycling and accepts that it is an integral part of fighting pollution and climate change, but unfortunately, this knowledge is still no motivation for some. With lives that are busier than ever, the effort that needs to be put into recycling and sorting through your rubbish can seem like an inconvenience.
Every single thing you do, no matter how big or small, has an impact on the environment and it is up to you and you alone to decide if your impact is going to be positive or negative. To help you make the right choices and to inspire others to take the time and effort to recycle what they can, this quick guide is going to give you some top tips about how you can achieve a greener life, both at home and at work.
Why is recycling so important, anyway?
When you are trying to encourage your family, friends, and employees to recycle, some might ask if it will make that much difference anyway to try and excuse themselves from the work involved.
To help motivate them, you need to reiterate why recycling is so important by stating clear and backed up reasons for your argument. For example:
- Landfill sites release harmful chemicals and greenhouse gasses, polluting both the ground and the atmosphere
- Recycling reduces the need for raw materials and helps protect natural environments like the rainforest and the ocean
- Saves energy usage
- Is good for economic prosperity
Get your employees motivated
Once you get those around you to understand the importance of this work, you need to find active ways to motivate staff at your business to do these things.
One of the best ways to do this is to offer incentives. For example, once you have started a recycling program at your office (more information on that below), you need to find a way of rewarding your employees for their efforts. Perhaps the person who is the best at recycling every week gets to leave early or earns a gift card to a popular store.
Finding the right ways to do it
You can find more information here about how you can recycle effectively at the office,but the principles are basic:
- Invest in recycling bins for different materials (metals, paper, card, etc.)
- Have a monitor to check they are being used properly
- Have a rota for people to take them out for collection every week
So, what else can your business do?
Of course, recycling is not the only thing your business can do to combat climate change. You can limit waste from the beginning by choosing the buy quality, durable, and reusable goods. For example, using 12 gauge galvanized wire that is reliable and reusable for your business means you get more for your money and produce less waste, to begin with.
Another idea is to provide your staff with adequate kitchen facilities, so they can cook their lunches in the office and don’t have to go out to buy food in disposable cartons.