From recycling programs to waste audits, there are many strategies for cutting down on what your company tosses into its dumpsters in Atlanta, and there are several good reasons for you to improve your company’s waste management system .

The most obvious reason to make smart changes in the way your business manages and disposes of waste is that doing so can save you money. Additionally, by conducting a waste audit to learn what is filling your dumpsters, you can discover what types of waste and how much of each your company is producing, allowing you to make strategic changes. Also, better waste management practices mean that your company’s operations can have less of a detrimental impact on the environment, for example, by using fewer resources and producing fewer greenhouse gas emissions. Finally, making your business more environmentally friendly in this way allows you to create a greener image for your business that both your staff and customers can appreciate.

If you’re interested in reducing how much waste ends up in your company’s dumpsters in Atlanta , then you may benefit from learning about sustainable materials management.

Sustainable materials management (SMM) is an approach designed to utilize materials more effectively and efficiently throughout their lifecycle. The SMM model examines how materials are manufactured and how they can be used and reused in a way that is more productive and sustainable. Some of the strategies that are implemented in the SMM approach include reducing material toxicity to make it more environmentally friendly, getting more value out of materials by using them more wisely, and sourcing materials with consideration for the world’s needs in the future. The SMM approach begins from the start of a material’s life cycle, including how it is extracted and manufactured, and it continues through its distribution, usage, and disposal.

More specifically, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Sustainable Materials Management Program for fiscal years 2017 to 2022 prioritizes the areas of the built environment, sustainable food management, and sustainable packaging. Finally, the program’s goals involve decreasing disposal rates, reducing environmental impacts, increasing socio-economic benefits, and increasing the ability of various groups to implement the SMM approach.

Recycling in the workplace can promote a greener image for your company, support employee satisfaction, and reduce waste management costs. If you’re in the process of organizing an office program for recycling in Atlanta , then read on for tips on getting your staff on board.

Dedicate Time to Training

If your team members don’t fully understand your new office recycling program, then you may have trouble getting them to use it. Also, without the proper training and instruction, your staff may throw trash into the recycling bins or mix up materials, for example, by putting food waste or aluminum cans into a plastics recycling bin. For these reasons, setting aside time for training that is dedicated to how to use the recycling system can be an excellent way to get your team on board with the program. If you’re concerned that starting a multi-stream recycling system for your office will be too great of a leap, then learn if single-stream recycling, in which all recyclable materials are collected together instead of in separate bins, is an option for your office.

Focus on Employee Education

In addition to teaching your staff how to use your office’s recycling system, you can help encourage them to make the most of it by educating them on the benefits of recycling. By informing employees why recycling is important for reducing waste and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as how it can save the company money, you can provide your team with greater motivation to embrace the new recycling system.

Post Some Helpful Signage

Finally, while training and education are essential for starting a recycling program the right way, you may help encourage long-term adherence among your staff by posting informational signage in your office. For example, you can add posters on or near each recycling bin that describe what materials should be placed in each and what items belong in the waste or compost. Finally, to help encourage employee compliance, consider posting informative signage about how recycling benefits everything from the environment to the company.

Are you interested in taking advantage of the benefits of organic food recycling near Atlanta , but you wonder what happens when your leftovers go into a food recycling bin instead of the dumpster? If so, then watch this video to discover how food can be converted into fuel.

When food waste is placed in an anaerobic digestion waste management system, it can be converted into a gas called methane, which can be harnessed and then used for fuel by power plants. To make the food recycling process more efficient and versatile, companies are researching ways of converting food waste into ethanol, which is a more useful form of energy than methane, and scientists are working on new methods using food waste and other resources to create energy.