3 Fun Ways to Prioritize Recycling in the Office

Sometimes appealing to a person’s better nature is all it takes to promote recycling; however, when the days are long and schedules are packed, it’s easy to fall back into old patterns and routines.

If you’re finding that recycling in the workplace isn’t always top of mind, consider one of these fun, motivational tools.

1) Charts

From the time we’re in kindergarten, we’ve been trained in the motivational potential of charts and graphs. Whether you hang one in the office or build a web page in which coworkers can log their progress, charts that allow people to log their daily successes will not only encourage recycling but also allow people to cheer for their peers.

2) Team Competitions

Of course, information recorded on charts and graphs provide the perfect building blocks for healthy competition. By forming into teams, co-workers and spur each other on to greater levels of achievement than they would reach individually. Team competitions can sometimes backfire, however, so be sure that you have safeguards in place to guard against unhealthy levels of competitiveness. 

3) Incentives

Whether incentives are tangible (cash prizes, gift cards, gift baskets) or intangible (extra vacation days, extended lunch hours, bragging rights), a little reward for good behavior is sometimes all it takes to help people build healthy habits. Collaborate with your team to discuss what incentives, if best, would work in your office.

The Point

However you choose to prioritize recycling in the office, don’t let the method eclipse the message. Recycling is a good idea not just because it’s a fun team-building exercise, but because it’s the right thing to do regardless.

“The greatest danger to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it … The last great exploration on earth is to survive on earth.” (Robert Swan, OBE)

By working together, we can all be part of the solution. If possible, we’ll have some fun while doing it.