Week 9: #Waves4Change 2020 Sustainability Challenge – Learn About Recycling and Waste Reduction at Work

Guest Post By Pembroke Strickland, DLDT Associate Board Member

Why Take This Challenge?

Whether you work at a small mom & pop shop or a big corporate organization, there are steps you can take to learn more about recycling in the workplace and how to improve. A good first step is to reach out to building management or janitorial services to understand the current recycling and waste programs in place. If your workplace is lacking a recycling program, now is the time to start one! You can also research your company’s website to understand policies and commitments to the environment. Another useful step is to conduct a workplace waste audit to understand what types of materials are being disposed of and how. Recycling@Work offers a template to help complete the audit.
Once you have a baseline of where your workplace is at in terms of recycling and waste management, you can look to external sources to learn more about how to improve. Cuyahoga County offers free seminars on recycling and waste reduction, which could be beneficial to your workplace. You can also consult with an expert in your area to assist with improving or implementing a recycling program at work. Finally, you can seek out local companies that recycle, reuse or compost materials produced by businesses and institutions.

How Does This Challenge Benefit Me?

It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you, as one individual, cannot make an impact. This challenge is bigger than one individual, just like the problem is bigger than one individual. You can benefit not only yourself, but also your coworkers by engaging in this challenge and inspiring others to join you.

What Else Can I Do at Work?

Create a Green Team and collaborate on new initiatives to improve the environment both inside and outside the workplace. Committing as a team can create more success by holding each other accountable.

Prep This Weekend for a More Sustainable Week

Overhauling anything in the workplace can be a big task, especially on top of your regular day job. Start small by identifying one new thing you want to learn about workplace recycling this week. It’s okay if this challenge extends beyond one week .

Taking this challenge? Spread the word and use the hashtag #Waves4Change so we can change the world together and inspire others to live better.

Sources:
Recycling@Work https://recyclingatwork.org/Downloads/DIY%20Simple%20Workplace%20Waste%20Audit.pdf
Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District https://cuyahogarecycles.org/Business_Recycling_Seminars