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There are a lot of great companies that have a commercial recycling program. But there are just as many, if not more, that don’t. Is your company one of them?

Often it's not that your company doesn’t want an office recycling program, it’s just that it's not top of mind for leadership. But this can change if you take the initiative to convince your company to start an office recycling program. Below, we’ll talk about the desire for employees to have recycling programs and offer up to 4 tips to help you convince your company to start recycling.

Employees want commercial recycling programs

People want recycling programs at work. According to a survey by global hygiene and health company, Essity, three in every four employees (75%) say they want more environmentally friendly offices. They also found that:

  • 51% say they became more eco-conscious while working remotely from home during the pandemic.
  • 46% now feel more aware of how “green” their workplace is than pre-pandemic.

This is a great development, but there’s one big issue – companies are failing to meet these expectations.

Most companies are falling short of office recycling expectations 

One of the most alarming findings from the survey is that many workplaces are not meeting employee's expectations in terms of creating a “green” office:

  • 58% of employees surveyed feel their office is “shamefully eco-unfriendly.”
  • 34% believe introducing eco-friendly practices is often an afterthought. 
  • 71% feel it is the employees themselves who are leading the charge to make sustainable changes in the workplace rather than management. 
  • 51% believe employers should communicate more effectively how they will address sustainability.

There’s one great way to promote change in your workplace - help convince the powers that be that a commercial recycling program is best for business.

Pic of CleanRiver recycling bins at an office

Here are 4 tips for how to persuade management:

1. Generate support internally

There’s strength in numbers. It's essential that if you plan to pitch the idea to management you have the support of your fellow employees. Speaking informally with other people about who would be willing to be part of the green initiative is a great start. You can also work on establishing a sustainability team within your organization. Have someone willing to spearhead the initiative. Once you have grassroots support, you can then begin to approach management about commercial recycling programs. 


Get more ideas by reading 5 Tips To Determine Your Commercial Recycling Program Needs

2. Make the financial case

Money talks. If you want your management team to invest in an office recycling program, you need to make a strong business case. Perform your due diligence and look into potential costs to get the commercial recycling program up and running. Focusing on the cost-saving potential is the key here. Speak about how much you could save on garbage removal fees, and custodial costs, and if there are government programs your company could take advantage of to qualify for tax breaks or incentives. Your office recycling program needs to make financial sense.

Check out our post on Achieving ROI With Your Recycling Program for some real-life examples.

3. Make the social case 

Speak about the business benefits of implementing an office recycling program. We all know it's great for the environment, but the program can also provide additional benefits, including improving the company image. Make the social case by speaking about how an office recycling program can positively affect:

  • Employee engagement
  • Community involvement
  • Company culture
  • Sustainable business practices
  • Company reputation

4. Tie it back to company values

A final way to put the icing on the cake and win over management is to tie in how investing in sustainability and a commercial recycling program fits within the company values. Reference the company mission and vision statements for inspiration. 

The advantages of starting an office recycling program are apparent. You just need to make the case to management to get behind the project.

Looking for more recycling solutions tips and tricks? Check out these other blogs from CleanRiver Recycling:

CleanRiver Recycling provides a variety of innovative, flexible, and customizable commercial recycling solutions with over 1,440 colour, opening shapes and label options. To determine the right solution to meet your needs, use the CleanRiver product selector.

If you have additional questions not answered in this blog post, please call us at 1-866-490-2585 or email solutions@cleanriver.com.