Best Practices for Office Waste Diversion Strategies

Thanks for raising the issue -- I enjoyed hearing how others are thinking about this. KAB has recycling launched a Recycling@Work program (please check out the website [email protected])-- in an effort to encourage more recycling at workplace settings. As a component of this we are exploring various options that maximize participation through bin placement and messaging. I will share with this group once the research is complete -- probably another 6 months or so.

Brenda Pulley
Senior Director
Keep America Beautiful
United States

I'd like to emphasise two points. Firstly, removing 'waste' bins from near people's desks can annoy people, so choosing locations for bins can be best done in discussion with staff. As has been pointed out above, putting the right containers near where waste is generated also helps.

Secondly, I'd suggest the use of photos or good quality line drawings to show people quickly what can go in each bin. This is particularly important if you have e.g. two types of cups (plastic and card) which need to go in different bins.

Tom

Tom Veitch
Community Programme Manager
Global Action Plan
United Kingdom

Hi Morgan,

Sounds like an exciting project. Ive worked on a number of behaviour change programs for offices and would be happy to discuss and share any ideas with you. Ive recently completed an in-office waste program for a university and am currently working with a large conservation authority on a corporate waste program, including offices, working towards zero waste.

Feel free to email me or give me a call if youd like to discuss.

Jeff Garkowski, MCIP, RPP, MES | Planner & Project Manager
LURA Consulting | lura.ca
[email protected] | t:416.644.1801 | f:416.536.3453 | c:416.895.3632
505 Consumers Road, Suite 1005, Toronto ON M2J 4V8
Follow us on Twitter: @LuraConsulting


Jeff Garkowski
Lura Consulting
Canada

Our office uses several different systems for our waste.

At our desks we have small plastic bins for garbage and recycling (the garbage bin is about 1/4 the size of the recycling bin), the garbage is collected each evening, whereas the recycling is disposed of by each employee to a larger centralized recycling station.

Our recycling is mixed or co-mingled, we accept paper, plastic, glass and metal.

In rooms with printers, plotters, and photocopiers there is a location for office paper recycling.

We do collect refundables like bottles and cans in a designated area.

Organics are collected in small kitchen catchers located in all the kitchens and disposed of into larger outdoor bins where they are susbsequently collected each week.

In our washrooms we have two bins, one for paper towels which we add to our organics for composting, and another for actual garbage.

This all sounds very complicated, but it seems to work well. Our education team runs a 'Lunch N Learn' once or twice a year to keep staff up to date with the acceptable and unacceptable items. We also have signage on all the shared diversion stations to promote participation and decrease contamination.


Kimberly Fisher
City of Calgary
Canada

We had some success at our workplace with placing a large stainless steel pot for organics near the waste bin in the staff lunchroom. (the stainless steel doesn't smell or discolour.) This was emptied daily and replaced each morning by the relevant staff member, so that if she was away, waste didn't build up. The success of the initiative was significantly enhanced when a poster with pictures of the compost pile, the garden and the resultant produce was placed on the wall above the pot.

jane yorkston
snr Health Promotion officer
Qld Health
Australia