Recycling in large office buildings

[Ann Dorfman]

Do any of you have information on large corporations/facilities that have been successful in either:

1)      Removing waste baskets from individual offices but leaving recycling bins in offices.

2)      Removing waste and recycling baskets from offices and having large containers for both in easily accessible common locations.

Removing both from individual offices would save money and free up custodial staff since no one would need to go into every office collecting trash/recycling each night.

If you know of success stories and could provide me with contacts that would be great. Information on failures would also be appreciated.

Thanks.

Ann Dorfman

dorfm...@comcast.net

[nycrecycles]

This "paper bin only" setup is the model that we advocate for NYC's City Agencies.

 

Please see our description and photos at Recycling in Agencies & Institutions

 

What works:

1) employees put all putrescible waste in ONE central trash bin, so other trash bins don't need to be emptied daily; also reduces attraction for pests. Maintenance likes this.

2) employees get up to discard each piece of trash = excuse to stretch legs; OR collect trash at their desks in a grocery bag and "carry it out" at the end of the day. 

3) high generators continue to have both a trash & recycling bin at their desks or offices, but still no putrescible waste allowed.

 

What doesn't work:

Some employees perceive the removal of one deskside bin means the office isn't recycling anymore and so they throw away both their garbage and paper into their deskside paper recycling bin. Still feel overall this contamination is negligible in proportion to the substantial increased collection of the building's recyclable paper. 

 

Mary Most

NYC Department of Sanitation
Waste Prevention, Reuse and Recycling
44 Beaver Street, 6th Floor
New York, NY  10004

e:   mm...@dsny.nyc.gov

w:  www.nyc.gov/wasteless

w:  www.nyc.gov/stuffexchange