5 Tips For Implementing A Zero Waste Strategy At The Office

As the environmental awareness becomes more and more widespread, many of us are making sincere efforts to go green. When it comes to the business world, it’s no surprise that many companies produce large amounts of waste. According to the EPA, the average office worker uses two pounds of paper a day! If you’re truly dedicated to making your business eco-friendly, you may want to consider going zero waste. Companies face many challenges when implementing new, eco-friendly programs, in large part simply because old habits die hard. While the idea of going zero waste at the office may be daunting, it isn’t impossible.

Here are some tips:

Lunches

One great way to reduce waste is to encourage people to bring food from home in their own containers. Another thing you can do is to stock a cupboard with coffee cups and dishes, and set up a good coffee station. This way people will be less tempted to stop for coffee that comes in disposable cups. Getting people to completely eliminate using plastic and paper products for food products may be difficult, so be sure to provide recycle bins. Consider adding composting bins for food recycling. If you have a cafeteria on-site, donate extra food to a local charity.

Invite Ideas

Encourage employees to offer ideas and strategies for reducing and eliminate waste, and keep an open forum for new suggestions. Also, keep in mind that recognizing your employees’ efforts will encourage other to contribute. Be sure to spotlight individual efforts, either in meetings, newsletters or even in emails.

Schedule An Audit

Information just may be your best tool when implementing zero waste strategies. Have an outside expert come in and do a full evaluation of your waste system so that you have some solid numbers to look at. After your current strategies have been fully assessed, you can set reasonable goals based on the results.

Set Goals

Financial goals are a staple in the business world, so why should ‘green’ goals be any different? You probably won’t be able to completely transform your office overnight, so aim for steady progress instead, and set reasonable goals. For instance, try to cut your waste by a fourth and increase your recycling by a fourth each quarter. In a year, you’ll have made significant progress!

Keep Moving Forward

Don’t let your zero waste goals get left by the wayside. You don’t want to nag, but be sure to remind your employees regularly. Acknowledge each goal and milestone you reach, and keep your green strategies at the forefront by continually looking for new ways to reduce or eliminate waste.