Workplace stopped recycling

[apkanne]

Megacorp announced yesterday that they would no longer be recycling other than paper/cardboard at my facility. Had the idea to set up 4 small bins for cans/plastic bottles to bring home each day to recycle at my house. Asked the admin to help me laminate the signs and he informed me I would not be allowed to do that without "permission".  I emailed the facilities manager who sent the announcement to express my disappointment in this willfully wasteful decision too, but what else can I do to try to help?

[I'm a red panda]

Is it truly a megacorp? Anonymously tell the press? That's just a stupid move...

[Morning Glory]

Recycling is no longer profitable, so it might cost the company more to separate it than just hauling it off in the trash. I was told by a guy at the recycling dropoff in town that most of the plastic just gets tossed in the garbage, the bins are just there because people would get upset if they were charged to dump something that is technically "recyclable". "Reduce" and "reuse" have always been better than "recycle" anyway.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.usatoday.com/amp/100654976

[apkanne]

Is it truly a megacorp? Anonymously tell the press? That's just a stupid move...

Yes it is. I will do that.

[apkanne]

I had sent an email to the facilities manager who sent out the correspondence and got a response that the first communication was inaccurate, that this is a temporary thing. So I don't have to go all Captain Planet... for now.

[soccerluvof4]

Good thing its temporary which even that I am not sure I understand. If the company is a Megacorp and they are looking to cut there trash/Recycling costs it really makes you wonder!?!... be curious if you ever find out the reasoning or why they did this unless its a vendor problem. Even that should be a quick fix.

[BudgetSlasher]

Since China decided to more strenuously enforce its standards on materials imported for recycling, the market value for "recyclables" has plummeted. In some cases they are being stockpiled, in others they are being diverted to waste-to-energy facilities (they LOVE plastics), in others it is simply being redirected to landfills.

I live in a state with a bottle bill (deposits on drinks) which pulls a large amount of aluminum ($$$) out of the recycling stream. With the falling value of recyclables many towns that provide recycling cannot cover the costs of operating the program; as a result they either charge the residents more (fun discussion at town-meeting day) or they reduce accepted recyclables (#2 plastic and cardboard still seem to be doing well).

I've also worked at state equivalents of EPAs where employees couldn't have recycling bins in their cubicle/office for paper because it was too much work for the building and grounds crew to empty.

Perhaps a combination of these factors has lead mega-corp to discontinue its recycling.

[I'm a red panda]

For a megacorp, recycling doesn't have to be profitable. It might be a cost.
But in general, when companies are banking on "green" initiatives making their corporate image more appealing; the public finding out the company has cut all recycling would be a huge negative. There are some things you do to be a good corporate citizen, not because they are profitable.

[meghan88]

I feel your pain on this - please keep up the good fight.

FWIW, the recycling at my company is pathetic, even though we have great facilities that make it very easy for employees to recycle.

On a daily basis, I am constantly picking plastics, food waste etc. out of the paper recycling bin, picking paper towels out of the jars and cans recycling bin, and correcting other infractions too numerous to mention.  Even though there is CLEAR SIGNAGE above each bin to indicate what is, and what isn't, recyclable.

I work at a small-ish high-tech company that employs a lot of young people with young families.  Depressing that they don't seem to know better, or care.

[waltworks]

Some stuff costs more to recycle (and that's pretty much all energy costs to transport/sort/shred/melt/re-make) than to just make new. There's a decent environmental argument to be made for NOT recycling some things (metals are a no brainer, though) simply because it's a net negative for carbon emissions. It *feels* weird to just throw something away, though.

IMO, people forget that there are _3_ R's, most of the time. Recycling is the LAST option. Reduce and reuse are much more valuable if you care about the environment (and saving money).

-W

[soccerluvof4]

so did they ever start recycling again?