What’s in your trash can? The answer to that question can affect not only your business’s profitability but also its reputation.
Today, most communities have some type of residential recycling program. Many towns and cities also work with businesses to recycle production waste, used packaging materials, and other environmentally friendly post-production materials.
In the US, an estimated 1.51 lbs of materials are recycled per person per day, according to a 2013 study by the Pew Research Center. In addition, people and businesses are doing a better job of producing less trash in the first place. The same study found that per capita waste generation fell from 4.7 lbs per day per person to 4.4 pounds per day, resulting in a total annual reduction in municipal solid waste (the stuff that goes to the dump) by about 3 million tons.
Recycling and Business
Consumers create a lot of trash. But so do businesses. Things like byproducts, leftover packaging materials, and other post-production materials can quickly add up.
But an increasing number of businesses are discovering that participating with local recycling programs or launching their own recycling initiatives can not only reduce the amount of waste the enterprise generates, but also improve employee morale, enhance the company’s reputation in the community, and even help boost their brand.
Something as simple as providing separate containers for garbage and recyclables in employee break rooms and other areas throughout your facility can help minimize your business’s carbon footprint. And every effort you make to make the community (and the world) a cleaner, safer place is an opportunity publicize your business’s environmentally friendly approach toward recycling.
Recycling Containers
Many towns and cities that have recycling programs will provide containers for residents. But businesses are often left on their own to collect and separate their cans, bottles, paper, and other recyclables.
Purchasing separate receptacles for waste and recyclable materials is a fast and easy way to show your employees, and your community, that you care about your business’s impact on the community in which you live and work. In just a single afternoon, you can take a huge step toward enhancing your business’s reputation and standing within the community.
People are getting more conscious about the effect they have on the world at large. By thinking globally and acting locally, your business can help reduce pollution while at the same time being a better neighbor and a more environmentally conscious member of your local community.