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SMALL BUSINESS 101: Recycling tips for you business
Did you know that every tonne of recycled office paper saves approximately 17 trees? Businesses sometimes purchase supplies and materials that are not always used efficiently, creating unnecessary waste. By taking simple actions and putting a recycling program in place, not only will you help lower operating costs through more efficient use of materials and resources, but show your customers that you are environmentally conscious. Tips to help your business start a recycling program: • Start by finding out what types of recycling programs are in your area. • Look at your garbage and examine the waste generated by your business. Adopt practices that will reduce waste and toxicity. • Determine if products are necessary before purchasing. Buy durable, concentrated, reusable, and/or high quality goods. • Reduce the amount of unnecessary packaging. Choose products with little or no packaging, purchase only what you need and buy items in bulk to reduce cost and packaging waste. • Find a supply of paper with maximum available recycled content. • Conserve paper by making double sided copies and using two-way envelopes whenever possible. • Arrange to have your supplier's take back packaging for reuse. Return, reuse, and repair wooden pallets and spools. • Consider sharing a recycling bin with a neighbouring business if possible. This will save you space, cut costs and increase your overall recycling efforts. • Ask your recycler for signs and labels and clearly mark all recycling bins with the types of materials that can and can not be recycled. • Ensure all materials accepted in your recycling program are recycled 100 per cent of the time. • Sell or donate goods rather than discarding them. • Education of your employees is the key to success of any program. A clearly marked bin lets employees know what can and can not be recycled. • Encourage employees to pack lunches in reusable plastic containers and use utensils that can be washed. Provide an area for clean up. • Use refillable pens, pencils, and provide your employees with coffee mugs. • Use e-mail or voice mail instead of inter-office memos. • Encourage customers to bring reusable bags or better yet, sell your own. Adding your business name, logo, and/or website address will not only remind your customers of your business, but it provides free advertising as well. Consistently reducing the amount of energy, water, and paper your business uses can make a huge difference, both to the environment and your bottom line. -- -- -- -- The Canadian Federation of Independent Business is a non-partisan political action organization representing the interests of small- and medium-sized, Canadian-owned enterprises since 1971. Visit CFIB online (see link). Opinions are those of the author. WEB: CFIB |
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