Recycling in commercial enterprises is important because commercial waste makes up about 40 percent of total
municipal solid waste. Business and industry operations generate recyclable materials in many areas, such as offices,
cafeterias, supply stores, shipping or warehouse units, print shops, and production areas. Many companies
are already enthusiastically collecting recyclables in high-profile programs, while others are just beginning. Collecting
recyclables costs money, but it also saves money by reducing the volume of waste that must be disposed of. In
addition, the sale of some recyclable materials can generate revenues.
This document provides basic information on establishing recycling collection programs in any setting, but focuses on
collection in offices. Suggestions are also provided on ways to expand or improve an existing collection program.
What Materials Are Recyclable?
Generally, materials that have recycling potential are
those that can be collected in quantity and free of
contamination, and that can be economically transported
to a processor or end user. A decision to collect
such materials also will depend on projected
costs and revenues, employee interest, corporate environmental
policy, local solid waste laws, and community
support for recycling.
The following materials
are most commonly collected for recycling.
Paper -- Most types of paper are recyclable. Office paper is usually
collected in two grades: “high-grade” and “mixed” paper. High-grade paper typically consists of white copier
paper, white computer paper, white office stationery,
and white note paper. Mixed office paper includes
nearly all paper generated in an office, including both
white and colored paper, newspapers, file folders, manila
envelopes, and paperback books. Because it is minimally
sorted, mixed paper is considered to be low
quality and generally yields very low market prices.
Buyers of either type of recyclable paper usually prohibit
certain contaminants such as glossy paper, tape,
and envelopes with plastic windows. The highest
prices are paid for sorted paper with little contamination.
Corrugated Containers (Cardboard) -- The commercial sector in the United States generates
more corrugated cardboard than any other single material.
Cardboard is a very good candidate for recycling because
it is easily separated from other materials. In
addition, because of its bulk, collecting cardboard for recycling
can significantly reduce the amount of waste requiring
disposal. This can reduce the number of trash
pickups or the size of solid waste containers needed,
thereby lowering disposal costs. Collecting cardboard
for recycling can involve removing contaminants, flattening
boxes, and baling or tying them together for
pickup.
Glass -- Many buyers require that collected glass be separated
by color (clear, green, and brown) before pickup, although
some will accept mixed glass. Typically, broken
glass and paper labels are acceptable. Most buyers require,
however, that glass be clean and free of contaminants
such as bottle caps, ceramics, rocks, and light
bulbs.
Metal
-- Aluminum and tin/steel cans, aluminum foil, and
other scrap metals are readily recyclable. Some metals,
such as copper and aluminum, can yield high market prices.
Collection requirements depend on the metal
type and the local market situation.
Plastic -- While plastics recycling is a relatively young industry,
it is expected to expand as processing technologies develop.
To recycle recovered plastic materials into highquality
products, they must be separated by resin type.
The plastic resins most commonly recycled are PET
(polyethylene terephthalate), used in soda bottles, and
HDPE (high density polyethylene), used in milk jugs.
Markets are often available to manufacturers and other
commercial enterprises that generate large volumes of
plastic waste, especially if the plastic is segregated by
resin type. In some areas, there also may be buyers for
recovered plastics that contain a mix of resin types.
Mixed plastics can be used to manufacture items such
as plastic wood park benches, garbage containers, and
highway barriers.
Other Recyclables -- Other materials, such as wood waste and textiles, also
are recyclable. To find a buyer, identify the composition
of the waste material and the amount generated.
Then creatively look for a market for the used material.
The local Chamber of Commerce, local business
networks, and your local or state government might be
able to help you find a market.
How Do I Start a Collection Program?
Obtain Management Support -- The first step in planning
a collection program is to gain the support of top
management. An enthusiastic recycling coordinator
should be appointed. That person will need to work
with individuals responsible for facilities management,
materials handling, transportation, and procurement, as
well as with vendors, contractors, employees, and the
public.
Form a Team -- Many companies have found that forming
a waste reduction team helps to ensure a successful
program. Together with the recycling coordinator, this
group will plan, implement, and manage the program.
The waste reduction team should include employees
from many parts of the organization, thereby establishing
recycling advocates in all areas of the company.
Certain key employees should be enlisted. For example,
custodial staff should be integrally involved in creating
the collection system, since they are involved in
waste management and will be relied on to implement
important aspects of the program. Waste reduction team
members can also assist with employee education and
program evaluation activities.
Know Your Waste -- When determining what recyclables
your program should collect, it is important to know
what waste your company generates. The best way to
determine this is to conduct a “waste assessment”. A waste assessment
provides baseline data that can be used to establish waste
reduction and recycling goals and to monitor progress.
Set Waste Reduction Goals -- The next step is to define
your waste reduction goals. EPA’s Business Guide for
Reducing Solid Waste provides some guidance on how
to do this. Ultimately, however, your goals will reflect
the amount and type of waste generated, those waste
management options that are most feasible and cost-effective
for your operation, and other specifics. Remember
to first consider activities that actually prevent
waste from being generated. Then, examine the waste
that is generated to determine which materials could
be collected for recycling.
How Do I Find a Market?
Before your recycling program begins, a market must
be found for the materials that will be collected. If no
market for a material exists, it should not be collected
for recycling. Not all markets will pay for recyclables.
Some will require you to pay a small fee. However, you
may still find this to be more cost effective than paying
for disposal of the material.
Demand for products made with recovered material content
increases demand for recovered raw materials. For this
reason, in addition to collection, WasteWi$e also encourages
businesses to purchase products with recycled content
and to use recovered materials in the manufacturing process
to help build stronger markets for collected recyclables.
Several types of companies purchase recyclables.
These companies are generally referred to as “vendors.”
A company that helps set up the collection program
might also buy the material. Recyclables also can be
sold directly to the processor who prepares them for
the end user or manufacturer, or to a broker who will
market the materials to processors or end users. The arrangements
you make will be unique to your company
and the company collecting the materials.
In many cases, a vendor will be easy to find in the
telephone book. In other cases, more research might be
required. Sometimes a new market might need to be developed
for a material. Your local or state government
recycling offices, the local Chamber of Commerce, or a
local or regional recycling organization might be able
to help you find or develop markets for materials you
intend to collect.
In addition, other businesses might
be able to use these materials. A neighboring business
might, for instance, be able to use your recovered materials
in their production process. An organization, such
as a “waste exchange,” can provide the necessary communication
link between those who have materials
that could be recycled and those who are looking for
materials to use in their production processes.
What Must I Know to Sell the
Material I Collect?
Buyers of recovered materials will be interested in both
the quantity and quality of your recyclables. These factors will influence the price they will pay for your collected
materials. The economic value of recovered materials
also depends on how they will be used, as well
as on the prices manufacturers must pay for comparable
virgin raw materials.
Keep the following points in
mind when you plan your collection program.
Quantity Considerations -- Aggregating sufficient quantities
of recyclables is important because vendors cannot
always afford to handle and transport small amounts of
material. The marketing potential of your recyclables
can be improved if you cooperate with neighboring
businesses that generate the same types of materials.
For example, businesses in the same building or in a
shopping mall might share storage space for recyclables
at the loading dock or other central location. Together,
they can find a buyer for the larger quantity of material.
Businesses also might be able to share processing
equipment, such as balers.
Quality Considerations -- The second key to selling recyclable
materials is meeting the buyer’s quality requirements.
Quality refers to the extent to which the
materials are clean, consistent, and contaminant-free.
Your program should stress the importance of minimizing
contamination and collecting high-quality recyclables.
The vendors you ultimately contract with will
provide specific quality requirements and explain how
the material must be sorted and prepared.
How Do I Actually Collect and Store
Recyclables?
Once you have decided what materials to collect and you
have located a vendor, it is time to set up your collection
program. Use your ingenuity and creativity to design a
program that suits the specific needs of your business.
Place collection containers in convenient locations as
close as possible to areas where recyclables are generated.
For instance, in an office paper collection program,
it is most convenient for individuals to have
small paper collection containers at their desks. Employees
or custodial staff can then transfer the paper
collected in these small containers to a larger central
collection point.
Convenience is especially important
in a manufacturing setting where employees might
have little time to properly separate materials.
Recyclables that are generated in small quantities can
be collected at central drop-off points. For example, beverage
containers can be collected at drop-off points located
in lunch rooms, cafeterias, or near building exits.
How Do I Involve, Educate, and
Motivate Employees?
Employee involvement, education, and motivation is
critical to the success of your entire waste reduction
program. These factors certainly will affect the quality
and, therefore, the marketability, of the materials collected.
Remember that employee education and program
promotion will be ongoing components of your recycling
program, so plan and budget accordingly.
At the offset of the program, send a kick-off memo
from senior management announcing the recycling program
and requesting the involvement of all employees.
The memo might encourage employees to volunteer to
become members of the waste reduction team.
Involving
employees at the planning stage will give them a
sense of ownership, making it more likely that they
will support the program. Soliciting feedback from employees
during program implementation will ensure
their continued involvement.
If you are a manufacturer setting up a collection program,
involve employees who work in production areas
where materials will be recovered for recycling. They
are already familiar with the manufacturing process
and might have ideas about how to most successfully
collect recyclable materials.
It is also important to teach employees how to properly
participate in recycling by providing simple and
concise information on what to do. A 20-minute training
session for small groups can be very effective in explaining
the details of the program. New employees
can be trained during orientation sessions. Be sure that
the custodial staff is well trained and understands the
importance of its role in the program.
Beyond involving employees in planning and training
them how to participate, employees must also be encouraged
to participate on a regular basis. Employees
will be more likely to participate enthusiastically if
they understand the benefits of waste reduction and recycling,
both for the company and for the environment.
Ways to keep employees involved and interested
include giving them feedback on program successes
and having an awards program.
How Do I Monitor and Evaluate the
Collection Program?
Monitoring and evaluating the program should be done
on a regular basis. Maintain accurate and up-to-date statistics,
such as the types and amounts of material collected,
prices paid by vendors, and contaminant levels.
Use this information, as well as feedback from employees,
to evaluate the program and make changes as
needed. For example, contamination could be reduced
by placing larger signs on collection containers or by increasing
the number of collection containers.
If your collection program is already underway,
WasteWi$e asks that you improve or expand it.
Some
ways that you can accomplish this are:
Increasing the collection rate per material --
Adding materials to your collection program.
Reducing contamination through employee
education or by redesigning the collection system.
Increasing employee or community education --
Initiating community projects to increase
recycling.
Reorganizing the structure of the recycling system
to make it more efficient.
There are other ways to improve or expand your recycling
collection program, so be creative!
What Additional Information Is
Available from EPA?
Order the following EPA document from the EPA
RCRA/Superfund Hotline at 800.424.9346 or TDD 800.553.7672 for the hearing impaired. For Washington,
DC, and outside the United States, call 703.412.9810
or TDD 703.412.3323.
Business Guide for Reducing Solid Waste
(EPA530-K-92-004), 1993
-- Free.
This is a comprehensive how-to guide on assessing
your facility’s solid waste and choosing cost-effective
waste reduction actions.
Order the following document from the National Technical
Information Service (NTIS) at 703.487.4650.
Office Paper Recycling: An Implementation Manual
(PB90-199-431), 1990 -- $22.50.
This detailed manual explains how to set up an office
paper collection program and provides examples of successful
programs.
Sources of Additional Information
The following list of resources is not intended to be
comprehensive and does not constitute EPA endorsement
of products. The documents referenced are those
WasteWi$e found to be most useful.
For further information, WasteWi$e members are encouraged
to contact their state and local governments,
many of which have manuals on setting up collection
programs and information about markets for collected
recyclable materials. Please let us know of other resources
you have found to be helpful.
National Office Paper Recycling Project,
information/enrollment package -- Free.
U.S. Conference of Mayors
National Office Paper Recycling Program
1620 Eye Street, NW.
Washington, DC 20006
202 233-3089
Business Recycling Manual, 1991 -- $90.00.
This comprehensive manual provides a systematic approach
to establishing a recycling program in businesses.
Topics range from negotiating with haulers to
sustaining your program over the long run.
INFORM, Inc. and Recourse Systems, Inc.,
381 Park Avenue South,
New York, NY 10016
212 689-4040
Guide To Commercial and Institutional Recycling, 1992 --
$10.00.
This comprehensive guide explains how to establish a
waste reduction and recycling program, including conducting
a waste assessment, employing an eight-step approach
to office recycling, and buying recycled products.
Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority,
25 South Charles Street, Suite 2105,
Baltimore, MD 21201-3330, Phone
410.333.2730
RecycleLine
RecycleLine -- an online recycling network and resource
center. It offers continually updated information
on recycled products, markets, equipment, and
services.
P.O. Box 32428,
Louisville, KY 40232, Phone
800.824.2144
Waste Cap Interactive Computer Model (WICM) -- $10.00
outside New Hampshire.
This menu-driven program for personal computers can
help identify and evaluate recycling opportunities in
your organization.
Emily Hess, Director
Business and Industry Assocation of New Hampshire,
122 North Main Street,
Concord, NH 03301, Phone
603.224.5388, FAX
603.224.2872
WasteWi$e -- a partnership between EPA and America’s leading businesses. Participants set
their own waste prevention, recycling, and recycled product purchasing goals. WasteWi$e
supports company efforts through technical assistance and recognition of participants’ successes.
For more information about any aspect of WasteWi$e, call 800.EPAWISE (800.372.9473).
Recycling in commercial enterprises is important because commercial waste makes up about 40 percent of total
municipal solid waste. Business and industry operations generate recyclable materials in many areas, such as offices,
cafeterias, supply stores, shipping or warehouse units, print shops, and production areas. Many companies
are already enthusiastically collecting recyclables in high-profile programs, while others are just beginning. Collecting
recyclables costs money, but it also saves money by reducing the volume of waste that must be disposed of. In
addition, the sale of some recyclable materials can generate revenues.