Recycling – it’s a word that everyone is familiar with, especially today, where saving the environment has become an important and widely discussed topic around the world.
And it’s not just something to consider within the home – it also impacts the workplace. For businesses, recycling is not just about benefiting the planet and reducing your carbon footprint, it can also play a huge part in improving your bottom line.
In fact, recycling can reduce the amount of money you spend on waste management, improve your businesses’ reputation, keep your employees happy and help the environment!
Despite this, a lot of businesses still don’t have an effective recycling system in place. Whilst some see it as a waste of time and effort that could be better spent elsewhere, for many, it is simply because they don’t know enough about the subject. It can often be challenging to fully understand what can be recycled and what can’t, especially for businesses who produce an extensive amount of waste on a weekly or monthly basis.
Luckily, it’s not as difficult as it may seem – and it’s easy to keep on top of once you start doing it regularly. The hardest part is getting started.
So, What Can You Recycle?
Almost everything! If done correctly, businesses can – and should – be recycling the following products.
- Paper & Cardboard – This is probably the most common and easiest of items to be recycled – especially for those who work within an office. This includes newspapers, office paper, envelopes, shredded documents and magazines.
- Glass – Containers or jars, especially those that have contained food. These should not be broken or sharp.
- Plastic Bottles & Containers / Food and Drink Cans – For a food establishment, food and drink waste is probably the most frequent type of waste produced and therefore should be recycled effectively.
Are There Any Special Requirements?
For certain items, there are specific guidelines that you need to follow when it comes to recycling. This includes:
Batteries
Recycling used batteries is something that a lot of people don’t realise they should be doing. Most are thrown away with the general rubbish and eventually make their way to landfill sites.
This can become a serious issue due to the chemicals that batteries contain, which when in landfill sites, can leak out and be responsible for soil and water pollution. Long-term effects of this could be hazardous for humans, animals and the environment.
Recycling your batteries means the material will be used for something positive instead.
Household and car batteries should be taken to your local recycling centre and disposed of in specialised bins (which will be clearly labelled).
How Should You Store & Dispose of Your Recycling?
Educating yourself on what materials can be recycled is just the first step in ensuring your business is following an effective and comprehensive recycling policy. It’s also important to familiarise yourself (and your employees) with the correct way of both storing and disposing of your recycling. Whilst you can’t monitor this at all times, you can ensure everyone in your business is aware of the following recycling best practices.
- Set up specific bins in your workplace that are clearly labelled for what should go in there. Having a specific bin for “paper” and for “plastic” will make it easier for your employees to get used to it.
- Your recycling should be initially separated into the correct bins. This will make it easier going forward. Be aware that some items can be placed in the same bin – you’ll need to check the guidelines for your specific area.
- Properly rinse out food and drink packaging – not doing this makes it impossible for the plastic to be correctly recycled.
How Can We Help?
As part of our scrap metal recycling service, we work closely with commercial clients to provide them with the most efficient and profitable metal recycling service. This includes a scrap metal baling service and a clearance metal recycling service. By providing efficient and cost-effective recycling solutions, we regularly help clients such as factories, power stations, and car breakers.
We are also proud to play a part in improving the environment through encouraging people to recycle their waste in the most efficient and environmentally friendly way. Therefore, alongside our scrap metal recycling solutions, we also promote a ‘Scrap My Car’ service where we recycle your end-of-life vehicle. To find out more, get in touch!