7 Steps for a Successful Recycling Program
1. Conduct a waste audit
In California, businesses that generate 4 cubic yards or more of trash per week must arrange recycling services (AB 341) and 2 cubic yards or more of any kind of waste must arrange organics recycling services (AB 1826). To provide baseline data for implementing a recycling program, a trash assessment will help you determine the quantity and contents of your waste stream.
Checking the size and fullness of bins, along with the frequency of pickup services, will help you determine if your business generates these thresholds for recycling and organics recycling.
Next, assess the contents: what types of materials are being tossed? What percentage of this waste can be recycled? How much is organic waste?
Businesses often generate aluminum, plastics, glass, and paper waste in the form of bottles, cans, and cardboard. Organic waste includes food scraps, food-soiled paper, landscape trimmings, non-hazardous wood waste, and compostable paper.
Assessing your waste stream can help your business identify areas in which your business can eliminate waste upstream. Doing so will eliminate or reduce the need for disposal. Examples include purchasing larger volumes of items with less single-use packaging and reducing the amount of excess food generated.
Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency
2. Select a Contractor/Hauler
To begin recycling, the first step is to decide how materials will be transported to a recycling facility. Your business may decide to contract with a hauler for traditional scheduled pickups or use a refined resource management contract with a hauler. Contractors vary and may accept single steam collection (one bin) or multi-stream collection (bins separated by materials), so it is important to choose the one that works best for your needs. Some smaller-scaled venues may consider self-hauling by training in-house staff to collect and transport materials to a facility properly equipped to recover recyclables.
3. Set Up the Collection Program for Staff
Layout: Collection bins should be placed internally for easy and accessible staff use, especially in the kitchen preparation and bussing areas. Recycling and organic waste bins should be placed alongside trash bins or in suitable locations where waste is generated.
Bin: Recycling bins should be easily distinguishable. Using recycling bins with a different color or lid shape can help reduce confusion and contamination. Collection bins should be clearly marked with labels, of text and/or pictures, to indicate what is accepted in each.
Source: Recycle Across America
4. Storage and Pickup
Once the collection bins are emptied, materials will be stored on-site. If contracted, a hauler will pick up materials from the outdoor enclosure or dumpster location. In-house staff may also deliver these materials to a transfer station or materials recovery facility to be recycled.
5. Facilitate Public Outreach and Education
Use signage and displays to motivate the public to recycle. AB 827 requires businesses to provide customer-accessible recycling and organic waste bins, excluding full-service restaurants, by July 2020. Use clear signs to indicate the bin locations and instructions. Methods can include information about:
WHY they should recycle
WHAT they should recycle
WHERE they can recycle
HOW they can recycle
Also, you can display signage showing your intended goals or how much has been recycled, which will encourage participation.
6. Practice Waste Prevention
Minimizing waste allows easier managing, saves money with lower service levels, and provides environmental benefits.
Reduce: Concessionaires and vendors can reduce waste by adjusting purchasing practices. A great practice is purchasing reusable items such as food ware, or in bulk, with products made with recycled-contents and/or minimal packaging material.
Donate: Donating products to nonprofits and charities can give a second life to those materials and donating food can feed hungry people. Simultaneously, waste is diverted from the landfill. For example, a business may donate food scraps for animal feed or donate uneaten food to local food banks. In California, the Good Samaritan Law protects businesses that make a good faith effort to donate edible food.
7. Evaluate the Recycling Program
Conduct another waste audit to track your progress. Note contamination, such as food waste in a recycling bin, and seek to resolve as soon as possible. The key to a successful recycling program is education!