America Recycles Day: A Day to Think About Year Round Waste Reduction Strategies

By: Keith Schneringer  |  November 15, 2016

Today is America Recycles Day!

It is a day to educate and motivate our communities on the possibilities of what can be accomplished when everyone works together to recycle and also buy products with recycled content.

And the evidence shows that this focus on recycling is working – according to the EPA, Americans are recycling more and discarding less. In 2014, Americans recycled over 34% of the waste which was generated, a slight increase from 32% in 2005, and a big increase from 16% in 1990 and 10% in 1980.

Yea America!

However, although 34% recycling rate represents a big increase since the 80’s and 90’s, it is still short of the goals many municipalities, higher education campuses and corporations are setting for themselves. Depending on where you live/study/work, your municipality/campus/workplace may have adopted a 50%, 60%, 75% or even up to a 90% goal.

So how can recycling rates be increased, and these waste diversion goals achieved?

By taking a moment today, and in the ensuing weeks to think about how a recycling program can be introduced, reinvigorated, improved and/or replicated in 2017 and moving forward.

WAXIE would love to be a partner to help these recycling efforts, and has recently updated information on our website on the topic of Waste Diversion and Recycling. We would be honored if today, on America Recycles Day, you were to check out our thoughts on how WAXIE can help facilities to collect, move and store materials which can be recycled or composted. We would love to play our part to help increase recycling rates in the communities we serve.

Starting A Recycling Program

You may have already read our blog on starting a Recycling Program, but in the spirit of America Recycles Day, we would like to “recycle” the information and provide the link again in case you missed it the first (or second) time around – and you many also be interested in checking out this article on earth911.com which includes an infographic on the 9 biggest recycling mistakes people make.

Keith Schneringer is WAXIE’s Director of Channel Marketing + Sustainability. He is a LEED AP O+M and CIMS-GB ISSA Certification Expert who has been a consultant on a variety of LEED and CIMS-GB projects, and has presented to audiences at USGBC, BOMA, IFMA and CHESC events (among others). He enjoys learning and sharing information on topics related to sustainability and green cleaning and can be found on Twitter @kschneringer.

READ MORE:
A Guide to Workplace Composting
America Recycles Day: A Day to Think About Recycling
America Recycles Day: Highlighting San Diego’s Path to Zero Waste 
Americans Recycling More, Discarding Less, EPA Says
Recycling at Work