Reduce, Reuse, Recycle at Work
The first step is to reduce, and the simplest place to look is at your paper use. Strikingly 25% of the garbage that businesses throw away – more than 120,000 tons annually – is common paper that is fully recyclable.
Even in the “digital age” we consume enormous amounts of paper (mashed bleached tree pulp), most of which is used once or twice and then tossed or recycled. The greenest paper is no paper at all, so keep things digital whenever possible. The more you do online, the less you need paper. Keep files on computers instead of in file cabinets, cutting down on clutter and improving organization of information. Try to review documents on-screen and don’t print until you have the final version. When you do print, print double-sided. Use misprints or old documents for scratch paper and put paper recycling bins for paper at every desk and by the printer. Close the loop by buying post-consumer recycled paper; it takes 60-70% less energy to produce than paper from virgin tree pulp.
Coffee cups and one-time use take out containers fill up office trash bins fast. So go buy a coffee mug and start bringing lunch to work in reusable containers. If you keep craving the neighborhood joint’s food, ask your co-workers to place a large order (more efficient than many separate ones), or consider walking there and eating at the restaurant instead of trucking waste back to the office.
If your workplace isn’t recycling, encourage them to change. Many garbage haulers throughout the state must provide recycling services when requested. The same common items that are picked up at your curb at home can be recycled in the office. Once you have talked to your hauler and set up bins, spread the word. Most people would much rather recycle items than throw them away; they just need to know how. Put up posters by the bins, clearly labeling where items should go; then send an e-mail and share the news at a staff meeting. If you want hands-on-help evaluating your business's waste, recycling and finding even more solutions, click here to find a recycler and disposal service near you.