If your business isn’t recycling, you could be missing out on a lot of benefits. It’s not just about helping the environment. There are some real, tangible benefits for businesses that recycle all different types of items in the workplace. Here are some reasons why your business should be recycling everything it can.
Why Recycle?
Lower Waste Costs
Recycling isn’t just the right thing to do. It’s actually something that can help your business’s bottom line.
If you recycle things like cans, glass, paper and other materials, that means there’s less going into those waste bins and dumpsters every week. And since your business likely pays some type of waste management fee, you can potentially save on those bills by producing less waste.
If you create a recycling program and track your results to show that you’re producing less waste, you can potentially work with your waste management service to negotiate a lower fee, saving your business money in the long run.
Savings on New Purchases
In some cases, you can also use recycling as a way to save on new purchases. Technology is a great example of this.
Say you’re looking to purchase some new computers for your team. You could just throw the old ones out and buy new ones at full cost. But some retailers will actually take back your old computers, smartphones and other tech devices and recycle them in exchange for a small discount when you buy new ones. This helps the environment and saves you money.
You can also sometimes get cost savings when recycling things like batteries, ink cartridges and more. So check with local retailers about recycling programs before just throwing out any of these items.
Grant Opportunities
Environmentally conscious businesses often open themselves up to new opportunities through those practices.
Since some non-profits and government agencies provide incentives like grants for businesses that have recycling programs or other eco-friendly practices, recycling could actually help you get some extra funding.
To take advantage of some of these programs, make sure you have an official recycling program in place and track the output, since you’ll likely have to show the impact of your program in any grant application.
Happier Employees
With environmental concerns increasing among Americans, there’s a good chance that some of your employees want the ability to recycle at work.
It might seem like a small thing, but along with all of the other potential benefits of recycling, increased employee morale can make a big difference over time for your business. So instead of making those environmentally conscious individuals go out of their way to recycle, make it easy for them by having designated bins and processes for recycling various materials.
Improved Image
Similarly, you probably have plenty of clients or customers who care about the environment. So having a recycling program in place can strengthen your reputation with those consumers.
You can call attention to your recycling program on your website, in press materials or even on social media. Or you could simply allow word to spread naturally as people visit your business and notice your environmentally friendly practices.
Environmental Benefits
And finally, the environmental benefits of recycling can’t be overstated. Of course, saving money is likely to have more of an immediate impact on your business. But over time, recycling can help to conserve materials and energy, which can have an impact on bigger markets and potentially even make some of those materials and energy sources more cost effective for your business.
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This article, “Why Recycle? Here are 6 Small Business Benefits” was first published on Small Business Trends