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Setting Up Your Office Recycling Program

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The development of a recycling program in the workplace is a great way for your organization to play a part in the improvement of our environment. To help ensure its effectiveness, before you put your program in place, there are a few preparations and assessments that need to take place around the office. Read on for some tips to help you make the most of your organization’s recycling program.

Find a leader – Every project needs a leader, and a recycling program should be no different than any other office project. Find someone who is passionate about the environment to spearhead the program. This person will be a cheerleader to help spread the word, and their enthusiasm will go a long way when it comes to the execution of your recycling program.

Analyze your trash – This may sound a bit strange, but it’s important to pay attention to the type of trash that flows through your office space. Understanding the type of materials that are most often used in your office will help you with further planning. For example, maybe plastic is the most common type of trash material at your workplace. In that case, you will want to include more bins for plastic objects, and maybe even at a larger size than for other materials.

Place recycle bins around the office – Make it as easy as possible for employees to recycle at any location within your office. Always make sure there is a recycling bin anywhere you have a trash can. The kitchen/lunch room, common areas, and reception areas should all have recycling bins. There should also be recycling bins at each desk. It should be extremely difficult for employees to find an excuse not to recycle.

It’s also important to make sure all bins are clearly labeled in large font. Using facility-specific waste images on your bins will also significantly help with the accuracy of recycled materials.

Educate and train – Most employees want to do the right thing and recycle; they just need the proper knowledge to do so. Create a set of recycling guidelines and post them in common areas around the office. These guidelines should include what should and should not be recycled, and where the bins are located. It’s also vital to inform your janitorial staff of your recycling guidelines to ensure that all materials are properly disposed.

Establishing an effective recycling program is a valuable green initiative for businesses of any type or size. Contact Infomax Office Systems today to learn more on how to set up a recycling program at your office.

The Wrong Way to Recycle Paper

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Your organization worked hard to implement its recycling plan. Your staff has been trained on its importance and how it works. All the pieces seem to be in place for a successful recycling plan. Yet somehow, it’s not working. Fortunately, most recycling plans can be tweaked by overcoming a few common mistakes. Let’s take a closer look at some of these issues encountered when you recycle paper.

Most paper types can be recycled
Many people only recycle plain white paper because they are unsure of what other paper types can be recycled. Magazines, brochures, newspapers, envelopes, shredded paper, and even glossy paper can all be recycled; the only exception is paper with a thick coating. Just keep this in mind: if you can tear it, you can recycle it. Take a look here for more tips on what NOT to put in the recycling bin.

Keep control over your recycling bins
If your recycling bins are full, people will throw recyclable items into the trash. To minimize overflow, make sure all recycled cardboard boxes are flattened to reduce space in the bin. It’s also important to communicate with your cleaning staff or document destruction partner to make sure the bins are being emptied regularly.

Labeling is essential
Recycling bin labels need to be large and easily visible to all employees, and they need to be specific. Rather than just saying “Recyclables,” the labels should clearly state whether the bin is for paper, plastic, bottles, or cans (depending on how you need to separate your materials). A quick walk through of your office is the best way to make sure all labels are properly in place. Employees should also understand that some recyclable products need special attention before being thrown into a bin. Check out some of these tips on how to handle paper scraps and other materials.

Make recycling convenient for your employees
Inconvenience may be the one mistake that slows down office recycling efforts the most. People are busy doing their jobs; if there isn’t a recycling bin in close proximity, recyclable items are likely headed for the trash. Make sure each department or floor is equipped with its own recycling tray or bin. There should also be recycling receptacles in all common areas, such as break rooms, kitchen areas, and printing/copy stations.

Employees should also have the correct information on all outside vendors who accept toner cartridges and other equipment to recycle. Recycling your office’s paper is important, but it shouldn’t be the sole focus of your recyclable plan. The Infomax website offers recycling tips and lists vendors who will accept empty toner cartridges.

For more information on how to fine tune your recycling plan, contact Infomax Office Systems today.

Spare a Landfill: Recycle that Toner Cartridge

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That pile of empty toner cartridges can get pretty big, pretty fast in a busy office environment where a good deal of printing takes place. When it comes time to dispose of them, it’s essential to our environment to recycle those toner cartridges. Of the more than 500 million toner cartridges sold each year in the United States, an astonishing 350 million of those are sent to landfills. Considering it takes hundreds of years for the cartridge plastic to biodegrade, this is a problem that needs to be addressed in the name of corporate social responsibility. Fortunately, there are eco-friendly solutions that are readily available to businesses.

The many hazards of toner
Before we get into those eco-friendly solutions available to aid in recycling empty cartridges, let’s quickly go over how much damage toner can do to our environment. Toner ink contains toner dust, which can be carcinogenic. Among other health concerns, a recent study shows that the dust can cause issues with people’s eyes, lungs, and skin when in direct contact. If inhaled, it can lead to respiratory issues such as bronchitis.

Convenient solutions
Fortunately, there are options available for recycling your empty toner cartridges. The first option should be to find a local recycling facility. Infomax Office Systems has partnered with a number of vendors with locations that will accept toner cartridges for recycling. If you can’t get to a local facility on a regular basis, you can refill your cartridges. There are refill kits available to help you reuse your empty cartridges for as long as possible until you can get them to a recycling facility. These are simple solutions that can make recycling a routine part of your business and make your office a more sustainable one.

With so many empty toner cartridges ending up in our landfills, it’s essential that more businesses get on board with toner cartridge recycling solutions to help minimize the impact on our environment. For more information on how Infomax Office Solutions can assist with your recycling efforts and help you ‘green’ your office, contact us today!

Is Your Printer a Green Printer?

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It is not a secret that printing a significant number of documents is not exactly the most environmentally friendly office practice. Despite this knowledge, having a printer in the office remains absolutely essential to a company’s success. That said, all printers are not created equal; some printers are greener—or more environmentally friendly—than others. Here are some easy ways to determine exactly how eco-friendly your office printers really are. It is never too late to ‘go green’ in the office, and this post will arm you with the information needed to help you do so, starting with your printers.

How much electricity is your printer using?

Energy consumption is generally an afterthought for most businesses; however, it must be considered more regularly in order to create more sustainable offices. Generally, business-grade inkjet printers use less electricity than other printers that rely on heat to fuse toner to paper. Fortunately, many printer manufacturers understand this issue and now make printers that are not as reliant on energy for efficiency. Look up the product specs for your printers to find out exactly how much power they use. This information will help you determine how your devices compare to other models when making future purchases.

Does it allow you to print on both sides of paper?

Printing large documents on individual sheets of paper is much more wasteful than necessary. Especially when the documents are only being used internally, as opposed to being handed off to a client, vendor, or partner. A printer that is equipped for duplex printing will enable you to easily print your documents on both sides of paper. This green option can cut your company’s paper consumption in half.

Is the printer multi-functional?

The more machines kept in the office, the more energy and consumables necessary to keep these devices up and running. Instead of having numerous machines that only have one purpose, consider investing in an all-in-one or multifunction printer (MFP). An MFP enables you to print, copy, scan, and fax from one single machine. Not only is this more efficient economically, but also logistically, as MFPs enable employees to multitask for a more efficient workflow and take up less office space.

Is it certified green?

ENERGY STAR certifies office technology devices that minimize operational power. For the most part, these machines stop using power and go into a ‘sleep mode’ when they are not used for a certain amount of time. This reduces the amount of energy used to operate certified machines. Additionally, they are easily programmed to go on standby mode, and in doing so, can save companies anywhere from 15 to 30 percent on printer-related expenses.

Businesses considering ‘going green’ can get started on their way to corporate responsibility by addressing simple technology devices like their printers. Spending a little extra time understanding how to improve your printer’s efficiency and effectiveness in the office can benefit your business, the environment, and your reputation with both clients and employees. Contact Infomax today to learn more.

The Link between Document Management and a Green Office

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It’s true that little changes add up, but reusable mugs and water bottles only take you so far. The best way to lessen your environmental impact, particularly when it comes to your company, is to go for a major business component revamp—like transitioning from paper to electronic document management. Read on to learn about the link between document management and a green office.

Paper Loses Purpose
With an electronic document management system, you no longer need to print every piece of information—in most cases, sharing and collaborating is simple and friction-free. You can share, email, review, and even sign digital documents in a centralized system. Document management eliminates the need to print separate copies for every department; you can all work from one central, up-to-date file.

Raw Material Madness
You’d be astounded at the amount of raw material you conserve when you move to digital document management. Less printing means less toner used and fewer cartridges manufactured. When you consider that manufacturing a single toner cartridge requires three liters of oil, it’s clear that curbing your printing habits can have a major impact. Your local landfill will thank you, too.

Storage Strategies
Document management can completely transform how you deal with documents once they’re out of primary circulation. It’s true that compliance regulations necessitate some hardcopy files, but it’s important to examine how much of what you’re printing and storing is actually required. Instead of dozens of cabinets filled with paper files (the vast majority of which will never be accessed again), you can store your documents on a tiny hard drive.

Poisonous Power
Until we’re running on 100 percent clean and renewable energy, more office equipment means faster draining of limited resources and the release of toxic pollutants. When you manage your documents digitally, you can cut back on the machinery required to run an office smoothly. Cut back on wattage by eliminating printers, reducing copiers, and consolidating multiple devices—like printers, scanners, copiers, and faxes—into a single machine. You will use less power to keep your office humming and will need less energy to control your climate.

Document management is a powerful way to improve your company’s green credentials and lessen your impact on the environment. To learn more about the big benefits of document management, contact Infomax today.