Engaging with employees, clients and residents
When setting up a recycling scheme it could be of benefit to engage and liaise with:
managers who procure goods and services;
caretakers, employees, or persons responsible for emptying internal bins into external containers, or who liaise with waste or recycling collectors;
cleaning staff to ensure waste is correctly sorted and to ask them to report issues such as overflowing bins or contamination to the caretaker or management team. They can also advise if you have the correct waste capacity or need more;
catering staff in on-site kitchens to reduce avoidable food waste via portion control and production of excess and unavoidable food waste;
your Facilities Management providers (if used) to ensure recycling services are provided;
grounds or estates staff need to know about changes to collections, and the locations of bins they will use when completing their duties i.e., litter picking or emptying external litter bins;
activities co-ordinators can link activity sessions to those recycling activities which clients or residents can get involved in and
sustainability officers (common in larger establishments or organisations with more than one site) usually report and engage on environmental and sustainability issues such as waste management.
Staff training ideas
Ask for ideas on how a scheme may work, as they may have spotted opportunities or issues which you have not considered;
Provide clear instructions on what they should do with different waste streams or recyclables to help you meet your new recycling obligations;
Provide training to permanent, seasonal and temporary workers. Use orientation training to ensure new starters can recycle from day one, with regular training and reminders for all employees;
Share information about recycling via regular updates at team meetings and on staff noticeboards so that employees hear about the differences their actions are making and
Ask for feedback if recycling systems are not working well, ensure employees feel listened to and that issues are identified promptly before they cause bigger problems.