3 Steps To Recycling Buy-In

A question on a LinkedIn hotel group was asked the other day: How does your housekeeping team encourage guests to recycle? Do you place separate bins in the guest rooms for paper, glass etc.? How can you do this while maintaining a 4 and 5 diamond look? And it made me think about what advice to give about getting buy-in for recycling programs. In this case, from both staff and consumers.

It seems to me that the topic of how to effectively implement recycling programs is essentially the same regardless of business size. At its most basic, there are three components to implementing a successful recycling program:  

1. Make it easy.
2. Communicate the expectation of recycling.
3. Communicate the how and why of the program to employees.

Starting with making it easy, it may seem self-evident, making recycling easy for patrons and staff is the number one action you can take to facilitate a recycling program.You can do this by providing clearly marked containers throughout the room and locating them in places where people need them, such as near sinks, kitchens and minibars. As to the issue of matching the aesthetics of the facility, as long as the recycling bins are just as aesthetically pleasing as your existing trash cans (or hidden in cabinets) I do not see how they detract from the ambiance. That brings me to the second point.

Communicating the expectation of recycling can be as simple as providing sufficient signage. Signs are a valuable way to reinforce your commitment to your green practices, and for getting people to stick with the program. An article in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis showed that people significantly increase their recycling behavior when signs are present. So, posting signs that tell people they have the equipment (i.e. bin) necessary to recycle is one of the most effective and inexpensive practices you can implement. Here are the keys to posting effective reminders:

• Include a specific request (i.e. “Place Bottles and Cans Here”).
• Place signs in close proximity to the area in which people are expected to respond.
• Request actions that are convenient for the end user. 

In other words, by placing additional trash bins labeled with simple recycling messages in places where stuff is used (near the copier for paper, in the kitchen for bottles, etc.) you should see the result you desire: customers and staff depositing recyclables in the correct bins.

Finally, for most businesses, getting employees behind a recycling plan can be challenging, but it often simply involves communicating with them. Some employees will be enthusiastic; others, less so. So, when you address the issue, the key is to make a strong business case—not just an environmental plea—for participation. If employees don’t all have the same environmental values as the business, then management has to give employees reason to care. You may have to be pragmatic—it could involve saying: ‘The businesses in our industry are very competitive, and all of our competitors are putting out messages of being better global citizens so we need to do this to stay competitive.” Then it comes down to the bottom line: This is bringing more business into the hotel…This is the future. This is where the business is going.” In others words, treat your recycling initiatives as you would treat any other business initiative. Tell your employees: This is a move that will make us more competitive, more cost-efficient, more profitable—and help the environment.

Once that’s done, now you’ve got to make sure those recyclables have a place to go….

Photo by Luis Fenix at www.sxc.hu