Author: metropolitan

The digitization of office work, combined with the switch to remote work, pushed by the global pandemic, has no doubt influenced the amount of waste that businesses accumulate.

This, however, hasn’t resolved the issue of companies having to deal with the waste they produce. EPA- the United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates that on average, an office worker generates approximately 2 pounds of paper and paperboard waste a day. Moreover, half of all printed documents are thrown away within 24 hours. 

And that’s not all, paper and paperboards are just one of the waste types people in offices accumulate. 

So to understand where and how you can cut the waste your company produces, let’s take a more detailed look at the type of waste your office might be amassing. 

Types of Waste Generated at the Office 

Let’s begin by saying cutting waste in any area of our lives, including the office, helps us keep our environment clean, our resources intact for years to come, and garbage out of the dumpster sites. 

As businesses have a greater impact on society they have the added responsibility of being a good example when it comes to waste management. Plus, reducing the waste in offices helps companies cut costs, and can become the social issue brands stand behind.

So here are the types of waste a company has to consider when trying to reduce their waste.

Mixed Paper 

This category gathers all the miscellaneous paper waste like discarded mail, paperboards, boxes, delivery packages, magazines, catalogs, and all other paper waste that doesn’t fall into an individual category. Mixed paper waste totals about 70% of the entire waste generated in an office. 

Food Scraps

Every year, in the United States, roughly 108 billion pounds of food is thrown away. That’s 130 billion meals and over $408 billion in food waste. Food waste is the second-largest waste category that occupies national landfill space. 

Plastics

Among plastic packaging, plastic bottles, bags, and packaging, an office can accumulate overwhelming amounts of food. The average American uses 156 plastic bottles a year. Collectively we’re throwing away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour. 

While convenient, the majority of plastics are constructed from PET and HDPE plastics, and their recycling rates average at 29.1% and 29.3%, respectively. 

General Waste

The EPA estimates that on average a person creates 4.4 pounds of solid waste each day, including general waste materials like coffee cups, styrofoam plates, and thin, film-like plastics.

These are among the most commonly found in an office and sadly cannot be recycled. 

E-Waste

E-waste is the fastest-growing domestic waste stream in the U.S. 

The average person generated about 46 pounds of e-waste in 2019, which totaled at 

6.92 million tons of e-waste in just one year. Of these almost 7 million tons only 15% were recycled. 

Offices are rife with electronic devices like computers, monitors, printers, and even company smartphones, all adding up to the list of outdated, broken, and obsolete equipment that needs to be replaced at some point. 

The proper disposal of outdated or broken electronic devices is extremely important not only because they are harmful to the environment, but also contain vital and recyclable materials like copper, aluminum, and semiconductor chips. Simply throwing away these devices is equivalent to throwing away billions of dollars. 

Now that we’ve covered the main waste categories in the office, let’s look at how you can address its proper disposal. 

10 Easy Ways to Cut Waste in the Office 

Here’s how your office can step into the future and cut its harmful effect on the environment. 

1. Cut the Paper

Paper waste is the easiest to recycle. In fact, it can be reused 5 to 7 times before it degrades. And while that’s good news, recycling requires a lot of additional resources, so cutting the use of paper is the best way to save resources and costs in recycling services. 

To cut the use of the paper you can start implementing new policies around urging people to cut the use of paper, print double-sided, or only make copies and prints when necessary. 

Online collaboration tools like Google Docs will also help your efforts in cutting the use of paper or even going entirely paperless. 

2. Set A Paper Recycling Station

If, however, going entirely paperless is not an option for your business you can set recycling stations and encourage people to actively participate in recycling paper from the office. 

A few introductory meetings, educational sessions, and small prices will help you spread the idea and stimulate employees to participate in your recycling efforts. Placing the recycling bins close to office stations will also help. 

3. Switch to Reusable Office Supplies 

Changing to eco-friendly options for your office supplies will help you further your waste-decreasing goals. 

For example, you can switch to refillable ink cartridges and change printer settings to eco-friendly or ink-saving options. You can choose pens, pencils, and other office supplies that are either biodegradable or refillable, so you can use them longer or completely recycle them once no longer in use. 

4. Create An Electronics Recycling Center

We’ve mentioned that electronics make up a considerable amount of office waste. You can offset your impact on the environment by organizing the recycling process of electronics no longer in use. Set a space in your office where electronics can be stored while waiting for pick up. 

Some manufacturers offer collecting services for electronics your business no longer needs. This eases the process of recycling, especially when given that multiple states have legal requirements on the proper disposal of electronic devices. 

Another option is to organize the collection of your off-service electronics through a waste management company that would pick them up periodically. 

5. Switch to Biodegradable/ Re-usable Dishes & Silverware

Biodegradable cutlery options will help you reduce the use of all the harmful and wasteful styrofoam cups, plates, and flimsy plastic utensils, flooding offices around the country. 

Purchase dishes that are either made of materials that are easy to recycle or invest in quality dishware, cutlery, and cups for your office, that will last you longer and create a more welcoming atmosphere. 

6. Gift Reusable Water Bottles to Employees & Guests

As part of your plastic-free office policy, you can offer your employees a reusable bottle to use around the office. Choose durable materials, aluminum or glass water bottles, that can easily be re-used. 

You can even take advantage of the opportunity to turn this small gift into a promotional item for your brand, by printing your company’s logo on the bottles. 

7. Offer Filtered Water

Setting up a filtered water system in your office will add to your efforts in reducing the use of plastic water bottles in the office. 

You have a wide range of options to choose from depending on your budget. You can install a filtered water tap or keep a large water filtering pitcher in shared spaces, so it’s easily available to employees.

8. Compost 

Set up a composting plan to recycle food scraps accumulated in the office. Food that can be composted includes coffee grounds, food scraps, and fruit peels. Among the compostable items in the office are also vegetable trimmings, flowers, plants, and non-treated cardboard. 

You can even create a company’s activities around learning how to compose and helping city vegetable gardens by donating the compost you manage to create. 

9. Buy In Bulk 

Another way you cut additional non-recyclable packaging and delivery waste, is by buying in bulk. Coffee beans for starters are a great alternative to individually packed k-coffee cups. Add a coffee grinder and a coffee machine to complete your coffee station set and create a place where you and your employees can enjoy work breaks. 

You can bulk purchase other items like sugar, creamers, snacks, and cleaning supplies. You can go even step further by replacing some of the office cleaning supplies with biodegradable and environmentally friendly ones. 

10. Partner with Waste Management Company

Recycling is a complicated topic that requires a lot of time. If you don’t have the time and staff to direct into re-imagining how your business takes care of its waste, you can always partner with a waste management company. Such an organization will help you educate your employees, organize the recycling and waste management process and dispose of the garbage properly. 

To Wrap Up 

Going green is the future. Recycling is not only an individual responsibility, but an organizational one, that has to be addressed by people and companies together. Sustainable business practices include adapting waste reducing and recycling processes, so if you haven’t already considered the option, now is the time. 

But reducing waste is not something that should be viewed as a burden. Yes, decreasing your office waste and implementing recycling practices takes time, but in the long run, they can save you financial costs. Most importantly, they can help you reduce your carbon footprint. 

We hope these 10 examples will give you ideas on how you too can decrease waste in your office.

Did you know that the global paper market produces over 400 million metric tons of paper and cardboard each year? This mind-boggling number prompts even more questions. Where is all this paper used? And what happens to it once it has served its purpose? 

For starters, paper production continues to be an important industry. Paper is a ubiquitous material that is used in a variety of applications including packaging, home products, and office supplies. 

Not only is paper an essential material, but in recent years its demand has significantly increased. One reason for that is the boom of online shopping.

1. Global Paper Production Increases by 3% in 2021

Just in the U.S alone, 48.2 million metric tons of packaging paper and paperboard were produced in 2020. 

The more paper we produce, however, the more the need to properly dispose of it, and recycling is a working solution with many benefits. 

2. 1 Ton of Recycled Paper Saves Up To 4000 kWh Of Energy

It’s hard to imagine exactly how much power 4000 kWh of energy is, but believe us – it’s a lot! Just imagine that the average American household consumes about 893 kWh per month. That’s electricity for about 4 and half months. 

Paper recycling has the potential to save us incredible amounts of energy. 

But what exactly does the process of paper recycling entail? 

Paper recycling is the process of converting waste paper materials into new paper products. Recycling existing paper helps us: 

• Save trees – 1 ton of new paper requires the wood of 12 trees
• Save energy – up to 70% compared to the production of new paper
• Save water – recycling paper saves up to 80% of the water needed for new paper

Additionally, recycling helps keep our atmosphere and air cleaner by reducing green gas emissions. That’s because the paper fiber contains carbon (once absorbed by the tree) that when recycled is kept out of the atmosphere for longer.

Furthermore, the methane released when paper breaks down is also a contributor to global warming and when we recycle paper we prevent it from getting out into the atmosphere. 

Luckily, paper is one of the most recyclable materials on the planet and the process of re-introducing reclaimed paper back into use is relatively straightforward. 

3. In 2020, About 66% Of The Paper Used In The United States Was Recycled 

According to the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), 65.7 % of the consumed paper in the U.S. for 2020 was then recycled. That accounts for a 66% paper recycling rate – 1% higher than that in 2019. 

Paper recycling continues to improve and marks a double increase in the recycling rates compared to 1990 when the rate was 33.5%. 

The increased rate of recycling is important because instead of ending up in landfills this valuable resource is returned to us, with a significant decrease in the harmful consequences waste has on the environment and our own health. 

4. A Ton Of Recycled Paper Saves More Than 3.3 Cubic Yards Of Landfill Space

Landfills are problematic, to say the least. First, there is always the issue of space. With the U.S producing about 12% of the world’s municipal solid waste (MSW), we are always in a race to find new land to store and treat our trash. 

To create room for our waste we usually have to move further into wildlife habitats, which consequently ends up upsetting the balance of living for those species and forcing them to either flee or interact with humans unnecessarily. 

Unfortunately, our struggles don’t end there, as once trash ends up in our landfills, decomposing processes start releasing gasses like methane.

Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gasses that trap sunlight in our atmosphere and is one of the most damaging contributors to global warming. Countless eco-systems end up destroyed or ,least of all, imbalanced as a result of the warming of the atmosphere. 

Furthermore, together with methane, landfills produce carbon dioxide and water vapor, with trace amounts of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, and nonmethane organic compounds. These gasses also harm the climate and create smog which we end up breathing. 

Paper recycling is one way we can help alleviate some of the burden created by our landfills. 

5. Global Waste Paper Recycling Market Forecasted To Grow To $5.6 Billion by 2028 

The good news is that the paper recycling industry continues to develop and more investments are poured into creating a system that allows us to recycle more and more materials, including paper. 

In the United States, for example, the recycling and reuse industry is comprised of over 56,000 companies that also support the labor market by creating jobs for over 1.1 million people. 

One study found that an investment of $17 billion in the improvement of our recycling solutions has the potential to bring twice as many economic benefits, generating about $30.8 billion in wages, taxes, landfill savings, and the value of recyclables, over 10 years. 

Recycling is an important part of our sustainable economic future and needs the attention of consumers, businesses, waste management companies, and governments. 

On A Closing Note 

Sustainability is the way forward, and recycling is an essential part of our eco-friendly future. Paper recycling, in particular, is one very well-established way to ensure we conserve natural resources, support the economy, and keep our environment clean. 

So next time you hold a piece of paper in your hand, think of the enormous potential it has, and recycle it.

What happens to that piece of paper you throw away in your office garbage bin? Where does all the waste that is being produced by New York businesses go? 

These are interesting questions that we should ask ourselves, especially when living or working in the most populated city in the United States. New York alone produces over 14 million tons of waste every year that has to go somewhere. So let’s “dumpster dive” into one of the pressing topics of modern life and see what the journey of office trash is, and how it affects our city lives. 

But first…

What Types of Waste Does New York Generate?

There are 8.4 million people in New York and we all produce trash on a daily basis. The city has divided its garbage into two main categories – general waste and recyclables. Recyclables fall into several sub-categories:

• Paper
• Metal
• Glass 
• Plastic
• Electronics
• Compost

Metal, glass, and plastic are collected together to ease trash gathering and later sorted in a recycling facility.

Who Takes Care of New York’s Trash?

Recycling has been part of the city waste management policy since the late 1980s when curbside recycling became mandatory. The NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) – the largest waste management department in the world – is tasked with the management of garbage in New York. The agency is responsible for collecting, recycling, and disposing of the trash in the city. 

The DSNY, however, takes care only of residential, institutional, and non-profit organizations’ waste. Commercial and industrial sites have the legal obligation to organize the disposal of their waste as the regulations require. 

How Do Businesses Manage Waste Disposal? 

That means that each business has to either obtain a “Self-Hauler” permit from the Business Integrity Commission (BIC) and transport their garbage in a vehicle with commercial license plates. Alternatively, they can look for waste management services on their own and partner with a trash & recycling management business, to help them take care of the waste, including in their offices. 

Having to take care of your company’s trash on your own is cumbersome and involves far more resource allocation than contracting a waste management company. That’s why most businesses prefer outsourcing their trash disposal and recycling, to a specialist in that industry. 

What Is the Journey of the Office Trash?

The first stop for most office trash is the garbage can. From there, it is collected by a garbage truck and taken to a landfill. Landfills are large sites where trash is dumped and then covered with dirt. The garbage is typically compacted at a landfill, which helps to reduce its volume.

Once the trash is in the landfill, it will decompose over time. Decomposition is a natural process that breaks down organic matter. The process is slow, however, and can take years or even decades for some materials to decompose completely.

Eventually, the office trash will become part of the landfill itself. Landfills are designed to be stable, so the trash will not leach out and contaminate the surrounding environment. However, landfills can release greenhouse gasses as the trash decomposes, so they are not ideal long-term solutions for office waste.

Ethical Ways to Dispose of Office Waste 

When it comes to office waste disposal, there are a few things to keep in mind. 

Paper

First, paper should be recycled. This is one waste category that is relatively easy to recycle and businesses should try their best to ensure that their paper and cardboard waste is cycled back into use. Dedicating a recycling bin for each desk will help people remember that they should make sure their paper waste is properly disposed of. 

Plastics

The second major waste category that office managers and waste disposal managers should focus on finding sustainable solutions for is plastics. A great number of used office supplies and kitchen silverware are non-recyclable plastics. Ensuring you have a plastic waste station or bin that is visible to everyone will prompt office workers to sort their waste as per the company’s policy. 

Electronics

Third, office equipment such as computers, printers, and fax machines should be donated or recycled when possible. The need of recycling electronics is especially important since they’re built with the use of valuable and depleting natural resources. Some of those materials are even dangerous for our health when not disposed of properly. 

These materials not only add up to the growing landfill issues but take over 700 years to decompose, and easily end up in water resources, where they disturb aquatic life, form gigantic plastic islands, and eventually end up in our food. 

Food

Food scraps are another waste category that anyone looking to lessen their impact on the environment should consider, offices included. A company looking to include more sustainable solutions in their processes could consider creating a composting setup, where food waste can turn into compost. 

Organic waste similar to paper is relatively easy to re-introduce back in our supply and demand cycles, and it’s actually often referred to as “black gold” among gardeners. Compost helps vitalize depleting urban soils, so by turning your organic office waste into fruitful compost you can contribute to a growing environmental issue. 

Not to mention turning waste into resources can feel empowering and can give employees an additional boost of confidence that they’re part of a positive change. 

 

Furniture

Finally, office furniture. If you’re planning to change your office furniture you can consider refurbishing it first. This is one way to reduce waste and give a fresh new look to your old office equipment. Or you can consider donating your old office chairs and desks to other organizations that might need them. And lastly, you can seek options to recycle as much of the office furniture as possible, to decrease the chance of it ending up in landfills. 

By following these simple guidelines, office waste can be effectively managed.

Why Should Businesses Recycle Their Garbage?

As more and more businesses aim to operate sustainably, recycling in the office has become increasingly important. Not only does recycling help reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills, but it can also save businesses money on waste disposal costs. In addition, recycling can help improve the reputation of a business, as it shows that the company is committed to reducing its environmental impact.

There are several easy ways to encourage recycling in the office. By introducing a recycling policy that stipulates that all employees must recycle, businesses could make the first step to operating more environmentally friendly and cost-efficiently. 

These small steps make a big difference to the amount of waste they send to landfills each year. Reducing the use of resources, reusing whenever possible, recycling, and composting hold great benefits among which are: 

• Reducing pollution reduction
• Preserving energy
• Conserving natural resources
• Promoting ethical environmental consciousness among the wider public

Wrapping Up

We all know the feeling of tossing something in the trashcan and watching it disappear. But have you ever wondered what happens to your trash after it leaves your hands? The journey of the office trash is long and complicated. Still, most of our trash ends up in landfills and creates a number of issues. 

The journey of our trash is a journey that we as a society should be more involved in and do our best to make the most of the resources we have, so they don’t end up harming the environment, eco-systems, and consequently us. Starting a sustainable office waste policy is one good place to begin a more sustainable way of disposing of our garbage.

The process of recycling, or simply the conversion of waste into new materials for industries and consumer products, is a concept that in 2022 is more important than ever. With the rise of environmental movements, zero-waste, and minimalist lifestyles, many individuals are turning their attention to why and how recycling affects our lives, the climate, and the well-being of the planet. 

Trash and recycling are important issues that many environmentalists are urging us to pay serious attention to. Every single person produces waste through the consumption of products, and willingly or not, is contributing to a problem that we are yet to solve. 

Why is recycling important? And what’s the truth about trash? 

Let’s find out! 

But first, here are 3 key waste facts that you need to keep in mind:

The average American throws away 4.9 lbs of trash per day. That’s over 1,780 lbs of trash per year.

The United States is the world’s largest generator of plastic waste.

According to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) about 75% of our waste is recyclable but only 30% of it is actually recycled.

These numbers are important to remember because all the waste we produce ends up somewhere – either in the dedicated landfills, at recycling centers, or what’s worse, untreated and out in the environment.

The Truth About Trash

At the beginning of 2022, there are probably not many people who haven’t heard of the importance of recycling. With the demand for more and more products that provide for not only our basic living needs but add to our comfort of living, there’s one question that inevitably comes into mind. 

How do we currently manage our waste in the United States? 

The United States is one of the largest producers of waste globally, but it is also one of the countries that has the best trash management regulations and practices put in place. These practices are not perfect, of course. Especially considering that the topic of trash, recycling, and waste management is still one that we struggle with globally. 

But the US has developed facilities and established management procedures that nonetheless help us lift part of the burden created by our trash. Even most of the world’s largest waste management companies are based in the US. Yet, on average only about 30% of our waste is recycled. The rest goes to landfills or is exported overseas, where traceability of its management gets lost.

A few of the waste types that our industries and we, as end-users, produce are:

Municipal solid waste
Hazardous waste (including medical waste, radioactive waste, etc)
Industrial non-hazardous waste
Construction and demolition debris
Agricultural and animal waste
Extraction and mining waste
Oil and gas production waste
Fossil fuel combustion waste
Sewage sludge 

The waste in the country is regulated by the EPA, under the 1976 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), which helps us gather better insights into the impact our waste has on the environment and how we can counteract these effects. 

How Does Our Trash Affect the Environment & Our Health?

Every grocery product we purchase, every meal, and packaged good delivery box come wrapped in plastic, paper, or other material that contributes to the added issue of waste management. 

The lack of proper trash management can lead to major consequences like:

Air pollution
Soil and water contamination
Harm to our ecosystem and our overall health

Just in 2018, the States produced 292 million tonnes of garbage that ended up in landfills. At the landfills, untreated food waste releases copious amounts of methane – one of the most powerful greenhouse gasses. 

Actually, landfill waste produces approximately 11% of the world’s methane emissions. Methane is 84 times more potent at absorbing the sun’s heat and warming up the atmosphere, than carbon dioxide, and that makes it one of the biggest contributors to climate change and air pollution.

It’s mind-boggling to realize that the trash we produce that goes untreated poses a very real and significant threat to the purity of the air we breathe and the health consequences that will have on us.

But that’s not all. Trash also contributes to soil and water contamination, affecting the well-being of entire ecosystems and species. Waste seepages from landfills, sewage systems, and industrial sites, not only destroy fertile soil, but lay havoc on entire animal populations in the world’s rivers, seas, and oceans. Essentially turning our food resources into a hazard. 

Recycling is important because it’s a solution to a very complex issue and holds the potential of mitigating these environmental and health risks. It is key to helping us restore the balance in our ecosystems. 

How Does Recycling Help Us?

Consumers are increasingly interested in what happens to their trash and do their best to reduce their waste. Recycling is a topic that finds its way into everyday conversations and political debates that focus on our sustainable future. But what issues can recycling help us tackle? 

• It Reduces the Need for Producing New Plastic Material

For starters, recycling helps us keep plastics and other trash out of landfills and oceans. Plastics are currently the biggest polluter in our oceans, and their reduced manufacturing will help us deal with the harmful effects we have on ocean flora and fauna. Recycling the existing plastics into new tools will help us reduce the need of producing new plastics and decrease the use of new resources.

• It Reduces Pollution from Fossil Fuels

Furthermore, recycling can help us produce electricity and heat, which in turn can reduce the use of fossil fuels like coal and oil – another significant category of polluters. 

• It Reduces Waste of Raw Materials 

Single-use plastics in wrapping materials and cutlery take a lot of resources to produce. They require extraction or production of raw materials, transportation, distribution, and people’s labor, which on their own create more waste. All these efforts and use of nonrenewable resources chip away at the material reaches of the planet and often devastate ecosystems. 

Recycling serves as a great alternative to the continuous manufacturing of products consumers find very little value in. 

What further pushes the need for recycling our materials is the micro-plastic pollution that contaminates freshwater resources, crops, and soil. Traces of microplastics can even be found in fish, and later at our dinner tables. 

What Issues Prevent Us from Properly Recycling Our Trash? 

Garbage management is an issue that calls for our focused attention. Not much light is shed on the consequences of our consumer behavior and we don’t always know what happens to our trash. 

A few of the issues that currently stand in the way of resolving our recycling issue are: 

Consumer confusion and lack of recycling knowledge

Business responsibility or the lack of it

Not enough recycling or treatment facilities

Lost trash management traceability

Lack of governmental oversight 

These issues, however, are not something that end consumers can’t solve on their own. They require the collective attention of governments, waste management companies, manufacturers, and consumers.  Amidst all that, one thing is clear. Once put in place, recycling has the potential to help us reduce the harmful impact on the ecosystems and our well-being.

On a Closing Note

Recycling is a topic that needs to be at the forefront of our efforts of living a more sustainable, modern life that is driven by practices that stand the test of time and leave the world clean for the following generations. 

And while we are taking steps toward reducing waste and managing our trash more effectively, the truth is there is much more that needs to be done to counterbalance our habits as consumers. 

It all begins with our personal responsibility of trying to reduce and reuse but recycling requires action on every level of our society and business. Recycling helps us preserve the environment and it also safeguards our health. We must know more about it and look for solutions to improve what our current recycling system lacks.

We have all done it. You bring lunch to the office, but then plans change, and instead, you go out for lunch with your colleagues, dooming your home-prepared meal to become another suspicious substance in the office fridge. 

Food waste is a serious problem. With greenhouse emissions produced by food waste threatening the health of the planet’s population, and about 821 million people globally living with less food they need daily, the consequences of wasting what food we’ve produced are real and devastating. 

Finding solutions to food waste even on the smallest scales can help alleviate part of the burden and prompt more to join in finding sustainable, kind, and thoughtful solutions to this issue.

So let’s look at how your business can turn into a place for positive change and in return help you reach more with the excellent work you do. First, some numbers. 

Food Waste Statistics

According to the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), about 10% of global greenhouse emissions come from food waste. In a research conducted by the WWF and Tesco, approximately 1.2 billion tons of food is lost on farms, in addition to the 931 million tons of food waste retail and consumption sectors account for. 

That’s not it though. Food waste results in the loss of valuable resources, like water, land, energy, labor, and capital. Food losses cost us roughly $680B in industrialized countries and $310B in developing countries.

The Issues with Food Waste in the USA

1 in 6 people in the United States are food insecure or do not have enough affordable, nutritious food. It’s paradoxical, that at the same time, between 30% and 40% of the food produced in the States is thrown away. 

All the resources we invest in producing our food seem wasted. In the U.S., it takes about 1000 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beef. Calculations show that up to 25% of the water we use in agriculture goes to waste. Add the fossil fuel used by farmers for operating equipment and there you have an exacerbated environmental issue. 

Food trash also has a significant financial impact. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimated that in the US we lose about $161B in food waste annually. The estimation includes the price of food, costs of labor, land, water, and all other resources involved in food production. 

Lastly, food trash influences us socially. The lack of proper nutrition is an issue that affects people not only in developing countries but here in the United States. Food scarcity raises vital questions on sustainable food production and distribution that we all as global citizens should be aware of, and contribute to.

How Can Offices Reduce Food Waste?

As a company owner, you and your team are in a great position to raise awareness of the food waste issues and apply practical solutions toward limiting waste from going to waste. 

You can set up educational programs, and recycling policies, you can take part in community recycling programs, organize industry events to look for new ideas and share knowledge on the subject, and of course promote the issue on social media. These tools will help you, your employees, and the industry community to reduce waste. 

The first place where you can start your sustainable food scrap management is the office. Here are a few ideas on how you can reduce food waste at the workplace. 

5 Ways to Deal with Food Scraps in the Office

When you start with food waste management it’s important to remember that like every company policy it takes time to set proper food scrap management. It’s important to be proactive, this will help to keep the office clean, conscious, and free of pests.

1. Evaluating Current Food Waste Management Practices 

The first thing you should do on your zero-food scrap journey is, evaluate your current situation. Look at when and where food waste accumulates, what is your organization currently doing about it, what can be done to improve food waste management, and what sustainability goals you want to pursue. 

Once you know where your company stands, you can begin creating a plan that will help you break down these goals into actionable steps toward zero-waste food management.

2. Raising Awareness on Issues Around Food Waste

Awareness is essential to your sustainable food scrap management plan. To be successful on the set goals you need to have the support of your staff. People should understand and willingly commit to cutting the food waste in the office. 

To make sure, however, that everyone is aware of the collective goals you need to put the time and effort to educate and win the support of employees. 

Raising awareness of the fact that about 40% of the food supply in the United States goes to waste, for example, might influence people’s choices in the office. They might consider more carefully what happens with their leftovers if they just get thrown away in the garbage bin. 

3. Growing Food from Scraps

Simply throwing food scraps in the trash is definitely a slippery slope that not only creates a smelly mess but can attract pests. There’s, however, a much better way to get rid of food waste and that’s composting. 

Composting is not only a cleaner way to deal with food scraps like egg shells, veggie and fruit peels, and other organic food scraps, but is a full-circle solution to the problem of food waste. Through composting, you create fertile soil that can be used for growing more organic food. 

How do you compost in the office? 

There are two most common practices for office composting. You can either set up a compost bin in the office or work with a local composting company. 

Composting can be one of your office recycling educational pillars. Helping people learn the answers to questions like “ What food scraps can be composted?” and “What to do with food scraps that can’t be turned into compost?” might urge them to try composting at home too. 

4. Using Food Efficiently

There are plenty of ways to efficiently use food in the office. If your company has a cafeteria and serves food to employees then you might want to consider

• Cutting portions

One way to reduce food waste is to offer smaller portion sizes. This can be done by providing smaller plates or offering a lunch buffet where employees can choose their portion sizes.

• Leftovers Turned Meals

Another way cafeterias can solve food waste issues is by incorporating leftovers into more meals. For instance, your chiefs can create new menus around unused ingredients left from previous meals. 

They can even stress your food waste sustainability goals more by creating catchy and thought-provoking names for those meals. Words like “rescued veggie wrap”; “sustainable turkey sandwich” work great at pointing attention to what “food has to say”. 

• Lunch & Dinner

One more way to reduce food waste in the office is to encourage employees to take leftovers home. This can be done by providing storage containers or offering discounts on meals after a certain hour. 

On Fridays, you can organize a kitchen clearance type of event where you either gift food or offer it at a big discount. This will stimulate people to help with using as much of the food ingredients you have left in the office. You can even further offer that food with recipe suggestions, so people wouldn’t have to wonder what to use it in. 

• Food Banks

If your resources for dealing with leftover food in the office are limited, you can think of donating whatever you have left to a local food bank or soup kitchen. This is a great way to help those in need and reduce food waste at the same time. 

• Successfully Implementing a Zero-Waste Food Policy

Organizing a team-leading the switch to a sustainable food system disposal in your office will guarantee that vigilant eyes are always looking if waste is properly taken care of. 

This team will be tasked with disseminating educational information on what happens with our food in the States, how it affects the environment, and the well-being of countless ecosystems and people in vulnerable areas. 

Your food waste team can also lead the set of processes of conscientious food disposal and teach others in the office how to follow suit. 

But what will incentivize people most is creating a reward system for everyone willing to participate in the collective effort of decreasing food waste in the office. 

Make sure that people get praised for their sustainable undertakings, welcome their ideas on improving the processes, and stimulate their continued participation by offering extra time off, bonuses, and other incentives that you can allow for. 

Further organizing brainstorming sessions, team building outings center around sustainable food management, and special shoutouts to those who are extra achievers will help you cement the support of your office team. 

Sustainability is an investment but it pays off multifold. Your sincere dedication to such an impactful environmental cause will create trust and brand ambassadors within and out of your company. 

On a Closing Note 

What is the best way to deal with leftover food? Use it again. Wasting perfectly good produce and leftover meals have gotten us into huge environmental, social, and economical troubles, and the sooner we find sustainable and safe solutions to this ever growing problem, the better. 

It’s the time to deal with food waste and the place you can start tackling the issue is in the office. 

It starts with the small steps of being mindful of the food your company offers to employees and continues with the education of as many people in and out of your organization as possible on how they can individually contribute to lessening the food waste burden. 

Show your social engagement and people will appreciate your brand for more than the products or services you offer.

Have you ever wondered how many items in your office are made from plastic? From the printer cartridges to computer keyboards and single-use cutlery – this material is all around your place of work. And that’s not all of it. Offices are furnished and equipped with products created from valuable resources like paper and metals. Add to those the electronics without which your job would be impossible and you end up with a place abundant with products that when not disposed of properly, create a hazard to our ecosystems. 

What Happens to Used Office Supplies and Equipment? 

What happens to all office materials and equipment that are no longer needed or used? In the best-case scenario, they’re recycled. In the worst? They end up in landfills and in our oceans, polluting the environment and threatening our own health. 

Recycling in the office is an important topic that requires careful consideration and action. If you’re an employer looking to create a more sustainable and future-proofed business, or just an eco-minded individual looking to lessen their impact on the environment in all ways possible, these tips will help you out. 

Let’s dive right in.

1. Set Your Recycling Goals

The first thing to kick start your office recycling journey is of course to set your goals. It might be overwhelming to establish exactly what you’re trying to achieve so a waste audit might help you clear that out. 

Begin by analyzing what kinds of waste your office currently produces – categorizing each type of waste – paper, plastic, chemicals (e.g. toners in cartridges), electronics, and so on. Take a period of time as a benchmark and measure the amount of waste your office generates. Once you have that data, you’ll know where you need to focus your recycling efforts and what goals you target, and what actions you need to take first.

2. Create Recycling Policies & Offer Staff Training

Start small. If you’ve never implemented any recycling policies in your company before you’ll need time to figure everything out, so set realistic goals and work from there. You can start by focusing on a particular recyclable material each month. For example, you can organize a plastic-free month, providing information and alternative products to encourage people in the office to learn why they should reduce the use of the material. 

You should also provide recycling bins and get in touch with a reliable waste management company that will help you with the transportation and recycling of the materials. Offering regular training on the importance of recycling and the impact human activities have on the environment will help you with your green-office goals. So would sharing weekly, monthly, or yearly recycling targets and if you’ve been able to achieve them.

A good idea would be to create a “green team” that helps you coordinate the recycling education and boost office recycling programs. 

3. Organize Recycling & Resource-Saving Stations

Systemizing your recycling stations will help you make recycling easy. For example, you can set your recycling next to your office cafeteria, exits, and rinse stations, so employees can clean up reusable lunch boxes, or throw their paper, plastics, and glass directly in the recycling bins. 

Recycling stations can also be used for other materials, like paper, small office supplies, and electronics. Those will remind staff that instead of throwing small stationery items like pens, highlighters, staplers, etc., they can recycle them. You can also assign a small recycling bin for each working space to help people get in the habit of recycling. 

Additionally, you can replace big jugs of mineral water with a water filtering system. You’ll not only offset the pollution created during the transportation of the jugs but save on cost and storage space.

4. Set Reminders & Notifications

Once you’ve set your recycling goals and policies, set your recycling stations, and organized appropriate training for your employees, you should be ready to start your office recycling journey. 

Sending out notifications and weekly, or monthly reminders will aid your recycling efforts. Share all related information on what this month’s goals are, and how far ahead you are in achieving the targets. Encourage people to participate, and ask for feedback. A quick company survey can give you some insights into what people think about your recycling efforts and where they can be improved. Your recycling bins may be at a very convenient place, or the processes around the recycling may be confusing and require more clarification.

5. Incentivize Recycling Reaching Goals

To be able to achieve office-wise recycling goals you’ll need the cooperation of everyone in your company. Showcasing your recycling goals and how close you are to achieving them might prompt employees to participate in reaching them, especially, when you measure everyone’s contribution. People are competitive in nature, so you might as well use it for the good of the planet. 

You can also set a rewarding system, to further incentivize employees’ participation in the company’s recycling program. Turn your recycling into a fun challenge and reward the weekly winner with a shorter working day, for example. 

To Wrap Up

Recycling is an amazing opportunity to help limit our carbon footprint and offset some of the harmful effects human activities have on the environment, including those in the office. More and more businesses are realizing that environmental issues are not something they can overlook, but rather incorporate solutions like recycling, to create sustainable places of work. 

If you too are looking to transform your business and be part of a positive change in the world, recycling is a good place to start. These 5 steps will help you transform your office and company culture. They’ll help you contribute to creating a sustainable place of work for the future and help you be a positive example for others.