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Research carried out by Every Can Counts has revealed businesses are calling out for more support to help implement successful workplace recycling schemes.
In a survey of 50 businesses we found that 63 percent encountered challenges when implementing recycling initiatives in their organisation. These included operational issues such as finding a contractor, frequency of collections and storage of material. However the greatest barrier encountered was staff understanding: Nearly a quarter of the employers surveyed revealed their organisation struggled with communicating how and why to recycle to employees. However, encouragingly 45 percent revealed that investing in staff communication, and getting employees actively involved in a recycling scheme, does work and is one of the main ways of overcoming this barrier.
This is music to our ears, as Every Can Counts aims to help organisations set up and promote their recycling scheme, providing practical advice and promotional resources to help them achieve their goals.
GETTING STARTED IS EASY
We know that Every Can Counts can make a difference to a workplace recycling programme – it raises awareness of, and interest in, recycling facilities for all recyclables. The programme is easy to join and set up, with orders from our webshop guaranteed to arrive within 7 working days. Our promotional materials can be ordered on line, and most are free. Poster templates are available in our downloads area for you to include company information and logos.
To see how other organisations are using Every Can Counts read our case studies.
To join the programme register here.
More about our research
We spoke to managers and employees from over 80 organisations in the West Midlands* to find out how they organise their recycling and what challenges they faced in setting up and running their recycling programme.
We found that most organisations start recycling because they want to the greatest barrier encountered when setting up a recycling programme at work was staff understanding: Nearly a quarter of businesses surveyed revealed they struggled with communicating how and why to recycle, keeping the message fresh and interesting so that staff get involved and keep recycling. Making the effort to invest in clearer and more engaging staff communication, and getting employees involved were ways that 45% of the businesses we spoke to had managed to overcome this barrier. Half of the businesses surveyed had members of staff who acted as ‘recycling champions’ helping with the running and promotion of recycling schemes.
The employees surveyed felt it was important that the recycling scheme was supported at all levels in the organisation so that it became part of the working culture, and that everyone should be working together to waste less and recycle more. All of the organisations already using Every Can Counts would recommend it to other businesses.
Telephone interviews with employers at 50 organisations, of which 26 were using Every Can Counts; Focus groups of 39 employees from a range of organisations, 30 of which had recycling facilities but not necessarily Every Can Counts.
Read the full story here.
