Whether you have one warehouse/distribution center (W/DC) or several locations throughout the United States, starting a corporate recycling program for plastics— such as stretch films and stretch wraps —is an excellent way to make an impact on your bottom line and the environment. Laying the groundwork for a plastic recycling program at the corporate level can set a standard for all other warehouses, distribution centers, and other facilities situated under the charter.
The impacts and results of your recycling efforts can be significantly amplified when you implement it at the corporate level. Let's take a closer look at the key benefits of implementing a corporate recycling program for plastics.
A Corporate Recycling Program Saves Money
Corporate recycling programs can create cost avoidance and free up limited funds for other business goals or sustainable initiatives. Ultimately, starting a corporate recycling program can make a direct impact on your bottom line.
How Can a Corporate Recycling Program Impact the Bottom Line?
When you remove plastic scraps from your waste stream — especially plastic stretch films and stretch wraps — you will almost immediately create significant cost savings. Any given warehouse or distribution center in the United States creates mounds of valuable, recyclable stretch film and wraps in association with the receiving and shipping of pallets.
Instead of throwing this material in the trash with other disposables, starting a corporate recycling program to repurpose this material can create savings in more ways than one. On one hand, you can reduce your cost of hauling trash to the landfill by limiting the number of pulls. In most instances, this is a fixed charge for each time the trash bin is picked up.
Also, you can create significant savings by reducing the "per ton" tipping fee. The tipping or gate fee is levied at the landfill. The tipping fee may range from as low as $20 up to $100 and will vary based on region.
This means that if you're disposing 250,000 lbs (125 tons) of stretch wrap at a single site in NY at $102.00 per ton, you could be spending $12,750 in tipping costs alone. What new programs could you start and fund with nearly $13,000 in savings?
A Corporate Recycling Program Can Help Attract & Retain Top Talent
Having a fresh pipeline of talent is critical to your business. Without it, it's virtually impossible to sustain long-term growth for the future. Due to this, you need to use everything possible to create a competitive edge in the process of attracting and retaining top talent.
Today, not only are modern-day consumers demanding more sustainable and green products, but job seekers and employees are as well. Employees may be more motivated to work for an employer who actively participates in socially and environmentally-responsible activities, such as plastic recycling.
A new study produced by Lightspeed commissioned by Rubbermaid Commercial Products uncovered a critical fact about the new workforce. Recycling and workplace sustainability has become more important to young millennials than previous generations. An estimated 1 out of 10 millennials would be willing to leave a job if the employer didn't engage in sustainable practices.
Reduce Your Carbon Footprint Environment with a Corporate Recycling Program
Undoubtedly, one of the top reasons for starting a corporate recycling program is environmental implications. While plastic is wildly popular and useful, many plastic items can take up to 1,000 years to decompose in landfills.
These landfills take up significant space around the world — space that could be used for much more productive solutions. At the same time, recycling plastic prevents the processing and burning of limited fossil fuels, which results in the production of greenhouse gasses. To put it simply, starting a corporate recycling program opens the door to a myriad of key environmental benefits and can significantly reduce your organization's carbon footprint.
Improve Brand Loyalty with a Corporate Recycling Program
The brand is everything. And you can elevate the profile of your brand to new heights in the hearts and minds of your customers with a corporate recycling program. Specifically, your environmentally-conscious efforts can help position your brand in the right light for all consumers.
Did you know consumers aged 44 and younger tend to be more likely to value socially-responsible organizations? At the same time, an astonishing 75% of millennials are willing to pay more for sustainable products based on research from Nielsen. When properly marketed, your corporate recycling program can make a lasting impact on your bottom line in more ways than one.
Contact AAA Polymer for Assistance Starting a Corporate Recycling Program
If you're looking to start or learn more about corporate recycling programs, the team at AAA Polymer can help. We specialize in helping warehouses and distribution centers as well as other businesses start and improve commercial recycling programs.
Contact us today to learn how we can help you amplify your results.