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May 2013
SixSix of the Most Common Office Recycling Mistakes

Recycling tip - cardboardYou have a recycling program in place. You've trained your cleaning crew.  You've sent out emails to tenants and staff. So why is your recycling program still not working?  

Well, it all boils down to a few common mistakes or misconceptions that we see over and over again.  By dealing with these, you can effect change more quickly. To start, we've created two fun, 30-second videos to help you correct the first 2 common mistakes.  Below are solutions for the rest.

Mistake #1: Only white paper can be recycled
What type of paper can be recycled? When in doubt, many people seem to assume that only white paper can be recycled. But in reality, many types of paper can be recycled, including paper bags and paper plates (which we often see thrown in the trash!). The only exception is paper with some kind of coating. The rule of thumb is that if you can tear it, you can recycle it. 

Mistake #2: Not flattening cardboard boxes
Unflattened boxes take up a lot of room and before long, the recycling bin is filled.  This can cause an unsightly overflow from all the bins as unflattened boxes are then thrown in the trash as well.  More waste and less recycling could mean increased costs. 

Mistake #3:  Not bothering to use the right bins because all trash and recyclables are sorted again anyway
Many office workers think the cleaning crew that comes at night will do more sorting to correct any mistakes. But this is not a part of their job. Bags of recyclables are transparent so if too much trash is spotted in the recycling bag, it gets diverted to the landfill.  "Sometimes people leave a can of soda or some food trash on top of the paper recycling bin thinking that the cleaners will remove the trash from the recycling. But this does not happen often and whole bags of recycling are then needlessly diverted to landfills,"  says Great Forest recycling consultant Sandra Robishaw.  
Solution: Make sure recycling bins are placed next to trash bins (see below); conduct some recycling education.

Mistake #4: Not placing recycling and trash bins together 
Recycling and trash bins placed side by side encourage people to make good, informed decisions.  With just one bin, the temptation is to just throw both trash and recyclables in that bin. The worse offense is wet waste (eg: food) being discarded in paper recycling bins. If possible, place trash and recycling bins together, especially in common areas. 
Solution: Do a walk though to make sure bins are properly positioned. Talk to your sustainability officer or consultant. 

Mistake #5: Lining recycling bins with black garbage bags
Many everyday decisions are made in the blink of an eye using visual cues.  So recycling bins lined with black bags can and do easily get mistaken for garbage bins. If your recycling bin is being filled with trash, there is less room for recyclables. 
Solution: Make sure your cleaning crew is using the right bags for the right bins. 

 

Mistake #6: Improper Labeling
Labels must be visible and clear. For example, bins that are just labeled "recycling" are confusing.  Are they for paper, or bottles/cans/plastic? Confusion leads to mistakes. SolutionDo a walk through to see if all labels and signs are visible and with proper instructions. Talk to your sustainability officer or consultant about this.
GettingGetting More Accurate Metrics with OTC Logs
 
In March, Great Forest introduced a more reliable volume to weight conversion ratio at the International Conference on Solid Waste to help office buildings calculate their waste metrics more effectively.  Now, Great Forest consultants in the D.C. region have rolled out a simple system that can add to that accuracy - Open Top Container Logs (OTCLs).
 
Great Forest has trained cleaning crews in more than a dozen buildings in D.C., Virginia and Maryland to use OTCLs to record how full a building's containers are before they are picked up by the waste hauler.  Accurately measuring recycling and waste container fullness levels helps to produce better metrics, which allows us to monitor hauler reliability and reduce costs by optimizing service.  This OTCL system has been so successful that it will soon be expanded to more than 100 buildings. 
 
This is how it works: 
 
Great Forest trains cleaning crews in both English and Spanish, teaching them how to accurately estimate container fullness and record their observations. Logs only take a few seconds to complete, and can be submitted electronically. This allows for an unprecedented level of efficiency and accuracy. 

 

In the OTC logs, cleaners write down if each container they check is at capacity or say, just 50% full, based on our simple measurement guidelines. If a container is consistently only 50% full, we adjust metrics based on that value, and reduce hauler service levels to save money for our clients. If the container is consistently piled-high, we adjust the metrics and increase hauler service to prevent overflow and costly double-pulls. 


The OTCL system was developed and improved by Great Forest waste and recycling experts over time. In the early stages, we would drive out to the different buildings to check the containers on pick-up day, but that was not very efficient.  We then thought about using electronic rangefinders, cameras, or scales on the dump trucks. In the end, after a lot of experimenting, we realized that this simple method of utilizing the onsite cleaning crew to record container fullness worked the best. 

 

Cleaning crews are also excited about the system as it is an easy way for them to add value to the services they provide.

EarthEarth Day 2013 Recap:  Cleaning Up a Stream and More
 
What did you do for Earth Day? Great Forest held dozens of special Earth Day events across the country this year. 

We staged recycling games in the lobbies of office buildings and malls, created a "fine art" event with elaborately framed green tips, distributed bags of seed bombs that could be taken home and planted, and we even helped to clean up a stream that runs adjacent to a client's building in Maryland!

Great Forest assisted The JBG Companies with providing kid-friendly educational materials for the cleanup event in partnership with Rock Creek Conservancy. Great Forest consultant Barbara Fonseca created a poster presentation for the kids involved. She also brought a home worm compost bin to educate residents and tenants on organics recycling. We helped pull out close to 3 tons of waste from the stream, including old tires, mattresses, blankets, an old rusted bicycle, and a large amount of glass bottles. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
   
 
  [Photos above: Courtesy Rock Creek Conservancy]
Wheel of Sustainability Eco Skill Game

Great Forest seed bomb fine Earth Day event
[Three photos directly above: Van Stolatis Photography, Courtesy 230 Park Avenue]
Cleanmed
What do Physicians and Corporate Executives Have in Common?

Great Forest attended the recent CleanMed 2013 conference dedicated to sustainability in health care and learned that 87% of hospitals are incorporating sustainability into their decision-making process and operations. 

With hospitals and other health care facilities usually open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the health care industry is increasingly coming to realize what many corporations already know - that sustainability is crucial, especially to their bottom line.

One of the most interesting discussions at the conference revolved around the role of the physician in sustainability. The physician's role within the hospital is one of a leader that can help implement programs. An example given was lessening the amount of medication prescribed, which can reduce the amount of medication that goes unused and discarded, or creating medication take back programs. This can help cut down on waste disposal and its associated costs, and also lower the risk of medication polluting the environment, which can happen when unused drugs are flushed down toilets.

Like corporate executives, physicians have the power to lead by example and increase support for sustainability where they work. Their decisions can send positive ripples through the entire organization. We have seen that happen many times in our work with various corporations and institutions over the past 20 years.  Sustainability leadership is key. The health care industry can use lessons from the corporate world, and vice versa. 
We look forward to being the conduit for sharing knowledge and strategies between industries.  
QQ&A: How Can I Encourage Employees to Bike to Work?
  
Image from WashingtonPost.com
May is National Bike Month. 
So how can you encourage your employees to commute to work by two wheels? 
 
Well, first, consider installing bike racks. Your employees need a way to securely lock their bike in a covered area during the day. Bike racks can help if you are pursuing LEED certification.
 
Your biking employees may also like having access to a shower.  And other little touches also help - like providing easy access to water - older water fountains do not always easily accommodate water bottles for refill.
 
In NYC, companies can encourage employees to check out the city's newly-launched inaugural bike-sharing program, with some 6,000 bicycles available at 300 locations throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn.  
 
You can also encourage employees to practice safe riding. Provide links to tips like these from NYC's Transportation Alternatives through company newsletters or message boards. 
 

Sources: Bike NYC  

Great Forest Inc.
212.779.4757
2014 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10035

A pioneer in the industry with over 20 years of experience, Great Forest is one of the leading sustainability consultancies in the country. We improve environmental performance and reduce costs for clients nationwide ranging from Fortune 500 corporations to property management companies, hotels, retailers, financial and educational institutions, and municipalities. 

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