With Global Recycling Day coming up on March 18, 2020, it is a good time for business owners to consider how they can include the practice of recycling at their place of business to help reduce waste.

Recycling programs, such as the blue box program in Ontario, was created to help reduce the amount of garbage that goes to our landfill sites. If we look around us today, we probably are using something made from recycled materials, and it is thanks to programs like this.

Children are running and laughing on fully-accessible playground surfaces that are made of recycled tires and crushed yoghurt cups. Rare earth minerals like neodymium, dysprosium and praseodymium are being recovered from obsolete electronics to reduce the damage done by poor mining practices. The technology to create long-lasting road surfaces from recycled plastics exists and those surfaces last three times longer than traditional paving methods.

However, as we celebrate Global Recycling Day, we need to remember that recycling is more than just taking our empty bottles, cans, cardboard and plastics to the curb. It all starts with the ambition to reduce the amount of waste going to our landfill site.

When we buy something, we need to think ‘recycling’ - from beginning to the end of a product’s life.

Did it come from recycled materials?

When purchasing food, office supplies, promotional items, furniture, and renovating your workspaces, consider products that were made from recycled materials.

The product source information, including the percentage of recycling material, will often be marked on the label of the product or information will be available on the company’s website. If you aren’t sure, contact the company. Beyond regulations for sharing information about product materials, eco-focused brands realize that sharing this information is good for business. Environmentally-sensitive consumers want to invest in company’s who are creating products from sustainably sourced materials, so by sharing this information in their marketing, they are helping promote their business.

How long will this product last?

Invest in quality products. They will last longer, which will help reduce your waste. And, during your purchase decision, consider what you will do with the product once it comes to the end of its life or it is no longer useful to you. Perhaps you can repurpose it for something else or donate it.

Can you repurpose it for something else?

Get creative! Fabrics are one of the hardest items to recycle. Take a faded or outgrown t-shirt and turn it into a satchel. If you want ideas on creative recycling projects, check out some Pinterest boards.

Can this product be recycled after you are done using it?

“Made from recycled materials”, means that at some point, the original product was used, and then found its way into a recycling program, where it was then processed and created into something new.

Recycling is not a new idea, but a tried and true practice. Years ago, people recycled, re-used, and repurposed what they had to save money. And, while cost savings are essential to business owners today, supporting the future of our planet is also a sound investment.

For Global Recycling Day, we challenge each other to consider these questions before we purchase and dispose of the items we use, and make a commitment to:

Purchase products from recycled materials, including packaging (less packaging is always the best).
Be creative! Before throwing something in the trash, can we re-use it in a different form?
Purchase products that can be recycled. Check with your local recycling program to learn what products are recyclable in your area.
Create a plan to reduce waste at your place of business that includes recycling.

How to recognize Global Recycling Day on March 18, 2020, and celebrate your commitment to our planet!

Set aside some time to look at your purchasing procedures and how you manage waste. Dust off that blue box, educate your staff, celebrate on social media how well your team is doing with recycling, create green purchasing policies, and commit to reduce and re-use whenever possible. These are all ways we as small business owners can commit to the environmental health of our planet.

Visit the official website to learn more about Global Recycling Day. Join in the conversation on social media #RecyclingHeroes #GlobalRecyclingDay

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