When we discuss workplace recycling, the first thing that comes to mind is paper recycling. When we doodle, we throw it away. If we realise we’ve made a huge mistake, we throw it away.
Letters that we receive that have no use for, we throw them away. We use paper wipes though there are reusable cloth wipes which are more environment-friendly.
We do it every day, and we do it just as much with plastic and paper. However, while these are the two prime suspects, there is a lot more workplace recycling we can do.
Reusing and recycling resources are best valued when they’re managed properly, contact Also for fully-managed rental services.
Five Most Uncommon Items That Can Be Recycled
#1. Damaged Electronics
Forgotten to take your MP3 player out of your jeans before washing them? Dropped your phone in the sink while washing the dishes? If you haven’t, you probably know somebody who has.
When people travel, they often have their earphones in listening to music. Whether they are listening to it on their phone, or on an MP3 player, the chances are that they’ve had a few different MP3 players.
Broken MP3 players can be recycled and be put towards creating new technology. Similarly, so can calculators or broken computers.
From a financial point of view, sometimes a broken computer isn’t worth fixing and buying a new one is a better choice. If this sounds like a situation you’ve been in, recycle the broken one!
#2. Polystyrene Packing Peanuts
While these peanuts are fun to play with, they aren’t as delicious as other peanuts. The peanuts that we are referring to are the foam-like pieces which are commonly inside of your electronic packages so that they don’t get damaged.
Instead of disposing of them, collect them inside of bags and call up a local moving company. They will find a lot of use out of them and they will appreciate them due to how it can help prevent damaging their customers valuable and fragile goods.
#3. Umbrellas and Rainwear
Umbrellas are very fragile, which is unfortunate when heavy rain is accompanied by heavy winds. We’ve all walked passed an abandoned and broken umbrella on the street, similar to how we’ve all seen an abandoned raincoat. They are specially designed to prevent us from getting wet, however, they happen to be very fragile too.
Get in touch with a recycling centre and find out where you’d be able to recycle your employee’s rainwear.
#4. Mobile Phones
When we get a new mobile phone, a lot of us aren’t entirely sure what to do with our old ones. Some of us throw them away, some of us like to take them apart to see their insides, and some of us just like to sell them for a little extra cash. However, another option is to simply recycle your old mobile phone.
Selling your mobile can put you at risk of a hacker buying it from you, and taking all the data off of it (even if you have deleted that data!). This can be very worrying for those who use their mobiles for online banking. So, why not take the safer and more environment approach and recycle it!
On top of recycling, there are charitable organisations who have professionals clear the phone’s data and fix it up so it looks as good as new, sell them, and put all the profit towards charity!
#5. Prescription Glasses
After a routine eye check-up, it’s not uncommon for us to need new glasses. This leaves us with a pair of glasses that we put in a drawer, and will most likely never use again. But why cause clutter when we can simply recycle them?
Organisations such as “Lions Clubs International” have many recycling centres all over the country. They take all unwanted and donated glasses and ship them to third-world countries where the less fortunate are able to benefit greatly from them.
Talk to your employees and enquire about whether some of them have old and unused glasses at their homes and whether or not they would like to donate them to a good cause? Who knows, those glasses could have a journey of their own and be put to great use over in India.
An Example of How Effective Recycling Can be
A prime example of recycling is when we order a new television. The television will arrive in a cardboard box, a polystyrene barrier, a plastic bag, and polystyrene packing peanuts. What can you do with the packaging?
- Cardboard box – Recycle just as you would with paper.
- Polystyrene barrier – Contact a local moving agency about them reusing them.
- Plastic bag – Recycle just as you would with plastic.
- Polystyrene packing peanuts – Contact a local moving agency about them reusing them.
To Conclude
As you can see from above, there are a few different things that you wouldn’t expect to be recyclable. Educating yourself on what you can recycle is a good thing to do, as not only does it help contribute to the health of our environment, but it gives you a sense of satisfaction due to knowing that you are doing your part.
The best way for you to help and support the environment while controlling your carbon footprint – is to recycle.
So start greening your workplace today and take care of both the environment and your pocket. Use Alsco’s reusable wipes. They’re biodegradable and reusable. Send us an enquiry! Our friendly and informed staff are waiting to help.
Photo: Pixabay
