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How to Start a Recycling Plan for Your Business

Starting a recycling plan helps businesses cut waste costs, reduce landfill, and improve sustainability. By putting the right bins and processes in place, your workplace can recycle more, save money, and demonstrate environmental responsibility. This guide walks you through the steps to set up a successful recycling plan.

✅ Step 1: Assess Your Waste

  • Audit current waste streams – check what types of waste your business produces (cardboard, food, plastics, general rubbish).

  • Identify high-volume items – cardboard packaging, food scraps, and commingled recyclables are usually the biggest.

  • Spot contamination issues – are recyclables ending up in general waste?

✅ Step 2: Choose the Right Bins

  • Cardboard bins – for clean, flattened boxes and paperboard packaging.

  • Commingled bins – for glass, plastics, and cans.

  • Organic waste bins – for food scraps and garden waste.

  • General waste bins – for rubbish that can’t be recycled.

  • Specialty bins – for sanitary waste, sharps, or hazardous items if relevant.

✅ Step 3: Educate Staff and Customers

  • Clear signage – label bins with what can and can’t go in.

  • Training sessions – show staff how to separate waste correctly.

  • Customer-facing recycling – provide visible recycling bins in public spaces where appropriate.

✅ Step 4: Monitor and Adjust

  • Track costs – recycling bins are cheaper than general waste, so measure savings.

  • Review contamination – check bins regularly to ensure staff are separating properly.

  • Adjust services – increase or decrease bin sizes or pickup frequency to match your actual waste volumes.

❌ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Mixing recyclables with general waste – increases costs and reduces recycling rates.

  • Not flattening cardboard – wastes bin space and leads to overflow.

  • Ignoring food waste – food in general waste creates odours and higher disposal costs.

  • Over-servicing – paying for more collections than you need.

Household Context

Households already have council-provided recycling services. This guide is aimed at businesses, which must set up their own commercial recycling plans to suit larger volumes and multiple waste streams.

Business Benefits

  • Lower waste bills – recycling costs less than general waste disposal.

  • Cleaner waste areas – fewer overfull bins and less contamination.

  • Sustainability goals – demonstrate your business’s commitment to the environment.

  • Compliance – meet workplace waste management and environmental standards.

Quick Reference

Do This Avoid This
Audit your waste streams Ignoring contamination
Provide clear bin signage Overfilling bins
Train staff regularly Putting recyclables in general waste
Adjust services as needed Using one bin for everything

Best Practices Summary

  1. Start with a waste audit to identify your main waste streams.

  2. Set up dedicated bins for cardboard, commingled, organics, and general waste.

  3. Educate staff and customers to reduce contamination.

  4. Review your plan regularly to cut costs and improve recycling rates.

Conclusion: Simple Steps to Big Savings

A recycling plan doesn’t have to be complicated. By starting with a waste audit, choosing the right bins, and training your staff, your business can cut costs, recycle more, and show customers you care about sustainability.

👉 Check out Waster’s Commingled Recycling bin options today in our online shop.

Download Now: Free PDF Business Owners Guide To Commingled Recycling Bin Services