Embrace sustainability: How implementing a corporate recycling program benefits your business By CIOTechOutlook Team

Embrace sustainability: How implementing a corporate recycling program benefits your business

CIOTechOutlook Team | Friday, 27 May 2022, 10:37 IST

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How implementing a corporate recycling program benefits your businessRecycling is beneficial not only for the environment but also for your corporation. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) alike should seriously consider adopting a corporate recycling program to quantify their success and, of course, reduce the environmental footprint. After all, a healthy planet can offer you thousand times more opportunities than an “overworked” one.

And if we are to consider the rate for industrial and commercial waste, which is only 60 per cent, you need to find solutions and do it quickly. According to businessrecycling.com.au, there are 6.5 million tons of corporate waste in Austria that end up in landfills annually. This is, without any doubt, a sign of concern; what happens with all that garbage, and how does it impact the environment?

Considering these numbers, think about implementing a sustainability program within your company; you will see that it is only to your benefit. It is a long run, and there are definitely many choices and decisions to make, but if you are serious about corporate sustainability, you should not encounter problems on the way. To make your job easier, we have rounded up a few sure-fire practices that will lead you to the right path.

Smaller environmental footprint

Reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills helps protect the planet for future generations. You probably heard about the increasing amount of greenhouse gas emissions and global warming, so you may wonder how you, as an entrepreneur, can reduce the carbon footprint where so many individuals and organizations are negligent about this aspect. Well, you do not have to make an enormous effort but just think about a waste management initiative. Even some recycled office papers can save a significant amount of CO2 emissions, energy, and water, so do not worry if you start with baby steps; small changes lead to big results.

Consider different machines for waste and recycling as a first step in implementing a corporate recycling program. Once you understand the importance of material recycling, you will be ready to adopt a proper waste management initiative and reduce your organization’s carbon footprint.

Cost reduction

You may not expect this, but you will significantly reduce your expenses by implementing a business waste recycling program. Waste management fees can be a real burden, and if you are still into that thinking that your enterprise does not produce that much waste, you would better change your mind. There are multiple ways to cut costs, so you certainly have a choice. Start, for example, with double-sided printing to reduce the amount of paper consumed. Paper is not expensive, but tons of paper are used in the workplace, so the costs will be felt in time.

Another helpful practice includes using your local garbage collection service to reduce your waste collection occurrence from twice a week to once a week. If you do not have this possibility, you can contact a private waste management organization; such companies help businesses make savings that can be used for other sustainable initiatives. There are also many recycling companies that buy your scrap materials to transform them into raw materials. This way, you lower raw material costs and ensure those resources are reused for other purposes, so nothing is wasted.

Take also into account a centralized recycling program to give your cleaning staff the chance to focus on more essential tasks than going desk to desk to gather every worker’s waste.

Boosts the reputation of the organization

According to a TrendWatching report, eco-image has a real moment, which means that the more sustainable your business is, the more customers you attract. Consumers look for green companies now more than ever, and they are totally entitled to do so; thus, if they cannot find this feature within your organization, it is possible to look for it somewhere else.

Now you can gain customers with eco-friendly actions. Beyond performance and price concerns, more and more consumers are now interested in sustainability practices. After all, if an organization cares about the environment, it cares for people. Since pollution kills 8.3 million people every year, as statistics show, it is more important than ever to draw your attention to more sustainable initiatives. It does not only count for your brand image but your overall impact on the world.

You may want to implement a business waste management program to show that your company is genuinely preoccupied with sustainability issues. Besides, more and more governments ask for evidence of eco-friendly actions within an organization, which is why an increasing number of companies enter into recycling contracts.

Creates jobs

You may be wondering what jobs have to do with corporate sustainability. Well, a lot. As consumers are more interested in purchasing from eco-friendly companies, so are employees working for an organization that recycles. Millennials, in particular, pay special attention to a corporation’s practices towards sustainability; one of the main reasons for that is that they are aware of the risks of a polluted planet and want to protect their next generations. Moreover, one in ten millennials would be willing to quit their job if their employer does not align with their expectations regarding recycling and sustainability. Knowing that more and more individuals are concerned about the planet’s safety is only encouraging news.

Encourages innovation

Adopting a recycling program is that boost of motivation most employers need to change. Operating in the same way for years is one of the main reasons organizations do not seek innovation; there intervenes a sense of monotony. But turning to sustainable actions helps them realize how imperative recycling is and turn their attention to other areas of operation. Depending on your industry, think about both sustainable and innovative methods. If you run a manufacturing business, consider changing the product packaging to reduce waste; several sustainable packaging trends allow for easier carrying and storage, so you should not have problems finding one that best suits your business.

We hope these insights into sustainability practices will make you adopt healthier habits in terms of recycling. And do not forget: you do it for your planet, not only for your business.

 

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