Product Announcement: Best Practices Guide Gives Recycling Programs Economic Viability

Businesses and organizations seeking to execute waste management and recycling initiatives know the programs must have long-term economic viability in order to be a success – but the complexities of such initiatives continue to be a challenge.

“The chronic confusion at the recycling bin has been crippling the economics of recycling,” says Recycle Across America’s executive director, Mitch Hedlund.

With that in mind, Rubicon Global – a company that works with businesses and local governments to execute their waste management sustainability goals – has created a guide based on best practices that it says will help organizations come up with successful programs to reduce waste generation and keep valuable materials out of landfills.

The RUBICONMethod guide encapsulates a series of guidelines that include common-sense but often-overlooked steps such as:

• Consistent placement of side-by-side bin stations with picture-based signage such as Recycle Across America’s (RAA) standardized labels to reduce contamination and increase recycling;
  
• Usage of different colored liners for landfill (black), recycling (clear), and organic (green) bins to ensure materials end up in the correct waste stream when collected by custodial staff; and
• Eliminating waste from the start such as food, disposable tableware, and individually packaged goods.

Most businesses want to start a recycling program but they continue to have trouble navigating the complexities associated with keeping materials out of landfills and changing behaviors. “This guidance is desperately needed,” says Hedlund.