Offices have found that recycling is not only good for the environment, it’s good for business. As recycling containers (also known as recycling receptacles or recycling bins) have become more standard fixtures in offices, their ability to blend into office décor has increased. Recycling containers are now available in a wide variety of colors, styles and textures.
Where do most offices locate their recycling receptacles? In addition to placing individual receptacles (which resemble traditional home or office models) alongside or under employees’ desks, recycling bins often are located at central locations such as around printers and copiers.
With an estimated 70% of all office waste being recyclable, the use of recycling containers is believed to have positive business impact from two perspectives. Disposal of waste in proper bins boosts the productivity of employees. A visible recycling program garners favorable publicity for a company, and many consumers select environmentally-conscious businesses.
A number of different models of recycling containers are available. Rubbermaid’s Brute recycling container have a shape, size, and “look” similar to everyday garbage cans, but they stand out because of their blue color and the visibility of the recycling symbol. For tight spaces, “Slim Jim” models are tall and compact. Many have lids with slots or holes which enable source separation – keeping paper, cans and bottles, and general refuse separate.
Sometimes within an office, recycled paper will go from individual receptacles to a recycling box – a plastic container of a large enough size to serve as a central point of collection from numerous sources. Finally, tilt trucks are larger capacity containers, on large wheels, which serve as a central collection point of refuse which is then most often wheeled to a dumpster.
Recycling containers are an important part of any modern office, and office managers and decorators now have numerous options for incorporating attractive and environmentally-friendly bins into the décor of their site.