3 Ways to Reduce What You Spend on Recyclable Materials

Using recyclable materials is about much more than reducing your waste removal costs, though that is a nice bonus. Recyclable materials promise a brighter future for our planet and the human race by reducing our use of finite resources. When companies put time, energy and money into considering how they can implement recyclable materials into their products and packaging, they are giving back to their community, and oftentimes they’ll save money doing it. While the immediate costs and initial investments might not seem worth it, the long term savings are undeniable.  

Reduce Your Spending on Recyclable Materials

1. Automated Waste Reporting
   End of Life regulations are only getting more strict as the government attempts to reduce the amount of waste being produced by industry. This is a trend that is being quickly adopted in the United States after many years of success in the European Union. These new regulations are encouraging companies to consider the entire lifespan of their products from their design and creation all the way through the end of their life and where they will end up when discarded. With the task of calculating recycling fees based on sales, shares, materials, weights and so forth, companies have turned to technology to help them keep track of their waste management expenses, often finding up to fifty percent savings with this approach.
2. Smart Design
   A large part of reducing waste management costs, especially on recyclable materials, is smart design. Maybe your company’s brand is entirely wrapped up in its packaging and the thought of changing it is overwhelming. There are many subtle things you can change in product design by using new technologies in recyclable materials that will save your fees in the long run. On the other hand, loyal customers are typically happy if you change your packaging for a good cause, because then they get to feel they are part of it.
3. Incentivize Recycling
   Many companies aren’t as concerned with their packaging as they are with their products themselves. In a world ruled by screens, electronics manufacturers bear a heavy burden when it comes to recyclable materials and keeping their dead products out of landfills. Companies like Apple offer end of life trade-in programs, and will even give you a small gift card for those ancient macbooks sitting around collecting dust. These programs allow them to save on fees as well as recycle old parts themselves. Customers get to feel better about where their garbage is going than simply throwing it the waste bin.

Don’t overlook the importance of implementing recyclable materials into your products and packaging. With a fresh look at your waste management practices you will find many opportunities to save money, while you might pay a little more to get the ball rolling. There are countless resources for this step towards corporate social responsibility that will not only improve the face of your brand, but will help your employees to feel part of something bigger. For more information for waste management experts on how to make a shift to a more sustainable business, give KenBay a call.