Recycling in commercial enterprises is important because commercial waste makes up about 40 percent of total

municipal solid waste. Business and industry operations generate recyclable materials in many areas, such as offices, cafeterias, supply stores, shipping or warehouse units, print shops, and production areas. Many companies

are already enthusiastically collecting recyclables in high-profile programs, while others are just beginning. Collecting recyclables costs money, but it also saves money by reducing the volume of waste that must be disposed of. In

addition, the sale of some recyclable materials can generate revenues.

This document provides basic information on establishing recycling collection programs in any setting, but focuses on

collection in offices. Suggestions are also provided on ways to expand or improve an existing collection program. 

What Materials Are Recyclable?

Generally, materials that have recycling potential are

those that can be collected in quantity and free of

contamination, and that can be economically transported to a processor or end user. A decision to collect such materials also will depend on projected

costs and revenues, employee interest, corporate environmental policy, local solid waste laws, and community support for recycling. The following materials

are most commonly collected for recycling.

Paper

Most types of paper are recyclable. Office paper is usually collected in two grades: “high-grade” and “mixed”

paper. High-grade paper typically consists of white copier paper, white computer paper, white office stationery, and white note paper. Mixed office paper includes

nearly all paper generated in an office, including both

white and colored paper, newspapers, file folders, manila envelopes, and paperback books. Because it is minimally sorted, mixed paper is considered to be low

quality and generally yields very low market prices.

Buyers of either type of recyclable paper usually prohibit certain contaminants such as glossy paper, tape,

and envelopes with plastic windows. The highest

prices are paid for sorted paper with little contamination. 

Corrugated Containers (Cardboard)

The commercial sector in the United States generates

more corrugated cardboard than any other single material. Cardboard is a very good candidate for recycling because it is easily separated from other materials. In

addition, because of its bulk, collecting cardboard for recycling can significantly reduce the amount of waste requiring disposal. This can reduce the number of trash

pickups or the size of solid waste containers needed,

thereby lowering disposal costs. Collecting cardboard

for recycling can involve removing contaminants, flattening boxes, and baling or tying them together for

pickup. 

Glass

Many buyers require that collected glass be separated

by color (clear, green, and brown) before pickup, although some will accept mixed glass. Typically, broken

glass and paper labels are acceptable. Most buyers require, however, that glass be clean and free of contaminants such as bottle caps, ceramics, rocks, and light

bulbs. 

Metal

Aluminum and tin/steel cans, aluminum foil, and

other scrap metals are readily recyclable. Some metals,

such as copper and aluminum, can yield high market

Recycling involves three steps:

2 Collecting recyclable materials.

2 Using recovered materials as feedstock in the manufacture of new products.

2 Purchasing the recycled products for use again.

In the recycling collection component of the WasteWi$e program, companies are encouraged to implement the first part of recycling by establishing, expanding, or

improving on a program to collect recyclables. 

United States Solid Waste and EPA530-F-94-007

Environmental Protection Emergency Response January 1994

Agency (5306)

1EPA How to Start or Expand

A Recycling Collection 

Program

Recycled/Recyclable 2 Printed on paper that contains at least 50% recycled fiber.
prices. Collection requirements depend on the metal

type and the local market situation. 

Plastic

While plastics recycling is a relatively young industry,

it is expected to expand as processing technologies develop. To recycle recovered plastic materials into highquality products, they must be separated by resin type.

The plastic resins most commonly recycled are PET

(polyethylene terephthalate), used in soda bottles, and

HDPE (high density polyethylene), used in milk jugs.

Markets are often available to manufacturers and other

commercial enterprises that generate large volumes of

plastic waste, especially if the plastic is segregated by

resin type. In some areas, there also may be buyers for

recovered plastics that contain a mix of resin types.

Mixed plastics can be used to manufacture items such

as plastic wood park benches, garbage containers, and

highway barriers. 

Other Recyclables

Other materials, such as wood waste and textiles, also

are recyclable. To find a buyer, identify the composition of the waste material and the amount generated.

Then creatively look for a market for the used material. The local Chamber of Commerce, local business

networks, and your local or state government might be

able to help you find a market.

How Do I Start a Collection Program?

Obtain Management Support. The first step in planning a collection program is to gain the support of top

management. An enthusiastic recycling coordinator

should be appointed. That person will need to work

with individuals responsible for facilities management,

materials handling, transportation, and procurement, as

well as with vendors, contractors, employees, and the

public. 

Form a Team. Many companies have found that forming a waste reduction team helps to ensure a successful

program. Together with the recycling coordinator, this

group will plan, implement, and manage the program.

 The waste reduction team should include employees

from many parts of the organization, thereby establishing recycling advocates in all areas of the company.

Certain key employees should be enlisted. For example, custodial staff should be integrally involved in creating the collection system, since they are involved in

waste management and will be relied on to implement

important aspects of the program. Waste reduction team

members can also assist with employee education and

program evaluation activities. 

Know Your Waste. When determining what recyclables

your program should collect, it is important to know

what waste your company generates. The best way to

determine this is to conduct a “waste assessment” (see

the tip sheet on Waste Assessment or EPA’s Business

Guide for Reducing Solid Waste). A waste assessment

provides baseline data that can be used to establish waste

reduction and recycling goals and to monitor progress. 

Set Waste Reduction Goals. The next step is to define

your waste reduction goals. EPA’s Business Guide for

Reducing Solid Waste provides some guidance on how

to do this. Ultimately, however, your goals will reflect

the amount and type of waste generated, those waste

management options that are most feasible and cost-effective for your operation, and other specifics. Remember to first consider activities that actually prevent

waste from being generated. Then, examine the waste

that is generated to determine which materials could

be collected for recycling.

How Do I Find a Market?

Before your recycling program begins, a market must

be found for the materials that will be collected. If no

market for a material exists, it should not be collected

for recycling. Not all markets will pay for recyclables.

Some will require you to pay a small fee. However, you

may still find this to be more cost effective than paying for disposal of the material. 

 Demand for products made with recovered material content increases demand for recovered raw materials. For this

reason, in addition to collection, WasteWi$e also encourages businesses to purchase products with recycled content

and to use recovered materials in the manufacturing process to help build stronger markets for collected recyclables. 

 Several types of companies purchase recyclables.

These companies are generally referred to as “vendors.”

A company that helps set up the collection program

might also buy the material. Recyclables also can be

sold directly to the processor who prepares them for

the end user or manufacturer, or to a broker who will

market the materials to processors or end users. The arrangements you make will be unique to your company

and the company collecting the materials. 

 In many cases, a vendor will be easy to find in the

telephone book. In other cases, more research might be

required. Sometimes a new market might need to be developed for a material. Your local or state government

recycling offices, the local Chamber of Commerce, or a

local or regional recycling organization might be able

to help you find or develop markets for materials you

intend to collect. In addition, other businesses might

be able to use these materials. A neighboring business

might, for instance, be able to use your recovered materials in their production process. An organization, such

as a “waste exchange,” can provide the necessary communication link between those who have materials

that could be recycled and those who are looking for

materials to use in their production processes.

What Must I Know to Sell the

Material I Collect?

Buyers of recovered materials will be interested in both

the quantity and quality of your recyclables. These fac2
tors will influence the price they will pay for your collected materials. The economic value of recovered materials also depends on how they will be used, as well

as on the prices manufacturers must pay for comparable virgin raw materials. Keep the following points in

mind when you plan your collection program.

Quantity Considerations. Aggregating sufficient quantities of recyclables is important because vendors cannot

always afford to handle and transport small amounts of

material. The marketing potential of your recyclables

can be improved if you cooperate with neighboring

businesses that generate the same types of materials.

For example, businesses in the same building or in a

shopping mall might share storage space for recyclables

at the loading dock or other central location. Together,

they can find a buyer for the larger quantity of material. Businesses also might be able to share processing

equipment, such as balers. 

Quality Considerations. The second key to selling recyclable materials is meeting the buyer’s quality requirements. Quality refers to the extent to which the

materials are clean, consistent, and contaminant-free.

Your program should stress the importance of minimizing contamination and collecting high-quality recyclables. The vendors you ultimately contract with will

provide specific quality requirements and explain how

the material must be sorted and prepared. 

How Do I Actually Collect and Store

Recyclables?

Once you have decided what materials to collect and you

have located a vendor, it is time to set up your collection

program. Use your ingenuity and creativity to design a

program that suits the specific needs of your business.

 Place collection containers in convenient locations as

close as possible to areas where recyclables are generated. For instance, in an office paper collection program, it is most convenient for individuals to have

small paper collection containers at their desks. Employees or custodial staff can then transfer the paper

collected in these small containers to a larger central

collection point. Convenience is especially important

in a manufacturing setting where employees might

have little time to properly separate materials.

 Recyclables that are generated in small quantities can

be collected at central drop-off points. For example, beverage containers can be collected at drop-off points located in lunch rooms, cafeterias, or near building exits.

How Do I Involve, Educate, and

Motivate Employees?

Employee involvement, education, and motivation is

critical to the success of your entire waste reduction

program. These factors certainly will affect the quality

and, therefore, the marketability, of the materials collected. Remember that employee education and program promotion will be ongoing components of your recycling program, so plan and budget accordingly. 

 At the offset of the program, send a kick-off memo

from senior management announcing the recycling program and requesting the involvement of all employees.

The memo might encourage employees to volunteer to

become members of the waste reduction team. Involving employees at the planning stage will give them a

sense of ownership, making it more likely that they

will support the program. Soliciting feedback from employees during program implementation will ensure

their continued involvement. 

 If you are a manufacturer setting up a collection program, involve employees who work in production areas

where materials will be recovered for recycling. They

are already familiar with the manufacturing process

and might have ideas about how to most successfully

collect recyclable materials. 

 It is also important to teach employees how to properly participate in recycling by providing simple and

concise information on what to do. A 20-minute training session for small groups can be very effective in explaining the details of the program. New employees

can be trained during orientation sessions. Be sure that

the custodial staff is well trained and understands the

importance of its role in the program.

 Beyond involving employees in planning and training

them how to participate, employees must also be encouraged to participate on a regular basis. Employees

will be more likely to participate enthusiastically if

they understand the benefits of waste reduction and recycling, both for the company and for the environment. Ways to keep employees involved and interested

include giving them feedback on program successes

and having an awards program.

How Do I Monitor and Evaluate the

Collection Program?

Monitoring and evaluating the program should be done

on a regular basis. Maintain accurate and up-to-date statistics, such as the types and amounts of material collected, prices paid by vendors, and contaminant levels.

Use this information, as well as feedback from employees, to evaluate the program and make changes as

needed. For example, contamination could be reduced

by placing larger signs on collection containers or by increasing the number of collection containers.

 If your collection program is already underway,

WasteWi$e asks that you improve or expand it. Some

ways that you can accomplish this are:

Increasing the collection rate per material.

Adding materials to your collection program.

Reducing contamination through employee

education or by redesigning the collection system.

Increasing employee or community education. 

3
Initiating community projects to increase

recycling.

Reorganizing the structure of the recycling system

to make it more efficient. 

There are other ways to improve or expand your recycling collection program, so be creative! 

What Additional Information Is

Available from EPA?

Order the following EPA document from the EPA

RCRA/Superfund Hotline at 800 424-9346 or TDD 800

553-7672 for the hearing impaired. For Washington,

DC, and outside the United States, call 703 412-9810

or TDD 703 412-3323.

Business Guide for Reducing Solid Waste

(EPA530-K-92-004), 1993. Free.

This is a comprehensive how-to guide on assessing

your facility’s solid waste and choosing cost-effective

waste reduction actions.

Order the following document from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) at 703 487-4650.

Office Paper Recycling: An Implementation Manual

(PB90-199-431), 1990. $22.50.

This detailed manual explains how to set up an office

paper collection program and provides examples of successful programs.

Sources of Additional Information

The following list of resources is not intended to be

comprehensive and does not constitute EPA endorsement of products. The documents referenced are those

WasteWi$e found to be most useful.

For further information, WasteWi$e members are encouraged to contact their state and local governments,

many of which have manuals on setting up collection

programs and information about markets for collected

recyclable materials. Please let us know of other resources you have found to be helpful. 

National Office Paper Recycling Project,

information/enrollment package. Free.

U.S. Conference of Mayors

National Office Paper Recycling Program

1620 Eye Street, NW.

Washington, DC 20006

202 233-3089

Business Recycling Manual, 1991. $90.00. 

This comprehensive manual provides a systematic approach to establishing a recycling program in businesses. Topics range from negotiating with haulers to

sustaining your program over the long run.

INFORM, Inc. and Recourse Systems, Inc.

381 Park Avenue South

New York, NY 10016

212 689-4040

Guide To Commercial and Institutional Recycling, 1992.

$10.00.

This comprehensive guide explains how to establish a

waste reduction and recycling program, including conducting a waste assessment, employing an eight-step approach to office recycling, and buying recycled products.

Northeast Maryland Waste Disposal Authority

25 South Charles Street, Suite 2105

Baltimore, MD 21201-3330

410 333-2730

RecycleLine

RecycleLine is an online recycling network and resource center. It offers continually updated information on recycled products, markets, equipment, and

services.

P.O. Box 32428

Louisville, KY 40232

800 824-2144

Waste Cap Interactive Computer Model (WICM). $10.00

outside New Hampshire.

This menu-driven program for personal computers can

help identify and evaluate recycling opportunities in

your organization.

Emily Hess, Director

Business and Industry Assocation of New Hampshire

122 North Main Street

Concord, NH 03301

603 224-5388

603 224-2872 (FAX)

WasteWi$e is a partnership between EPA and America’s leading businesses. Participants set

their own waste prevention, recycling, and recycled product purchasing goals. WasteWi$e

supports company efforts through technical assistance and recognition of participants’

successes.

For more information about any aspect of WasteWi$e, call 800 EPAWISE (800 372-9473).

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