How to Encourage Recycling at Work

Co-authored by Kathryn Kellogg

Last Updated: June 17, 2021

Recycling is an important part of what keeps our world ticking. Starting a recycling initiative at work shouldn’t be a daunting task. It just takes a little bit of education, incentives, and simplicity. Most people want to recycle; it usually just takes a little nudge in the right direction!

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Educating Your Coworkers

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Spread the word to your coworkers about recycling. Try calling for a meeting to discuss recycling or getting the first few minutes of another office get-together. You can also always just bring it up casually over coffee or lunch. The more your coworkers know about the advantages of recycling, the more likely they are to participate in a workplace recycling program! A few simple phrases for talking about it with your colleagues can include:
- ”An aluminum recycling bin for soda cans in the break room can really help eliminate some of our waste.”
- ”Wouldn’t it make sense for us to have a paper recycling bin next to the printer?”
- “I really think we should focus on recycling more here.”
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Make recycling information readily available with bulletin boards around the office. Create a permanent resource such as a bulletin board for employees to reference whenever they wish. The bulletin board can have statistics about the office’s impact on waste or more broad statistics. Remember not to get too wordy or else people will be unlikely to read much. Keep the information current and replace it every few weeks with new materials so everyone stays educated and engaged. A few ideas for the bulletin board can include:
- Your office’s amount of recycled goods so far
- Infographics about what happens to items after they’re recycled
- Recommended reading lists of articles or studies regarding recycling
- Tips for making recycling easier
3
Place literature about recycling around the office. Try leaving a few pamphlets in the lobby or even installing an entire bookshelf. Hopefully, your coworkers will expand their recycling knowledge in their spare time around the office. Check out the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or Planet Aid for some good resources on brochures. If you’re planning on leaving books around, remember to choose accessible ones with quick statistics and facts. A few solid ideas include:
- Recycle Everything: Why We Must, How We Can by Janet Unruh
- Shift Your Habit by Elizabeth Rogers
- Recycle: The Essential Guide by Lucy Siegle
Try putting up a sheet with recycling statistics near the waste bins. You can include global statistics or facts specifically about the office’s impact on recycling efforts.
Count the number of bags of garbage your office produces in an average week before starting. Then, once the recycling initiative has begun, start counting the number of trash bags compared to bags of recycled goods. Being able to quantify their efforts will help employees put their contributions into perspective.
Let those who are truly invested help keep the program running, giving those who wish to participate an active role. Try putting them in charge of rotating recycling informational posters around the office or encouraging them to come up with fun contest ideas of their own. This will help take the load off your back and contribute to an office culture of recycling.

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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Providing Incentives

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Offer a reward to the office group with the best recycling record. Making office recycling a game, at least to begin with, may get those who might not have otherwise been interested involved. Divide your employees into small groups based on department or location. The team that produces the least amount of actual garbage wins. This is most easily done by counting the total number of trash bags. The rewards don’t need to be too outrageous. A few ideas for smaller prizes are:
- Gift cards
- Movie tickets
- Candy bars
People who already recycle at home may be at an advantage, which may push other employees even harder to get involved. Try offering additional prizes to those who report the least number of non-recycled material from their homes. You may have to use the honor system for this one!
This probably won’t happen every week, but can be a fun change of pace every once in a while. See who can come up with the best piece of art using only recycled goods. Use a lunch break or the last 30 minutes of a workday to host a competition. Let each employee have access to that week’s recycled goods and see what they can create using the recycled material and simple office supplies (glue, scissors, tape) in a limited amount of time. Have everyone in the office vote for their favorite or invite a special guest judge to add some extra hype around the event!
Make office-wide benchmarks over the year with incentives along the way, like a pizza party or happy hour. This will help your office avoid only recycling during a contest.
Try setting up a contest with a nearby office or shop. The losing office can host a happy hour or dinner for the winning team. Set the time limit (one week, one month, three months) and weigh the total amount of recycled goods. Provide frequent updates about your performance against your competitor to keep your coworkers engaged.

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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Going “Green” with Your Office’s Supplies

Place them in several areas in the office that are logical to the types of materials you are recycling. For example, put a paper recycling bin in the mailroom and an aluminum can receptacle in the cafeteria and breakroom. Clearly label each bin appropriately, whether it’s for compost, paper, aluminum, or glass.
Most of a typical office’s waste comes from paper. Simply setting your printers to print on both sides can easily cut your paper waste in half. And don’t forget to keep a well-placed paper recycling bin right there too!^{[1]
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Energy-efficient light bulbs are available at most hardware and office supply stores. They typically cost around the same amount as most incandescent light bulbs. Try talking to your office manager or boss about making the switch; it should save you money on electricity costs as well!
This is another easy switch with only a slight difference in cost. Chances are your office goes through a lot of paper. Try to eliminate as much waste as possible by switching to recycled paper for all your needs. Again, the office manager is most likely the person in charge of ordering supplies.

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Expert Advice

Plan events to bring interested coworkers together to talk about recycling. Hosting a lunch, an after-work meeting, or another event is an easy way to get lots of your coworkers together to discuss recycling in the office. Make sure to plan out what you'll need in advance, like food or a space to meet ing and advertise it frequently!
Place reminders that show what can and cannot be recycled above waste bins. People often don't recycle simply because they don't know for sure if an item is recyclable or not. By placing visual reminders above waste receptacles, your coworkers won't have to wonder about their waste and will be more inclined to recycle!
Contact a local waste management service about conducting a waste audit. A waste audit will determine the amount and types of wastes a company creates. This information can then be used to change existing waste-management policies or implement new ones. Ask your manager if this is something that the company can invest in, especially since it can lead to saving money and helping the environment!

From Kathryn Kellogg

Sustainability Specialist