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ow in its 19th year, ‘Recycle Week’ annually celebrates recycling across the globe.
The importance of reusing and repurposing materials is not lost on many with recycling becoming an integral aspect of everyday life for most businesses, schools and homes.
Last year’s campaign made a huge impact with 82% of people saying they had changed their behaviour as a result of seeing Recycle Week 2021 content. This year, we’re ‘getting real’ about where we are, where we want to be and how we’re going to get there together in the hopes of contributing to the success of 2022’s campaign, ‘let’s get real’.
That’s why we’re sharing our top 3 tips on what behaviours we can change to make the biggest impact and help us all ‘get real’.
1. Get an App that tells you what can be recycled
One of the most common issues with recycling is that people don’t know what can and cannot be recycled.
The scary reality is that one wrong item can spoil the bunch, making whole lorry loads un-recyclable. You can help put a stop to this!
Educate your employees on what materials can be recycled and which ones spoil the lot. You can help ensure all the energy put into recycling by your company pays off.
Here are some apps that could help:
- My-waste
- Recycle App
- Food Rescue
2. Buy products that have been recycled
Every company ideally wants their office recycling efforts to save them money.
Why not take some time to review your suppliers, their sustainability efforts and the budget required to purchase the products?
Once you have an overview of your current supplier ethics and budget, research sustainable and recycled alternatives and compare the costs – you will more than likely find that the recycled alternatives are cheaper. Be a company that recycles and uses recycled products.
"It takes less energy and fewer emissions to recycle than to make things from scratch, which is why recycling saves a total of 18 million tonnes of CO2 a year in the UK" - wrap.org.uk.
You can make a positive economic and environmental change for the business in one clean swoop.
3. Donate old company computers and devices
Over 40 million tons of electronic waste are discarded every year.
With such a huge number of electronics filling our landfills, recycling old computers and other devices is more important than ever. Electronics contain hazardous materials, like carcinogens, lead, and mercury. These nasty substances can leach into the atmosphere and waterways which can be harmful to plants, animals, and humans.
Instead, the materials in old computers can be used again – many of the parts can be broken down into raw materials to be used in new electronics. Ultimately reducing the need to mine finite resources.
Machines that are in working condition can be donated to low-income families, underfunded organisations, charities or schools.
Donating your old devices helps your planet and your community, a double whammy! We recommend partnering with charity Business2Schools to get started.
These 3 changes can make a big impact. Take a step back to evaluate your current company processes this ‘Recycling Week’ and ‘be real’ about what you can do to make a positive impact on your employees, your planet, your community and your budget.
Be part of the solution. Find out more about Recycling Week now.
