Recycling is an integral part of everyday life. The amount of waste being recycled in Edinburgh has more or less doubled in recent years. At home, we automatically place an old newspaper or an empty glass bottle into recycling bins, rather than throw them away with the rest of our rubbish. Depending on where we live, we either walk to a recycling bank or simply place the relevant container outside our house for collection. It is now second nature, and the public are to be thanked for their effort.
But when it comes to recycling at work, it gets tricky thanks to strict regulations, businesses do not enjoy the same simplicity when it comes to disposing of rubbish. The removal of waste produced in commercially rated premises has to be paid for, and with the associated costs increasing every year, it is becoming more and more expensive. But it is time to take it to the next level and tackle the amount of commercial and business waste being generated.
As a nation of socially responsible citizens who care about where the goods that are thrown away will end up, employers are increasingly aware of the amount of valuable resources that their businesses are throwing away, which could alternatively be recycled. A recent survey of business owners conducted by the City of Edinburgh Council revealed that while more than 60% do not recycle their waste, many would do so, if the local authority provided such a service.
Choosing to recycle will not always be a choice. The Scottish Government set challenging targets for domestic waste, and the attention has now been turned onto businesses through its Zero Waste Strategy. This has implications for businesses and how they dispose of their waste, and includes tough plans such as landfill bans on certain materials. By 2013, the strategy which sets out a vision for a zero waste society will require local authorities to offer equal recycling facilities to businesses and residents.
Frustrating
One office manager told me that it was extremely frustrating that she and her colleagues were throwing mountains of paper every week into a commercial bin. A vigilant recycler at home, she knew that putting any of this work waste into her own recycling was against the law. Having a similar waste recycling service at her place of work would make a monumental difference, she added.
It is stories similar to this that led the Council to launch its own trade waste recycling service. A three-month trial begins at the end of April and will allow businesses to test out the new service free of charge. Materials being collected from businesses will include paper and plastics.
Recycling at the office obviously makes environmental sense we are generating increasing amounts of rubbish every year, despite being more knowledgeable than ever about the environmental dangers of continuing to fill unsightly landfill sites. Less rubbish going to these sites equals a cleaner environment.
And it is good for business – advertising the fact that a company has a recycling policy makes good business sense, and may even prove to be a money spinner, as consumers have been shown to actively choose companies place with green credentials. So a business that makes the effort to recycle could use this fact as part of its marketing strategy.
If there are still many businesses that do not recycle their waste and if our survey is anything to go by, then this applies to many I would urge them to get started with tighter rules looming, they are going to have to do it at some point in the near future. It is imperative that the commercial sector gets on board to ensure that these targets will be met.
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