The quickest way to turn your company green
August 12, 2009 by Tom GuayPosted in: Cost Cutting, Green Office, Special Report
Still looking for a way to do something green for your company that won’t cost an arm and a leg?
Target all that paper your company’s buying and then paying to dispose of. Paper recycling programs are one of the cheapest and easiest ways to get started on the green business path. And, the paper industry is pushing hard to help all of its customers get into the recycling business.
Lending pressure to recycle paper and paper packaging, from office paper to cardboard shipping containers, the industry trade group, the American Forest & Paper Association (AFPA), has set a goal of recycling 60% of its products by 2012. America recycled 57.4% of paper products by close of 2008.
To join in on the action, the group tracks successful case studies of how businesses, universities, schools and municipalities create various paper recycling programs. Most stories tell a similar tale of starting small and then letting the programs grow more sophisticated.
The basic approach is to start small and tackle the easy things first, then expand your company’s paper recycling programs. For example, to get an office paper program going, AFPA recommends that you:
- first, audit your office to get a list of the types of paper you’re dealing with
- then identify which ones are recyclable
- then develop an action plan with a recycling company
- then get your management on-board
- then educate and win buy-in from your co-workers, and
- finally, measure and share results.
The AFPA case studies are here, at paperreycles.org.
The site also includes a special chapter on recycling in office environments, click here for details.
Tags: American Forest & Paper Association, Green Office, paper recycling
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August 13th, 2009 at 9:34 am
I have about 14 pallets iof cardboard of which I would like to have recycled. Who do I talk to to get this picked up.
Please let me know.
MjB
August 13th, 2009 at 11:22 am
It seems the issue is not lacking a desire to recycle but either not knowing where to find the resources to start or finding a recycler that will pick up or is in the area.
What do you recommend?
August 13th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
We are recycling everything possible around our plant. Our problem is fabric scraps. Does anyone know of a company who is willing to recycle fabric. We are a furniture manufacturer.
August 13th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Tell Mike above that, depending on where he is, a company called Green Fiber might have a facility near you. They accept all types of paper and cardboard. They manufacture the “blow in” insulation. They can supply collections bins or van trailers.
August 13th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Why does everyone forget that computers are not “GREEN”. When you see truck loads of computers and their keyboards, mouses, etc. going to a landfill, it surely gets you thinking.
I would rather have the smaller problem of the paper!
August 13th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
I am not sure in what state you operate but in North Carolina we have several networking opportunities to find recycling groups and waste handlers. http://www.p2pays.org/ , http://www.p2pays.org/dmrm/start.aspx, http://www.recycleguys.org/, or http://www.ncwastetrader.org/home.aspx are a few options. Maybe your state has similar sites. Check out your state Department of Environment and Natural Resources or Pollution Prevention offices.
August 13th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
Our problem is that it will cost us to have recycling picked up – therefore, we don’t recycle. We have a large amount of pop/water bottles/cans plus the paper and cardboard that could all be recycled instead of tossed in the garbage – which is what we do. How do we save money without being charged as our company is on a very strict budget?
August 13th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
In San Diego County there is a non-profit recyle organization called recyclesandiego.com. Most areas probably have similar organizations. I found them by going on the internet. We disposed of old computers, printers, etc this way. We have established an in-house recycle program, and the City provides a cardboard container in the trash area.
August 14th, 2009 at 7:35 am
Sandy, don’t you pay to have your trash disposed of? If you recycle, you will dispose of less trash. If you recycle enough, you can reduce your trash disposal enough to at least have the total $ you pay for recycle and trash disposal to NOT increase. Stay the same. However, as we have done here, in my place of business, we have greatly increased our recycling and have realized a significant reduction in cost for trash disposal ( $30,000/yr)
August 14th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
MM – about the computers, we found a High School in our area that has a program called StRUT (Students Recycling Used Technology. The use the equipment to teach high school students to refurbish the equipment and then donate it to other schools. We have donated to them over the past 18 months and even have one of their former students working in our IT department now. The website is http://www.svstrut.org Hopefully this helps.
August 17th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Sandy what state are you in?
August 25th, 2009 at 5:42 am
I work for the largest waste handler in the country. Try your waste hauler, most of them have recycle programs. You can also check woth your local solid waste district. They have all sorts of info on disposal and reycle methods.