When you run a large business, an important aspect of your company is how you produce and manage waste within your facility. From the packaging used for any materials you need in production to the way your cafeteria manages waste, employee compliance with your waste stream management is often a big factor in the success of your system. For many companies, despite having a solid system in place to recycle materials, getting employees to follow the system is difficult. Improve the ways in which your company manages waste by getting employees in on the action and interested in making your company more earth-friendly.

Make It Easy to Recycle

If the trash is closer than the recycling bin, just about any object is going to be thrown away before it makes it to the recycling. Keep trash and various recycling bins close together to make it easier for employees to recycle. In addition to providing the right bins, use signs that indicate what can be thrown into each container. Sometimes employees don't want to guess at what can be recycled and throw it away instead.

Provide Incentives for Recycling

Employees respond to incentives, especially when they are earned easily as a group. Measure the amount of trash vs. recycling that leaves your facility for one month. Challenge your employees to create less trash and more recycling in the following month. Offer various incentives for a 20%, 40% or more reduction in trash, depending on what you are willing to spend on your employees. A dress-down day is free and is a good incentive for a 20% reduction. Consider a free lunch or personal time if your employees rise to a big challenge.

Share Your Reasons Why

When your employees know why you are focused on recycling, they are more likely to comply with your efforts. Let your employees know how important the environment is to you, and ask for suggestions when it comes to improving the recycling strategies within your facility. Allow your employees to have input, and they will become more engaged with your recycling efforts. Employees that show particular interest could be appointed to a recycling team and given some time each week to see if goals have been met.

Keep your employees engaged by sharing your recycling plan. Make it easy to recycle and offer incentives for months where your waste is low. You can improve your waste stream management with the right strategies in place. For more information, contact a company like H & H Metals Co today.