Years ago, we invested in recycle cans for each staff member so they all had access to a trash can and a recycle can at their desk. The majority of the staff have been recycling since it became an available choice. We all want to cut down on trash but is taking away the city-owned trash can and replacing it with a personal one really going to make a difference?
Does anyone measure the amount of trash produced or how much is saved by recycling? Is there a goal amount for trash reduction?
I'm also curious about what happened to all of those trash cans - were they stored, recycled or put in the trash?
Answer by Matt Lighthart, Green Team lead: Thank you for your thoughtful questions about our conversion of trash cans at staff workstations to recycling containers. The original intent of this change was threefold:
- Encourage and facilitate recycling by converting existing trash cans into "Recycling Only" containers. Recycling is easier because it is your first option.
- Increase awareness amongst staff about what materials can and cannot be recycled
- Promote a healthy workplace by encouraging staff to get up out of their seats when they need to throw away materials that cannot be recycled
We do not measure, in any reliable way, the amount of trash or recycling generated by any particular staff member or agency. There are no goals for trash reduction.
I'm excited to hear that you and your coworkers have been diligently recycling for years now, but you are missing out on the benefits associated with the third goad if you simply replace the trash can at your desk. Research indicating the negative health effects associated with sitting for long, uninterrupted periods continues to accumulate. Getting up periodically to throw away trash in a centrally located receptacle is an each way to mitigate those negative effects.
I'm sorry, but this whole idea about getting up to throw away garbage to be healthy is a one of the longest stretches of common sense I have ever seen. Sure we need to move around, stretch our muscles and joints, but there have been numerous "studies" and tons of "research" that have given us methods to reduce fatigue right at our desks without having to walk to a central trash can everytime we need to throw something away just to exercise!! Even our custodian thinks it is a lame idea and thinks it is a way to cut back on custodians and their services. Just as management methods have come and gone in this city, so, too, will this "innovative" idea. I don't really care about how much trash we produce, although I would think that the "green team" would have given this some thought and recycling is an individual initiative but getting up everytime I need to throw away trash can't be good for productivity and I know the citizens who pay our salaries would bust a stitch if they heard about this idea. So can we just get our trashcans back?
ReplyDeleteSadly, it does seem that customers also are confused when they cannot find a trash can. They often ask, and sometimes hand us their trash at the front desk, or throw it on the floor.
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