10 Steps To Start Business/School Recycling
- Identify which material will be recycled. It is best to start with the easiest, largest volume of material, normally paper and cardboard. The key to a successful recycling program is to start small and build on your accomplishments.
- Find a recycling service provider and work with that vendor to set up your program. A good place to start is by contacting your current trash hauler to see if they haul recyclables as well. If they do, your program can be simplified by working with one hauler for both tasks. Keep in mind that a different hauler may be able to offer a better price. Recycling service providers can be found in the Recycling Services Directory and Markets Guide for Massachusetts, which can be downloaded or a hard copy can be requested on-line. Call several recycling companies for cost estimates and information on the types of service they provide. The four licensed in Hull trash haulers are: CRM, Dumpster Depot, Mike DelPrete & Sons, and Waste Management.
- Acquire recycling bins. Haulers may provide these. If not, WasteCap has a list of companies that sell bins. In either case choose bins according to the hauler's collection requirements.
- Put recycling containers next to trash bins. Placing the receptacles next to each other will increase the amount recycled and decrease contamination, which is the existence of non-recyclable materials in the recycling receptacle. When designing the program, consider accessibility and ease of use. Also remember to think about how the bins are going to be emptied, when, and by whom.
- Label both trash and recycling bins clearly. People will be less likely to confuse the trash and recycling bins if they are clearly marked. Using large fonts and different colors for trash and recycling is helpful, but avoid lots of distracting graphics. Labels also serve as regular reminders to recycle. On or next to the recycling bins list the items that can be placed in the bin.
- Publicize! People won’t recycle if they don’t know the option is available. Send a memo or make a brochure for employees to regularly refer to while at their desk, especially if you use desk-side recycling bins. Tell employees about the new recycling program by sending an email memo, mentioning it at staff meetings, awarding employees or departments that recycle the most, or holding an afternoon seminar about the program and the benefits of recycling.
- Have someone serve as the recycling coordinator. If one person oversees the program, employees will have a consistent resource for answers to their questions and someone to monitor pickups.
- Educate the custodians. Your program won't work if the cleaning personnel are not on board. Make sure they understand their role in the program and work with them to find room for improvement.
- If you are part of a small office in an office building, contact the building manager. The building management may work with you to set up a building wide-program or these services may exist already. The management would be able to save money on disposal costs by diverting material from the trash – a clear benefit for them, which an individual office would not achieve.
- Still have questions? Contact resources are all around you, search online or talk to a knowledged person about it.