Waste & Recycling Guide

This guide will help your business towards leadership practices in resource conservation, pollution reduction and energy savings through a well-planned and executed waste reduction and recycling program.

	Form a Green Committee An employee-run green committee helps inspire and encourage colleagues to make sound environmental choices in every facet of their working lives.
	Conduct a Waste Assessment It is critical to know what materials are in your company’s waste stream before you try to develop a plan to reduce it. A waste assessment allows the recycling coordinator and/or green committee to examine current purchasing practices, waste generation and waste management.
	Deliver a Reduciton/Recycling Program Integrating a Zero Waste goal for your waste management program that incorporates the “reduce, reuse, recycle” principles will not only benefit the environment but can also enhance your business’ bottom line.
	Prevent waste – before recycling Waste prevention, also known as “source reduction” means using fewer materials and resources to get a job done. Waste prevention methods create less waste in the first place.
	Reuse “Reuse” is defined as using an item more than once. This includes conventional reuse where the item is used again for the same function and new-life reuse where it is used for a new function.
	Recycle After your business has conducted a waste assessment and implemented policies on reducing and reusing materials, you can now focus on implementing your recycling program.
	Compost Businesses generate a significant amount of organic food waste, also known as food discards.

Recycle your old fridge and get $30

Old fridges in B.C. stand a fantastic chance at reincarnation, thanks to a BC Hydro Fridge Buy-Back Program, which has recycled 169,936 fridges since it went B.C.-wide in 2003.

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Last Modified: Aug 13, 2009