A Few Tips From Us

Each business recycling program is different as you design it to meet your needs. However, there are some basic steps that you can follow no matter what kind of program you are looking at.

• Conduct a Waste Assessment/Audit:
  Find out what is in your trash so you can identify waste reduction opportunities and determine which materials you want to recycle.
  
  A waste assessment/audit can include:
  -  Examining facility records to determine amounts, costs and types of materials that are disposed or recycled.
  -  Conducting a walk-through of your facility to look for areas where waste materials are generated and to determine placement for collection containers.
  -  Performing a waste sort to identify the types of waste you are throwing away.
  
  Make sure you count all areas of operation: offices, cafeterias, shipping, receiving, grounds, etc. Contact our office for further assistance.
  
  
  
• Create a Plan for What You Will Collect and How
  Once you have identified the various types of waste: trash, recyclable, hazardous, etc., your next challenge is to decide what your different material streams are (trash, recycling, composting, etc.) and how will you how you will keep them separate. Setting up clearly-labeled containers makes it easier for staff to follow the program. Placing containers in convenient locations is also important.  Providing opportunities for leadership and involvement promotes staff commitment.
  
  
• Determine Who Will Transport Your Recyclables
  Depending on the size of your business, you will want to either self-haul or have pickup service for your waste and recycling. The yellow pages list local waste and recycling haulers.  In many cases, information on your local transfer station can be found at the back of the yellow pages. If not, please check our website here.
  
  
• Find a Market:
  Companies with larger quantities may find it financially worthwhile to bale their own cardboard as well as other items. In this situation, you may want to contact brokers and haulers to find an end-market for your materials. The Maine Waste Management Services Directory is a searchable database of Maine recycling-related service providers.
  
  
  
  
• Educate your Employees:
  Educating your employees is an important step to success.  Make sure they know what they should recycle and how they are expected to be involved. Let them know you need their help. Employee education efforts should begin in advance of when you begin your program. To make things easy, recycling bins and containers should be clearly labeled. If you would like assistance in creating educational materials, contact our office and check out our new toolkit.
  
  
• Evaluate your Program :
  Keep records of disposal and recycling expenses and savings.  Compare recycling and disposal tonnages and cost avoidance. Use this information to help evaluate the success of your program and report results back to your employees.