As a business in 2022, it's likely that you already have a firm sustainability plan in place. But it should be more than just tipping paper into the recycling or installing hand dryers in the bathrooms. You should be able to see clearly how your company is moving towards a greener and brighter future.

One of the easiest ways to do this is to recycle. By putting recycling at the top of your company's sustainability agenda you will not only stop the rubbish bins from piling up, but will ensure you have a tip-top recycling system that all of your staff can use.

What are the benefits of recycling?

How can Recycling Benefit the Environment? The system conserves energy, reduces pollution from contaminated waters, reduces carbon dioxide and protects biodiversity. The recycling and composting process has reduced waste by 62% and reduced waste by 35%

If you're still not convinced, we've compiled five reasons for recycling and show why your recycling efforts should be at the top of your priority list.

1. Save Money

Money makes the world go round, right?

Wrong. Our planet is the one thing that keeps our businesses running. Without it, there would be no business.

Having said that, we understand of course you want to cut costs wherever you can. So, you'll be pleased to hear that recycling is actually far cheaper than throwing your rubbish into general waste.

Landfill tax is increasingly on the rise. It's currently around £98 per tonne. Why? To encourage businesses to recycle! (And just in case you were wondering, we send nothing to landfill sites ourselves.)

At First Mile, we don't just offer cost-effective waste management — we also provide aesthetically pleasing, colour-coded sacks, bins and boxes that'll make recycling easier than managing a smelly, over-filled bin that contains who-knows-what.

2. Customers Love Sustainable Brands

Times are changing, greenhouse gas emissions are on the rise. People have woken up to the urgency of the climate crisis and they no longer want to buy into companies that don't have their environmental values at heart.

One such example is the fast fashion industry. A huge and unflattering light has been thrown on the industry over the past few years and consumers are moving away from fast fashion and towards companies that use ethically sourced materials.

A study by Unilever found that over a third of consumers are now choosing to buy from brands they believe are doing social or environmental good, so upping your business sustainability is a no-brainer if you want to ensure your brand remains a firm favourite amongst consumers.

Depending on your business, it may be difficult to tote yourself as a sustainable brand. What if your business is IT, for example?

This is where recycling can really make a difference. By making your workplace recycling agenda the best it can possibly be, your customers and clients will be happy to work with you.

To go one step further, we even make sure that none of your non-recyclable waste goes into landfill. Instead, we use it to create energy that powers and heats homes all around the UK. Trust us, your customers will appreciate it.

3. It'll Make Your Employees Happy

Just like your customers, your employees will appreciate how you prioritise recycling in the workplace. By having a clear system in place, it'll be easy for them to throw their food, packaging and any unwanted office equipment away without feeling guilty about it going to waste.

And, chances are, they already recycle at home anyway. They'll appreciate being able to do their bit for the environment at work too.

Here are some ways to encourage recycling in the workplace:

  • Get some good-looking, colour-coded recycling bins and sacks.
  • Create a designated recycling zone in an accessible area of the building. Ideally, this would be where most of the rubbish happens — in the kitchen.
  • Put up helpful signs that tell your employees which materials can go in which recycling waste bin - we offer a whole range of free recycling posters.
  • Encourage employees to ditch their plastic bottles by offering them reusables
  • Assign an employee rota that will ensure the area is checked and cleaned up regularly. If the area is kept tidy, staff are more likely to use it.
  • Remove under-desk bins – these only encourage people not to recycle.
  • If you have a large office, implement a recycling station somewhere else in your office away from the kitchen to encourage everyone to recycle right. This could be for waste paper, confidential documents, cardboard or food. Make sure these are emptied at the end of every day.

4. Doing Your Bit For The Planet

Businesses are in a huge position of power and, with that power, comes the responsibility to the planet. Making recycling a priority will decrease the carbon footprint your company has on the environment and will encourage others to follow suit. Your recycling habits will make a huge difference.

Recycling reduces the number of carbon emissions entering our atmosphere by conserving natural resources. This is because creating products using recycled materials requires less energy compared to using new raw materials, resulting in less pollution, making recycling a great asset in the fight to tackle climate change.

Recycling is primed to reduce your business' impact on climate change, by recycling rather than landfilling or incinerating reduces emissions. Additionally, it avoids the extraction of new and raw resources – often so precious to our planet, while helping to save energy in the manufacturing process.

And, no matter what industry you're in, there are always things that you can recycle. We offer recycling solutions for the following materials:

For our full list of recycling and waste management services, click here. You can also get in touch with one of our experts to discuss your recycling needs and get a tailored quote.

5. Contribute to the Green Recovery

Lastly, we understand that the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown up huge obstacles for businesses. Making your organisation eco-friendly has probably slid down the priority list and your sustainability agenda may have been put on the back burner.

However, the pandemic, along with the climate crisis, has shown that our relationship with nature is as fragile as ever. If we want to succeed as a society and move into a brighter, more sustainable future, businesses must focus on a green recovery.

What's more, with many people working from home over the past two years, workers have spent less time in polluted city centres. They've been baking their own bread, planting their own veg patches, building compost bins, getting creative with scraps —basically, they've become a lot more resourceful. If you want to encourage your staff back into work, you'll need to reconsider how you manage waste and energy in the office.

What are the benefits of using recycled materials over raw materials?

When we create products using raw materials, we consume natural resources. Recycling saves energy and creates a circular economy in which materials can be used again and again, so one glass bottle can be recycled endlessly. Recycling helps protect the planet's limited resources and natural habitats.

Recycling reduces landfill, when we recycle, recyclable materials are reprocessed into new products, and as a result, the amount of rubbish sent to landfill sites decreases which reduce emissions of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.

Recycling metals reduces the need to extract new metal ore while recycling glass reduces our need for certain raw materials like sand, this is an example of how recycling helps protect our natural world.

Unsure where to start?

Start with recycling. It's simple, easy and will make no difference to your day-to-day routine. Head over to our services page and find out how we can help your business move into a greener future.

What are your reasons for recycling?

Let us know on Instagram!