Aussie businesses need to reduce, reuse, recycle

Employees are calling on their organisations to improve their “waste consciousness”. Many businesses have bad habits when it comes to their recycling, much to the dismay of their employees.

New research shows that Aussie workers want their organisations to be more waste-conscious. The study revealed that two-thirds of employees are hoping to have additional recycling options accessible in the office.

As mandatory carbon reporting is beginning to become the status quo in the business world, organisations are going to have to show more transparency around their waste. In Australia alone, 76 million tonnes of waste per year is generated, the equivalent of about 2.95 tonnes per person, thus driving the importance of individuals and companies alike to make changes.

The study commissioned by COS found that 66 per cent of Aussie workers wish that their company would make more of an effort in terms of their ability to recycle and reduce waste, with 74 per cent believing that recycling regularly is the most impactful thing they can do for the environment.

An interesting discovery from the study was the difference between employees actively recycling at home and in the workplace. While 85 per cent of people stated that in their personal lives, they actively engage in practices at home to recycle and reduce waste, only 70 per cent do so in the workplace, demonstrating that workplaces are behind in separating waste.

The data also showed that those who had the highest levels of engagement when it comes to actively reducing their carbon footprint through sustainable initiatives included real estate agents and property managers, hospitality workplaces, and medium-sized businesses.

On the findings, Belinda Lyone, chief executive of COS, stated: “Australia’s recycling rate currently sits stagnant at 60 per cent, but this study highlights how many employees actually want to recycle more but are lacking the tools to do so in the office. If businesses make it easy to recycle and reduce waste, this figure could significantly increase and greatly benefit the planet.”

Lyone offered some insight on what strategies businesses can implement to improve their recycling:

• Swap personal bins with communal ‘smart’ bins: Rather than having under-desk bins and hoping that employees or the cleaner sort the rubbish correctly, placing larger bins in communal areas that have different waste streams is an extremely efficient way to limit the amount of waste sent to landfills.
• Have clear signage near all bins: Whether companies adopt smart bins or not, having clear signage and guidance of what can and can’t be recycled near the bins ensures maximum employee participation and efficiency, especially with data showing that 50 per cent find it confusing to know what can and cannot be recycled.
• Implement an initiative: Since it’s evident that so many workers want their workplace to make more sustainable choices, participating in an initiative or day such as International Compost Awareness Week – which takes place in May – is an effective way to engage with workers on the topic and highlight how the company wants to do their part to reduce their carbon footprint.

“Every business has the power to make a significant impact. By incorporating any of the above examples into the workplace, a company is not just adopting a waste management solution; it’s joining a movement towards a more sustainable future,” concluded Lyone.