Global Recycling Day: How your business can level up recycling practices for a healthier planet.

Every year on the 18th of March, we celebrate Global Recycling Day, a vital opportunity for individuals and businesses alike to reflect on their sustainable practices and the impact of their actions on our planet. Recycling plays a pivotal role in the quest for sustainability. By adopting proper recycling practices, we can significantly influence the future health of our planet, ensuring that future generations have healthy environments to thrive in. Together, let’s embrace recycling and take meaningful steps towards a greener, more sustainable future.

What makes waste management so important?

Whether you’re a business or an individual, your waste management choices have a lasting impact on our planet. At home, it’s often easier for individuals to focus on re-using items like containers, packaging, and materials. Similarly, businesses are increasingly encouraged to adopt reusable packaging to reduce the production of single-use items.

Consider this: on average, single-use plastic packaging takes ten years to break down in landfill. In 2024 alone, over 400 million tonnes of plastic were produced globally, with less than 10% of those plastics being properly recycled. The consequences? These plastics end up polluting our oceans and environments, affecting both wildlife and human habitats.

By making conscious waste management choices, we can all contribute to a healthier, more sustainable world.

How can businesses improve waste management?

There are multiple routes your business can take for better recycling methods in the workplace. The easiest ways to improve sustainability are:

1. Identify: Have a thorough, unbiased look into how your business already handles any waste generated. It also helps to visualise each waste stream and begin mapping out improvements that can be made to reduce each waste stream.
2. Track: Closely monitor the rates of waste being discarded, and how much of this was done via adequate recycling methods. Track and ensure the effectiveness of recycling initiatives.

Other ways to improve waste management around the workplace include:

• Proper Training: Staff should be properly trained on the importance and methods of recycling. Educated employees are more likely to engage in sustainable practices.
• Strategically Placed Bins: Ensure bins are placed in high-traffic areas with easy-to-read recycling instructions such as food waste, plastic, and paper. Convenient access encourages proper disposal.
• Digitised Communications: Adopting digitised communications can significantly cut down on paper use, particularly in office environments. Going paperless not only reduces waste but also streamlines operations.

Implementing these strategies can help your business make a significant positive impact on the environment and foster a culture of sustainability within the workplace.

By making conscious waste management choices, we can all contribute to a healthier, more sustainable world.

What makes waste management so important?

When businesses prioritise effective waste management, they lead by example, not just for their internal teams, but for the broader community as well.

What many businesses often overlook is their profound impact on local communities, employees, and other businesses. Setting a strong example begins with leadership. Encouraging senior staff to adopt productive waste management practices can have a cascading effect. This ripple effect extends beyond the company’s walls, positively influencing the surrounding communities.

It fosters a culture of environmental responsibility where everyone plays a part in minimising waste and promoting recycling. Ultimately, businesses that champion waste management are not only contributing to a healthier planet but are also building stronger, more responsible communities. By leading with purpose and encouraging sustainable practices from the top down, businesses can create a lasting, positive impact that resonates far and wide.