How companies, schools and homes can go green for Earth Month

According to The World Counts, over 2.12 billion tons of waste is produced globally each year. Each day, large amounts of recyclable materials such as paper, plastic bottles and paper towels are improperly disposed, adding unneeded environmental waste and long-term damage.

While recycling has increased in recent years, the average U.S. recycling rate is still just 35 percent. This low rate is a key reason why robust recycling programs in schools, businesses and homes are sorely needed to drive positive change.

One example of a company forming a coalition of organizations to drive positive recycling efforts is SSC Services for Education, a national facility management company that specializes in custodial services, grounds management and plant operations across America’s K-12 schools and universities. Through their services, the company has implemented impactful national recycling solutions and found that recycling returns a diverse positive impact.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), recycling not only reduces the amount of waste in landfills, but also conserves natural resources, saves energy and creates jobs.

How can all organizations—whether academic institutions, corporations or even in one’s own home, take small steps to make a big difference for the planet’s environment?

In honor of Earth Month, SSC Services for Education and their team of experts have provided three actionable, simple steps that can make a positive difference improving the planet’s environment.

1. Show recycling matters

Schools help to shape habits that carry on to our adult life, and work is where we exercise those habits. When you add recycling into people’s daily lives, it will become a habit that they carry on for a lifetime.

SSC Services for Education suggests raising awareness by hanging posters with fun facts or statistics related to recycling in hallways or popular meeting areas. That helps spread the message and show how much recycling can make a difference to the environment.

Then set goals for your school or business, like reducing paper use by 10 percent or reducing the amount of hand towels purchased by 20 percent. Make it fun by promising an award if others help meet the overall recycling goal.

2. Customize recycling bins and add color.

Recycling can be confusing. Inconsistent labels can make it hard for even the most well-intentioned person to put waste in the right place.

Properly labeled bins with pictures and examples of what belongs in it make it easy for people to do the right thing. A recent study on recycling posters by the University of Toronto found that the addition of images on recycling bins doubled the amount of waste diverted from landfills.

3. Don’t just recycle paper – reuse it.

Millions of trees are cut down each year to make paper. With education and corporations being so paper-intensive, finding ways to recycle and reduce the amount of paper used anywhere is crucial.

In addition to a recycling bin, set up a box for reusable paper so people can reuse sheets that have only been used on one side. An elementary school in California saved 100 reams of paper using this method, according to the American Federation of Teachers. Alternatively, you can utilize used paper and create a Martha Stewart inspired recycled notebook.

Incorporating these practices into your school, business or home can help turn the tide against environmental pollution. Together, by implementing these easy steps, society can decrease pollution levels, save trees and help improve the environment.