How much does your business recycle?
You don't need a specific answer, you just need to start thinking about how much stuff in your company you genuinely recycle. In a lot of cases, it's far less than you could and should. Some things are obviously recyclable, while others come as a surprise. Regardless, we're outlined a few things that your business should start recycling right away:
Paper & cardboard
Most companies in every industry will create paper and cardboard waste. This tends to come in the form of waste paper from your office, along with cardboard boxes from supply orders. However you have generated the waste, be sure you don't just chuck it in the rubbish. Unless it is stained by food or covered in plastic, all paper and cardboard can be recycled!
Food
Speaking of food, it can also be recycled. This applies across most industries yet again - largely looking at any food waste you or your employees generate on your lunches. Have a separate bin for it, and you can recycle your waste as compost. Also, this is even more critical for any food-based business. Most of your waste will be food, so finding ways to recycle it is essential to decrease your carbon footprint.
Water
Yes, you can actually recycle water! This mainly refers to businesses that might use water for a lot of different jobs or may generate lots of wastewater. It's the wastewater you should recycle, and this is typically done via a wastewater centrifuge that cleans the water of any bad things and makes it ready to use once more. This can be handy in instances where you're using a jet washer as part of your job. Instead of filling it up with freshwater, you can keep recycling the wastewater back into a tank to use again and again.
Electronics
How many times have you thrown away old electronics? This can include computers, laptops, printers, screens, and so on. Office-based businesses generate a lot of this waste each year, with most of it ending up in landfills. But, did you know that lots of electronic parts can be reused or recycled? For instance, if your PC stops working, it could be down to one or two parts. The rest of it can be salvaged and used again by someone else. Not to mention that the metal components in electronics can also be recycled. It does depend on the specific product and the materials used to make it, but you should think twice before throwing your old electronics out.
Are there other things your business could recycle? Of course there are, but these four things have made the list as they are prevalent throughout many organizations in different industries. Not only that, but they are things that a lot of businesses either don't recycle or don't realize they can recycle. By learning what you can and can't throw away, it helps your company become a lot more environmentally friendly. Aside from the massive environmental benefits, this can also help your brand by making you more appealing to the public.