In order to sustain long-term programs, it's important to establish:

Management Support and Organizational Involvement
First, gain management support and designate a recycling champion or team to advocate waste reduction goals.

Methods for Assessing Waste
Next, conduct your own solid waste assessment, or contact us at (513) 887-3406 or by e-mail. A solid waste assessment only takes about an hour of your time. If your business is interested in improving an existing recycling program, let us know and we can help with that, too.

A solid waste assessment identifies what is being thrown in your trash dumpster. Through recycling and waste reduction efforts, you can reduce the amount of waste going to the landfill and save money. The purpose of an assessment is to: 

• Establish a better understanding of current waste generation & disposal practices
• Identify potential recycling and waste reduction options for evaluation
• Create a baseline from which to measure success of a waste reduction program

Methods for Determining Cost-Benefits of Recycling
Use these steps as a guide to determine the cost-benefits of establishing a recycling program:

• Quantify units for current disposal and examine overall trash removal services
• Quantify recycling potential by comparing cost of disposal with/without recycling
• Estimate the economic and environmental benefits

Secured Markets for Recyclables
Materials commonly collected for recycling are paper, cardboard, scrap metal, plastic, glass and other types such as wood waste, oil and textiles. Generally, these materials have recycling potential because they can be collected in quantity, are free of contamination, and can be economically transported. It’s important to aggregate sufficient quantities of recyclables and ensure the materials are clean, consistent and contaminant-free.

The recycling arrangements you make will be unique to your company. Recyclables can be sold directly to a processor or a broker who markets the materials to the processors. Your waste hauler may also offer recycling services, or your company may use a waste exchange. In other cases, more research might be required to identify a new market. BCDES can help with that, too.

A Workable Program and Ongoing Monitoring
Ultimately, program goals will reflect the amount of waste being diverted and those operations that are most feasible and cost-effective for the individuals directly involved. Because participation is critical to the program's success, it's important to establish a simple, reliable and visible collection system and maintain effective, ongoing education and monitoring. Use this information to evaluate the program and make changes as needed.