Create a more sustainable workplace this Waste Not, Want Not Day

E-waste recycling service TechCollect is calling on Australian businesses to increase their recycling efforts and help reduce the amount of e-waste currently going into landfill ahead of its annual Waste Not, Want Not Day on 13 December.

According to TechCollect CEO Carmel Dollisson, it’s crucial that business owners ensure responsible waste management practices are in place not only for the environment, but to meet changing employee and customer expectations around this important issue. Recent research prepared for Planet Ark indicates that workers and the public are embracing organisations that take recycling seriously, with 82% of employees wanting to see more e-waste recycling in their workplaces and three out of four businesses agreeing that good waste management improves public perception of the business.

“Businesses who put sustainability at the top of their agenda report higher recruitment and staff retention rates, and an overall increase in employee engagement and productivity,” said Dollinsson. “As awareness of good recycling practice continues to grow among Australians, employees also expect their company to have an active environmental policy in place.

“Whilst there are many businesses doing a good job at recycling other items such as cardboard and paper, there is much more work to be done in the corporate sector in electronic waste recycling. We need to create an environment in which responsibilities are more evenly shared, encouraging businesses to become active players in the management and recycling of the electronic waste they’re responsible for, which will also encourage their employees to do the same at home.

“With Waste Not, Want Not Day approaching, we encourage all businesses and employees to mark 13 December in the calendar, get their old electronic devices out of the cupboard or company storerooms and ensure they’re responsibly recycled. TechCollect ensures that at least 90% of the valuable resources in those devices are put back into the manufacturing process to be re-used in new products — a far better outcome for the environment than creating new products from virgin materials.”

To get involved in TechCollect’s Waste Not, Want Not Day on 13 December, businesses can follow these easy steps:

1. Gather all their unwanted and unused e-waste in the workplace (TechCollect will take TVs as well as computers and IT accessories).
2. Call 1300 229 837 to see if they qualify for a free pickup (on the basis of quantity and location).
3. If they don’t qualify for a free pickup, they can find their nearest free drop-off point at http://techcollect.com.au/our-locations/.
4. If they’re not close to a TechCollect service, they can search for other free services under the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme at http://recyclingnearyou.com.au.

“With Christmas just around the corner, we encourage businesses to give the ultimate gift back to the environment,” said Dollinsson. “During this quiet time of the year, it would be great to see businesses spend a couple of hours rounding up all the e-waste in the office. It’s good for their workforce, their corporate reputation and above all it’s good for the environment.”

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/dianabahrin1