At the end of last year Greta Thunberg set a record for becoming the youngest ever 'Time Person of the Year'.

2019 was a busy year for 16 year old Greta, seeing her speak at global summits, supporting environmental demos, and meeting with government officials around the world.

The Greta effect

Having rose to fame in August 2018, after lobbying the Swedish government to do more to help the environment, Greta inspired people all over the globe to take action and young people even participated in school strikes for a greener future.

The fact that a youngster solely focused on environmental issues has won such a prestigious accolade (and place in history), just goes to show how important ecological issues have become. The state of our planet and the extent to which people have now become engaged to make a change says a lot about where passions lie, Businesses and organisations that ignore this could find themselves in danger.

Green brands are great brands

Brands and businesses are built on trust and buy-in. People choose to transact with those companies they feel have a similar ethical stance as themselves and nowhere is this more important than in eco-friendly practices.

There are lots of steps businesses can take to ensure they are minimising their damage to the planet but one of the easiest and most straight forward lies in the area of waste management. We all know how much media coverage is given to the plastic ocean, landfill and food waste. This is an area that your business can make a real difference.

Choosing to reduce, reuse and recycle and publicising these practices among your customers is a sure-fire way to get buy-in for your brand.

Working with a waste management company that recoups as much reusable materials from your waste as possible is a great start. At Cawleys our materials recycling facility does just that. We ensure that everything that can be recycled is recovered and recycled. What’s more we offer an infinity scheme that will allow your business to go one step further by segregating waste at the point of disposal. This not only makes your waste easier to recycle, it also has the potential to save you money.

Whatever type of business you operate, the waste it produces can be recycled. Those in the hospitality sector for example could focus on glass, plastics, coffee cups and coffee grounds. Logistic companies could recycle wood pallets and cardboard, whilst manufacturing organisations could focus on WEEE and metal waste.

Raise your recycling profile

The possibilities for recycling are far reaching and could save you cash, but that’s only part of the story. Organising sustainable waste collection is the start but the trick to tell your customers about it.

Using your website, press releases and social media are all simple and effective ways to communicate with your customers. All of these methods can get the message out that your company cares about the environment and uses a waste company that is committed to the circular economy.

Cawleys are always happy to be included in any social media posts that supports our clients’ eco-friendly messaging. Other companies such as bio-bean provide free accreditation stickers allowing cafes and coffee shops to advertise their sustainability credentials in their shop windows.

If you would like some help or advise on how to raise your business’s recycling profile, or you’d like to find out more about sustainable waste collection contact us today.