Tips to Encourage Recycling in the Workplace

Recycling in your work environment can be easy and beneficial to the planet with just a few simple steps.

Recycling is an important part of creating a more circular loop for single-use items. Water bottles, soda cans, yogurt cups, and salad containers are perhaps all part of your workplace’s office lunches. But how can you ensure that proper steps towards recycling are being made each day? Here are some practical tips to encourage recycling in the workplace that benefit the environment and your organization.

Focus on Awareness and Understanding

Chances are most of your organization’s employees know about recycling, but they may not know the details or particulars. Try giving a brief overview of the recycling process and the benefits to the environment. You can also help educate people on what’s recyclable by providing images of different types of plastic, defining what different recycling symbols mean, and highlighting any recycling restrictions your office or city has around types of paper, plastic, and metal containers. If your local community has any recycling initiatives, clean-up events, or content around what materials can be reused, consider sharing that information as well. A short email can be a great way to share this knowledge with your organization.

Post Reminders

Having posters in breakrooms or communal kitchens can be beneficial both as reminders to recycle unwanted items, but also as reminders for sorting plastics and metals. These posters can be hung above trash or recycling bins as reminders of what can and cannot be recycled. Try using images for easy understanding and language inclusivity. Make sure your receptacles are clearly marked for trash or recycling.

Gamify the Experience

If you want to increase adoption across your organization, setting up a contest or gamifying the experience can be a beneficial way to increase buy-in and up your recycling numbers. Try counting bags of recycling or weighing for a few weeks, announce the launch of a quarterly initiative or contest to see which department can recycle the most, and count the increase in the following weeks. You can also track recycling numbers throughout the year and have small celebrations at specific milestones.

Show Examples of What Recycling Can Be

Having a visual example of what recycled products can be turned into can be motivating for employees. Examples like the Placon EcoStar^® line of products, made with post-consumer recycled materials, are a great example of single use plastics getting new life and recirculating rather than ending up in landfills. These reminders or images can help employees understand the positive impact of recycling and can boost motivation when they can see tangible evidence of eco-friendly processes.

Starting a recycling initiative at your organization can be simple and lead to impactful results. It can be a beneficial way to help close the loop and encourage more sustainable, mindful behaviors at your company. These tips to encourage recycling in the workplace are a good place to start, and can be adapted to fit your work environment and local recycling regulations. For more recycling information, visit the Placonomics blog, or check out our Sustainability page for additional resources.

Resources:

https://www.plasticsforchange.org/blog/different-types-of-plastic

ABOUT PLACON
Since 1966, Placon has been a leading designer and manufacturer of innovative and sustainable plastic packaging for medical, food, and consumer goods markets. Placon has manufacturing operations in Madison, WI; West Springfield, MA; Elkhart, IN; and Plymouth, MN, and is currently ranked in the Top 20 in Plastics News 2025 Thermoformers Rankings. Placon delivers packaging breakthroughs that inspire better engagement between people and products.