5 Ways to Educate the Importance of Recycling

Recycling is so simple to do that everyone can do it. However, many people resist the practice. This is often because they either believe it’s much harder than it is, or that the items they fail to recycle will be of little consequence. When thinking about how to educate the public about the importance of recycling, there are some subtle tips and tricks you can use to change their minds, and their habits.

1) Motivate Them with Money

Glass, aluminum, and plastic all have a cash value. In many communities, these can be deposited at recycling centers that will pay for these items. Explaining how these pennies add up can be a powerful motivator that can get someone started in the habit of recycling. Over time, their interest in the financial reward will diminish while their habit of recycling will remain. Another way to motivate employees is by explaining how your company will use the revenue generated from recycling to pay for corporate outings, new equipment, training, etc. that directly benefits them.

2) Adopt a Highway or Park

Adopting a stretch of highway, a community park, or greenspace area not only gives your company increased visibility within the community, but it also helps reinforce your employee’s commitment to recycling. This will create a personal connection between the community they love, the customers you service, and the recycling activity staff may be personally neglecting. Furthermore, as more and more employees participate in the clean-up efforts, peer pressure will grow until everyone within the office wants to participate as they begin to understand the importance of recycling.

3) Make a Game of It

Another idea on how to educate the public about recycling is to make a game of it. A little friendly competition is always good for company morale. Pitting the hardworking folks in accounting against the dedicated front-office crew can bring your teams together towards a common goal. It can also help break up daily routines. Doing so can reinvigorate creativity and company spirit. Moreover, by providing small rewards for reaching recycling goals, you will encourage participation while reinforcing the recycling habit.

4) Give Them The Hard Numbers

Some personalities make decisions based on facts and hard numbers. The best way to encourage staff is to give them the data they need to see the true importance of recycling. By compiling this information and creating flyers or placards that can be posted in the break room, you can show them comparisons that show the cost benefit of recycling as opposed to the costs required to mine and manufacture raw materials. You can also show them data regarding the average annual consumption of glass aluminum, plastic, and paper. By extrapolating this and expanding it, you can show them that the recycling efforts of each person can add up and make a significant difference.

5) Make it Simple to Recycle

One of the greatest obstacles to any recycling education program is getting people to participate even if they understand the importance of recycling. This is especially true with older workers who may not see that their individual contribution makes much of a difference. The easy way to solve this is to provide easy to locate and utilize recycling bins and containers. Strategically placing these in lunchrooms, meeting areas, near vending machines, etc. provides a convenient recycling solution. As people see their co-workers recycling, they will be encouraged to follow suit and recycle as well.