Everyone has seen the alarming pictures of landfills full of waste that will likely never degrade into organic materials. Plastic, aluminum, and heavy metals are all being used in record amounts. These take thousands of years to break down into components that take less space and aren’t harmful for plants and animals in the immediate vicinity. Largely after the 1980s, people began to become more aware of the potential damages using these types of materials en mass could cause. The 3 Rs–reduce, reuse, and recycle–can help the planet develop less of a waste problem. Businesses, more than individual households, use lots of plastics and metals in their day-to-day operation. If you own a business or are in upper management, making some small changes and encouraging employees to do the same can have a profound impact on the world and future. This article will tell you how you can reduce container waste and how refilling plastic components of appliances with ink and toners can prevent the destruction of the environment.
Reducing the Use of Plastic Utensils and Paper Plates
Businesses often provide paper plates and cups, as well as plastic forks and other utensils, for their employees. This service helps when an employee has an anniversary at the company or a birthday. If conferences and trainings within the business frequently feature catered meals or snacks, having these on hand might be essential for the correct functioning of day-to-day activities essential for the company to run smoothly. However, these can pile up in landfills and might not be recycled correctly if employees are left to their own devices. There are a couple of ways to reduce the use of these and encourage recycling in the workplace.
First, if employees are given spaces to store their mugs, they won’t use disposable cups every day for their coffee. If you think about the number of employees across the world that depend on coffee to get up and function, the thought of the coffee cups is overwhelming. Washing out ceramic mugs will save all this waste. Putting paper and plastic recycling bins in the break rooms and other areas where food is often consumed will greatly increase the number of employees that recycle any disposable utensils that are used.
Paper Print Jobs
Rejected print jobs are another site of waste within companies. Often people will print more pages than they need. This paper adds up very quickly. Placing clearly marked recycling bins near any printers in the office will ensure that paper is recycled instead of being disposed of. Although paper does degrade over time, using less of paper resources will put less stress on the logging operations that clear forests.
Providing Receptacles for Batteries and Other Electronics
Many companies will recycle electronics and batteries for their employees. If your company is not one of these, you may be able to partner with another to ensure that your employees can properly dispose of any batteries needed for work or even ones that they’ve used at home. Batteries and electronics have elements that are toxic for the environment. Recycling them is essential for keeping the world unpolluted.
Toner and Ink Refills
This is a way to benefit the environment that saves businesses lots of money. Instead of buying new ink cartridges and tossing out the old, which are made out of non-biodegradable plastic, you can get them refilled. Ink and toners are essential for almost every business out there. No matter which type of printer you use, laser or another type, you will need to replace cartridges to keep it in working order. Helping the environment and choosing the cheaper option will help everyone in the long run.