5 items your business should be recycling and why?
Recycling is a well-known practice that holds the key to a greener, more sustainable future. However, the real question is, how many businesses are recycling and recycling correctly?
Shockingly, only about half of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) currently embrace recycling. Recycling is a powerful tool, one that can significantly reduce the amount sent to landfills, preventing the release of harmful greenhouse gases and mitigating unnecessary soil and water pollution. It also plays an important role in conserving invaluable natural resources, including timber, minerals, and water, while simultaneously reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions.
This year’s annual Recycle Week (16-22 October) focuses on encouraging us all to recycle more of the right things, more often.
So, what should your business be recycling?
With many different materials it can be difficult to know what can and can’t be recycled. To simplify things, we've highlighted five commonly missed items that your business should be recycling:
Printer cartridges: Recycling ink cartridges ‘saves more than two pounds of metal and plastic from landfill and saves about half a gallon of oil’. You can recycle cartridges at most local print supply shops.
Electronics: Most outdated computers, monitors, and printers can be recycled. If it has a plug, uses batteries or has a picture of a crossed-out wheelie bin on it, it can be recycled at a recycling centre or via an electrical retailer.
Paper: Businesses in the UK use over 12.5 million tonnes of paper a year, with nearly half of it not being recycled within a 12-month period.¹ The good news is that paper is widely recyclable so together businesses can significantly lower this number with little effort.
Plastic: Whilst many plastic packaging materials can be recycled, it's essential to understand the type of plastic an item is made from to make sure it’s recycled correctly. Check out Biffa’s guide to recycling different plastics.
Food: Leftover lunch shouldn’t just be chucked into general waste. You have multiple sustainable options, such as organised food waste collection or kerbside collection to recycle unwanted food waste. Alternatively, if it's still usable, consider donating it to reduce waste and help those in need.
By taking the initiative to address these commonly missed items and educating your employees, your business can play a significant role in promoting a healthier environment and a more sustainable future. So, as we embrace Recycle Week, let's pledge to not just recycle but to do it right, because every small step makes a big impact on our planet. Sign up to Zellar to start your sustainability journey today.
¹ https://www.unisanuk.com/what-do-you-know-about-paper-recycling/