How Can Recycling Help Small Business?

Back it the day, large corporations were the only businesses that recycle. Smaller operations couldn’t afford the costs associated with purchasing bins and extra hauling fees. 

Luckily, times have changed. Recycling is now part of the business culture in most companies, even small ones. Many cities require paper and glass recycling and where they don’t, corporate landlords use trash services that include recycling and encourage (or even require) cooperation from tenants. 

Still, some small businesses hesitate to get involved with anything more than paper recycling and glass where required. Asking employees to rinse food and drink containers to place in the “right” receptacle might seem to be asking too much. Employers want to know, what are the benefits of recycling? Here are some answers.

Businesses That Recycle Can Save Money

While tax credits these days are often limited to LEED-certified buildings, there are still ways to save with recycling that doesn’t require any effort from most employees.

• Businesses can recycle old equipment or donate them if they are still usable for a tax write-off. Just keep a list of what was donated, the condition, and age, and be sure to get a receipt from the receiver. Tax software will calculate the writeoff. 
• Some retailers accept older tech equipment and give a price break for replacements that are often faster, take up less space, and use less energy, which can lower energy bills. Many computers, laptops, and tablets are EnergyStar rated and guarantee lower energy use.
• If old equipment can’t be recycled or donated, it might be worth taking it apart for scrap to sell. Copper, steel, and iron are still in demand at salvage yards. Just be sure to properly dispose of parts like batteries.

A business that implements an ambitious recycling program should take note of the new volumes of trash versus recycling. If there’s less trash coming out, that can mean knocking off a trash collection day and lowering the fee. SpillFix has helped customers save money this way.

• Some local governments offer grants to help businesses implement strong recycling programs. This can help offset costs for employee education, giveaways to boost the program like recyclable water bottles, and the cost for recycling bins.

Social Cache for Businesses that Recycle

It turns out that going beyond paper collection bins can really pay off. 

Actual recycle businesses have learned that even employees who want to support recycling efforts make mistakes like tossing an empty soda can or yogurt container into the wrong bin. So businesses made it easier: blue bins take paper, and anything else that can be recycled goes in a green bin (or some other distinguishing color), although in some places plastics do have to go in a separate bin.

Still, this lowers the overall amount of actual trash, and that’s the point. Businesses that have embraced recycling plus other green efforts, such as motion sensor lighting and low-flush toilets, should talk about these efforts with customers. Many want to do business with environmentally-friendly companies, particularly those that are small and local.

Plus, today’s employees recycle at home, so why wouldn’t they do this at work? Millennial employees grew up with recycling education (thank you schools!) and view recycling as perfectly normal. Many persuaded their parents to recycle, even when it meant hauling recyclables to a local collection center.

Finally, employees want to work for environmentally-conscious companies. Yours are smart enough to know that every effort to generate less waste and conserve really counts!

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