Why does glass, cans, and wood pallets take easier to recycle then bottles?

Question

I just wandering because cans are much easier to recycle and bottles take along time to recycle right.

Answer 1

Probably because it consumes less energy to recycle an aluminium can than a bottle.

Answer 2

I'm assuming you're talking about plastic bottles.

The main problem is that there is not just one kind of plastic, there are many and they are hard to separate. Separation is needed if you want to recycle them for use in high end applications. Even a small amount of the wrong kind can ruin a whole batch.

Answer 3

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DNRP > SWD > Garbage & Recycling Services > Recycle More. It's Easy To Do. > Best Workplaces for Recycling





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Best Workplaces for Recycling



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All of these workplaces go beyond the basics to offer expanded recycling services for their employees.



Many businesses in King County outside of Seattle have outstanding recycling programs. Here we list 21 businesses with the very best recycling programs, and provide information on their programs so that others might learn and take inspiration from their experiences. All of these workplaces go beyond the basics to offer expanded recycling services for their employees. Kudos to the following:

Note: all links are external

American Classic Homes Real Estate

Auburn School District

Bellevue Arts Museum

CDM

CH2M HILL

Covington Water District

ECO Cartridge Store

Emerald Heights

HDR Engineering

The Home Depot

IKEA

Julia's Restaurants

Kennedy Jenks Consultants, Inc.

MulvannyG2 Architecture

Outsource Marketing

PCC Natural Markets

Philips Oral Healthcare

Port of Seattle - Sea-Tac Airport

REI Southcenter Store

Reprographics Northwest

Yoga Centers

American Classic Homes Real Estate

Business type: Real estate agency

Address: 3016 Benson Road S, Renton

Telephone: [phone]

Web site: http://www.americanclassichomes.biz

Contact name & email: Larry Cutting, [e-mail]

Recycling: The 23 employees at American Classic Homes Real Estate established an office recycling program about one year ago to capture the recyclable materials from their waste stream. They were able to move from a huge dumpster to one small garbage can and one recycle bin. As 90 percent of the waste generated by real estate companies is paper, they noticed immediate results in their garbage. "We hardly have any garbage at all," said Larry Cutting. Posters and recycle labels are posted throughout the office, and recycling bins are located next to printers, fax machines and garbage cans. A bin is provided at each workstation also. Having two containers for each workstation, one for paper and one for garbage, makes recycling convenient. The company believes that if you make it easy to use, it will be used. Containers for plastic, glass and aluminum cans are provided and the business now also recycles plastic film and wrap.  A designated recycling coordinator monitors the program providing recycling receptacles and instructions and makes sure the bins are emptied regularly. American Classic Homes Real Estate employees also reuse their dishware, glassware and utensils. "Ever since we started the program, our agents have loved it," Cutting said. "We all feel good about doing our part, no matter how large or small, in helping the environment."

Advice to others: Make it easy for employees.

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Auburn School District

Business type: School district

Address: 315 Fourth Street NE, Auburn

Telephone: [phone]

Web site: http://www.auburn.wednet.edu/Default.htm

Contact name & email: Randy Thomas, Director of Support Services, [e-mail]

Recycling: The Auburn School District has a staff of more than 1,500 at 22 schools, as well as the administration, support services and transportation offices.  As with most school districts in King County, Auburn School District recycles paper by providing bins next to wherever paper is generated, including workstations and fax and copy machines. Auburn School District enhanced their basic recycling program in several other ways: by placing bins next to garbage cans to allow people to separate paper from trash in one place; by placing trays for paper that has been used on only one side so it can be printed on the other side before recycling; and by having a policy in the district that requires two-sided printing for documents. An additional paper-saving activity is extensive reuse of mailing boxes and envelopes. The district purchases and uses recycled paper and other recycled office products, and a reuse station for old materials is provided to staff. The district recycling team has determined that having bins that are large enough and emptied regularly helps the program succeed. Reminder posters and labels on bins also promote good recycling.  Staff orientation materials contain information about the district's recycling guidelines and education to staff is offered annually. Additional recycling, reuse and reduction activities include recycling wood pallets, scrap metal and food scraps; collecting and returning used toner cartridges; and either donating or recycling electronic equipment.  It is also a standard practice to use reusable dishware, glassware and flatware.

Advice to others: Auburn School District believes that recycling is a team effort. It brings schoolhouses together for a common cause, which is to help reduce waste.

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Bellevue Arts Museum

Business type: Art museum

Address: 510 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue

Telephone: [phone]

Web site: http://www.bellevuearts.org

Contact name & email: Renate Raymond, [e-mail]

Recycling: Bellevue Arts Museum is the Pacific Northwest's center for the exploration of art, craft and design through exhibitions, educational programs and partnerships, emphasizing the work of regional artists. The three-story, 36,000- square-foot museum employs a staff of 22 and provides an extensive recycling program in their offices. Bellevue Arts Museum employees took the lead in initiating their recycling program. Recycling containers are provided throughout the office area of the Museum including next to each workstation and next to copiers and fax machines. Staff reuses dishware, glassware and flatware, and old office materials.  Bellevue Arts Museum employees help complete the recycling circle by purchasing recycled office products. They also recycle electronic equipment and used toner cartridges, and reuse building and scrap materials in exhibitions and art activities.

Advice to others: Reduce waste by promoting waste-free gifts, such as Museum memberships and gift cards. Think of creative ways to meet needs by reusing materials instead of buying new!

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CDM

Business type: Consulting, engineering, construction, operations

Address: 11811 NE First Street, Bellevue

Telephone: [phone]

Web site: http://www.cdm.com

Contact name & email: Lance Peterson, [e-mail]

Recycling: Founded in 1947, CDM provides consulting, engineering, construction and operations service to clients around the globe. CDM employs more than 4,000 people at more than 100 offices. CDM employees in Bellevue initiated a recycling program in 1999. A recycling coordinator sets goals and tracks the progress of the program.  Employees receive recycling information during orientation and are kept current with changes in recycling programs and guidelines. CDM provides appropriately-sized recycling bins next to workstations, printers and copiers, empties the bins regularly and collects scrap paper that can be reused. In addition to paper, CDM also recycles plastic, glass, cans, wood pallets, scrap metal, toner cartridges and electronic equipment. The company found it is important to coordinate with building management to make sure items are being recycled, and to keep staff engaged in the program. Improvements to the program include establishing a Green Committee of interested employees and placement of recycling bins in all employee offices. The company generates significantly less garbage and estimates their overall recycling rate at 50 percent. Their commitment also extends to reuse of such items as reusable dishware, glassware and flatware, plus old office materials.

Advice to others: Ongoing staff education is important to reinforce the importance of the recycle program; a recycle team/champion is important to keep the recycle program going; the recycle program needs to be convenient.

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CH2M HILL

Business type: Engineering, construction, operations

Address: 1100 112th Avenue NE, Suite 400, Bellevue

Telephone: [phone]

Web site: http://www.ch2m.com/corporate/default.as...

Contact name & email: Laurie Paniccia, [e-mail]

Recycling: CH2M HILL is an engineering, construction and operations firm that was founded in Oregon in 1946. Today CH2M HILL employs more than 19,000 people worldwide. In keeping with the outdoor spirit of its origin in the Pacific Northwest, the CH2M HILL office in Bellevue is a leader in recycling. The office has designated a recycling coordinator to monitor recycling in the workplace. The coordinator sets goals and keeps track of progress, and offers annual recycling education to employees. CH2M HILL places recycling bins in convenient locations like next to workstations, printers, copiers and garbage cans. Instructions are posted at recycling stations to make sure everybody understands how to use the system. To save paper, employees print on both sides of a sheet of paper and receive faxes electronically. Employees also reuse durable dishware, glassware and flatware as well as office supplies, mailing boxes, packing material and envelopes. Other materials recycled at CH2M HILL include office paper, cardboard, magazines, newspapers, Tyvek ® envelopes, telephone books, plastic, glass, cans, plastic wrap, toner cartridges, batteries and electronic equipment.

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Covington Water District

Business type: Water District

Address: 18631 SE 300th Place, Kent

Telephone: [phone]

Web site: http://www.covingtonwater.com

Contact name & email: Katie Swickard, mailto:[e-mail]

Recycling: The Covington Water District was formed in 1960 with fewer than 100 customers. Today the district serves more than 15,000 customers. Recycling adheres to their mission of, "Managing water resources for existing and future generations and the environment." District employees recycle all the basics, including paper, cardboard, plastic, glass and cans, as well as scrap metal, toner cartridges and electronic equipment. They also purchase recycled office products, helping to complete the recycling circle. They also have a composting system for food waste. "We have had an on-site compost demonstration station since 2003," said Katie Swickard. "This complements our WaterWise Demonstration Garden and helps the public who tour our garden learn more about recycling yard debris and appropriate kitchen scraps. Compost is integrated into the soil and applied as mulch (50 percent compost and 50 percent fine bark) in the demonstration garden enabling it to thrive. Additionally, we sell compost containers to our customers." The district saves money by using its own compost to supplement purchases from another source. "Recycling scrap pieces of our own water system and transforming them into garden art has been another creative aspect of recycling that employees have accomplished," Swickard said.  "We have used some pieces to create a trickling bird bath and most recently, a piece that mimics a water feature, but has plants ‘flowing' instead of water."

Advice to others: Make recycling convenient!

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ECO Cartridge Store

Business type: Printer cartridge refill and remanufacture

Address: 11316 NE 124th Street, Kirkland

Telephone: [phone]

Web site: http://www.ecocartridgestore.com

Contact name & email: Dominic Pangelinan, [e-mail]

Recycling: The ECO Cartridge Store is a company that recycles as part of its business. Refilling used printer cartridges keeps them out of the landfill and conserves resources used in the production of new printer cartridges. Refilling printer cartridges can also save the consumer up to 40 percent over purchasing new printer cartridges. The ECO Cartridge Store makes recycling even easier for their customers by offering pick-up and delivery service. Naturally, the ECO Cartridge Store takes other steps to help the environment, including recycling the products that they use. Providing recycling bins next to printers, fax machines and copiers, the ECO Cartridge Store makes it easy for employees to recycle. The results are undeniable.  ECO's Dominic Pangelinan notes that they have recycled "more than 1,000 pounds of cardboard and miscellaneous consumer recyclables in the workplace this year alone, and more than four tons of industrial grade plastic in a little over two years of doing business." The ECO Cartridge Store collects scrap paper for reuse and requires double-sided printing to save even more paper. They save money by reusing office supplies, mailing boxes and envelopes. They also use durable dishware, glassware and flatware to avoid producing extra kitchen waste.

Advice to others: Circulate reusable materials in-house.  This saves money and natural resources!

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Emerald Heights

Business type: Retirement community

Address: 10901 176th Circle NE, Redmond

Telephone: [phone]

Web site: http://www.emeraldheights.com/overview/w...

Contact name & email: Kay Wallin, [e-mail]

Recycling: Emerald Heights, a life care community established in 1992, is committed to providing an enriched life and secure future for the members of its community. Naturally, caring for the future of the Earth is part of this commitment. Employees and residents recycle everything from paper, plastic, glass and cans to wood pallets, scrap metal, toner cartridges and electronic equipment. Recycling is easy for Emerald Heights' employees and residents. There are recycling bins located next to workstations, in the copy room, in the residents' common spaces and in the lobby. The bins are large enough to hold the recycling and are emptied regularly. Instructions at the recycling stations ensure that everybody knows what to do with their recyclable items. Along with recycling, the staff also reuses durable dishware, glassware and flatware to reduce kitchen waste.

Advice to others: Start with the easiest to accomplish and then broaden your program as people get used to participating.

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HDR Engineering

Business type: Architecture, engineering, consulting

Address: 500 108th Avenue NE, Suite 1200, Bellevue

Telephone: [phone]

Web site: http://www.hdrinc.com/

Contact name & email: Kari Vigerstol, [e-mail]

Recycling: Founded in 1917, HDR Engineering is an employee-owned architectural, engineering and consulting firm consisting of more than 6,200 employees at 140 locations worldwide. At the Bellevue office, HDR employees began recycling paper over 10 years ago, and in recent years have expanded it to include bottles and cans, plastic, glass, plastic wrap, toner cartridges and electronic equipment. While the building collects and recycles the office paper, individual employees volunteer to take the other items home every few weeks. There were several reasons HDR wanted to expand their recycling program. "Nationwide, we see it as an important path to take in order to ‘walk the talk' of sustainability which we market to our clients, said Kari Vigerstol. "In our office the initiative came from a few employees who saw it as a personal mission, and it has been well received by management. Making recycling relatively easy and convenient is the key to ensuring participation in the program. Employees are much less likely to recycle if it means having to take significant extra time or effort to make it happen." To make recycling easy for employees, HDR locates recycling bins next to workstations, garbage cans, printers, fax machines and copiers, and other recycling boxes near the kitchens and in conference rooms. Providing information in the form of posters near the recycling bins also encourages recycling as people realized what can be recycled and how to do it properly. "Recycling has not resulted in a direct financial savings for the company," said Vigerstol. "We have saved money, however, with other sustainability initiatives such as using reusable cutlery in place of disposables."

Advice to others: Make it easy for employees to recycle, and educate people on its importance and how to do it. Also forming a strong group of a few employees who will champion the effort ensures that the initiative won't fall to the wayside.

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The Home Depot

Business type: Home improvement specialty retailer

Address: 317 Corporate Drive N, Tukwila

Telephone: [phone]

Website: http://www.homedepot.com/

Contact name & email: Anne Tipper, [e-mail]

Recycling: Three Home Depot stores joined with King County this spring to increase recycling at their stores in Redmond, Bothell and Shoreline. The West Seattle store had initiated a program a few years ago. While already recycling cardboard and wooden pallets, the stores added collection of plant and wood waste for off-site composting at the regional compost facility. The stores also expanded paper recycling by having paper recycling containers bins at each work station, and next to printers, fax machines and copiers. Containers for empty soda cans are at each entrance to the stores. A recycling coordinator at each store has placed "how to" posters at appropriate locations. New to their recycling program are collection and baling of plastic film and wrap, and recycling of scrap metal. By the end of July, this program is being extended to all The Home Depot stores in King County. For one store alone, it is estimated that nearly 200 tons of waste will be diverted from the county regional landfill.

Advice to others: Do not underestimate the difference you can make.

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IKEA

Business type: Home furnishing retailer

Address: 600 SW 43rd Street, Renton

Telephone: [phone]

Web site: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/

Contact name & email: Laurie Helm, [e-mail]

Recycling: IKEA has made a company-wide commitment to social and environmental responsibility. The IKEA store in Renton has taken many steps to boost its recycling program, setting an example for other retailers. They recycle paper, wood, aluminum, cardboard, plastic film and scrap metal. And they get their customers involved. IKEA stores offer plastic bag, light bulb and battery take-back programs. The company even went so far as to begin charging five cents per plastic bag, in order to cut down on bag use. Early estimates indicate an 80 – 90 percent decrease in bag consumption. Profits from plastic bag sales are then donated to American Forests. IKEA's ceramics and textiles are recycled to Nature Consortium for children's art projects, and their restaurant grease is recycled and turned into biodiesel. At the Renton store, the "As-Is Department" recovers damaged furniture so it doesn't end up in the landfill. The store is also currently exploring the idea of implementing a food waste recycling program to further decrease their waste and save money on their garbage bills.

Advice to others: It's key for businesses like ours to appoint an internal coordinator for recycling and/or other environmental programs – this person or group can help sell ideas to management, motivate other employees and help drive improvements. The other key is educating employees on what to do and why it's important – this needs be done continually and frequently in the retail environment to ensure success.

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Julia's Restaurant

Business type: Restaurant

Address: 375 NW Gilman Boulevard, Issaquah

Telephone: [phone]

Web site: http://eatatjulias.com/home.php

Contact name & email: Karsten Betd, [e-mail]

Recycling: Over the last 25 years, Julia's Restaurants have been committed to serving healthy food. They are also committed to keeping the Earth healthy. "Julia's Restaurants started recycling over 20 years ago, and in those early days we were able to recycle paper and glass only," said Karsten Betd. "Throughout the years, we were able to recycle and reuse more and more materials." With locations in Issaquah, Wallingford, Queen Anne and Broadway, Julia's Restaurants have become trend-setters with their environmental achievements. They were the first restaurant in Seattle to serve homemade vegetarian nut-burgers, and were among the first to ban smoking. Today, Julia's Restaurants make recycling easy for employees by providing recycling bins next to workstations, garbage cans, printers, fax machines and copiers, and by giving clear instructions in new-employee orientation and on posted signs at the recycling stations. Recycling bins are large enough and are emptied regularly to prevent them from overflowing. Julia's Restaurants recycle paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, cans, plastic wrap, toner cartridges and electronic equipment. They also reduce paper waste by printing on both sides of a page, receiving electronic faxes and collecting scrap paper for reuse.  Along with scrap paper, Julia's Restaurants also reuse mailing boxes, envelopes, office supplies, dishware, glassware and flatware. Completing the recycling circle, Julia's Restaurants purchase and use recycled office supplies. Especially significant in the food service business, Julia's Restaurants recycle food scraps. A recycling coordinator sets recycling goals, tracks the progress and offers annual recycling education for employees. As far as the results go, Betd notes, "we now have a ratio of 70 percent recyclables to 30 percent waste. Recycling is cheaper than garbage."

Advice to others: "Your company will save money, your employees will participate when you get them involved, and they will be proud to work for a company that cares about the environment. And your customers will have the same response."

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Kennedy Jenks Consultants, Inc.

Business type: Consulting Engineering

Address:  32001 32nd Ave. S., #100 Federal Way

Telephone: [phone]

Web site: http://www.kennedyjenks.com

Contact name & email: Karen A. West [e-mail]

Recycling:  The Federal Way office of Kennedy Jenks recycles as part of their corporate GreenSteps Program. Some form of recycling has always been part of their office procedure, including paper recycling bins in all offices, bins for glass, plastic and cans and management of the bins to make sure they are never overfull and that staff have access to them; but they also have a reuse area for mailing boxes and envelopes and other office materials as part of their office waste reduction system. Employee education is offered, and labels and posters help to keep staff up to date on changes or additions to the program. Additionally, they collect and return used toner cartridges. The office complex in Federal Way went from 6,930 cubic inches of recyclable materials to 373,248 cubic inches in just two months. Their office complex in Federal Way is investigating participation in a green building program that would be the first green building in the city.

Kennedy Jenks corporate office is in San Francisco and in March of 2007, the office was added to a growing list of businesses in that city to receive a Green Business Certification from the San Francisco Green Business program ((SFGBP). They are also a Bay Area Green Business.

Advice to others: Raising an awareness of recycling possibilities, and providing information for our employees' participation, yields excellent results. Our efforts also provide an example to other offices company wide that are seeking ways to implement changes.

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MulvannyG2 Architecture

Business type: Architectural firm

Address: 1110 112th Avenue NE, Suite 500, Bellevue

Telephone: [phone]

Web site: http://www.mulvannyg2.com/en-us/

Contact name & email: Mitch Smith, [e-mail]

Recycling: Established in Bellevue in 1971, MulvannyG2 Architecture now has offices in five major cities worldwide and works for clients in 19 different time zones. Senior Partner and Managing Director Mitch Smith describe the origins and progress of their recycling program:

MulvannyG2 Architecture's recycling program began in 2002 with a small but passionate group of employees. Over the past five years and with the support of the firm's management, MulvannyG2's Green Team has grown to eight members. They have provided education programs, implemented an easier recycling collection process, and increased awareness of the importance of recycling and conserving energy.

Today the entire firm takes part in the recycling efforts. The result is a 90 percent increase in the recycling of glass, aluminum and paper over the last five years. However, MulvannyG2 goes beyond the typical corporate recycling program and includes batteries, printer cartridges, light bulbs, computer monitors and hard drives, cell phones and even yard debris. MulvannyG2 has discovered two successful practices…keep it simple and make the education fun. MulvannyG2 created a simple and convenient recycling process with clear signage for employees. All employees have a commingling recycling bin under their desk where they can place all paper, plastic, glass and aluminum. Containers are also in all public spaces in the kitchen, next to printers and in the mailroom.MulvannyG2's Green Team spearheads a variety of fun educational activities for the firm. To educate employees on what can and cannot be recycled from a typical catered box lunch, the Green Team created a Recycling Race at an all company meeting. Five volunteers, including one of the company's senior partners, sorted through their own pre-packaged lunch box. The lunch boxes were set up to include what typically is in one after removing the food: an empty bottle of water or juice, plastic wrap that had contained a sandwich, a plastic container that previously held fresh fruit, plastic silverware and a napkin, in addition to the cardboard lunch box itself. They raced against each other to sort the recyclable items and the garbage into the proper collection bins. Contestant prizes included a reusable grocery sack filled with a Nalgene water bottle and full-size, non-toxic cleaning products. The recycling program has also saved MulvannyG2 money. MulvannyG2 is charged $82.50 for each ton of garbage disposed.  In 2006, we recycled 25 tons of paper, plastics, metals and other commodities. Therefore, MulvannyG2 saved approximately $2,000 in disposal costs due to our recycling efforts. But the bigger picture is what was accomplished by keeping recyclable content out of the landfills. According to EPA's calculations, this amount resulted in green house gas emission reductions equivalent to removing 23 passenger cars from the road for one year.

Advice to others: MulvannyG2 suggests getting educated, connecting with the EPA, and forming a good relationship with building property management, janitorial staff, and your city to ensure tangible results. Above all, keep it simple, educational, and fun!

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Outsource Marketing

Business type: Marketing

Address: 4122 Factoria Boulevard SE, Suite 202, Bellevue

Telephone: [phone]

Web site: http://www.outsourcemarketing.com/

Contact name & email: Cassandra Allen, [e-mail]

Recycling: Established in 1997, Outsource Marketing is an integrated marketing firm "for companies that don't have a marketing department, and more strategic and creative horsepower for those that do." Outsource Marketing is committed to growing a robust recycling program and educating their clients about the importance of minimizing their impact on the environment. Outsource Marketing has managed to implement a successful recycling program over the last year, and made sure employees understand the recycling program is critical. Outsource Marketing has recently assembled a recycling committee tasked with finding new ways to minimize waste. The team sets recycling goals and tracks the progress. They post recycling guidelines at the recycling stations and include recycling information in the new-employee orientation materials. Regular recycling education is also offered to employees. Outsource Marketing locates recycling bins next to workstations, garbage cans, printers, fax machines and copiers. The bins are large enough and emptied regularly so they do not overflow. Outsource Marketing offers recycling for paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, cans, toner cartridges and electronic equipment. They provide reuse stations for office supplies, mailing boxes, envelopes and scrap paper. Paper is printed on both sides to reduce the amount used. Outsource Marketing employees also reuse durable dishware, glassware and flatware to avoid producing extra kitchen waste. To close the recycling loop, Outsource Marketing purchases recycled, Forest Stewardship Council certified paper when possible. Cassandra Allen describes other environmental initiatives: "Outsource Marketing has established the flexibility for 95 percent of employees to work remotely which reduces the need to drive. We partner with a Forest Stewardship Council certified printer for 90 percent of our printing and encourage our clients to practice green whenever possible."

Advice to others: Checks and balances help, as do incentives, but most important is clear communication with all staff members.

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PCC Natural Markets

Business type: Grocery stores

Addresses: 1810 12th Avenue NW, Issaquah; 10718 NE 68th Street, Kirkland; 11435 Avondale Road NE, Redmond

Telephone: [phone] (main office)

Web site: http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/

Contact name & email: Lori Ross, [e-mail]

Recycling: Founded by 15 families in 1953, PCC Natural Markets (PCC) is now the nation's largest natural foods retailer. PCC's sustainable business practices are evident in all of its stores. Each offers naturally delicious foods from local producers, outstanding customer service from knowledgeable staff, and store environments that incorporate many eco-friendly features. It follows that PCC would also have an exceptional recycling program and it does. A recycling coordinator sets recycling goals, monitors the progress and offers recycling education to employees annually. This ensures that all recyclables are recycled and done so correctly. PCC provides recycling bins with instructions next to workstations, garbage cans, printers, fax machines and copiers. The bins are large and emptied regularly to prevent overflow. Items collected include paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, cans, plastic wrap, wood pallets, scrap metal and toner cartridges. PCC's primary business involves food, so it makes sense that food waste is also recycled. To complete the recycling circle, PCC also purchases and uses recycled office supplies. In addition to recycling, PCC also practices reuse. Printers are programmed for double-sided printing of multi-page documents, and scrap paper is collected, not discarded. Staff members also reuse office supplies, mailing boxes and envelopes as well as durable dishware, glassware and flatware.

Advice to others: Reduce confusion among containers by color-coding receptacles.  PCC containers for recycling, compost and trash each have a unique color.

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Philips Oral Healthcare

Business type: Oral healthcare

Address: 35301 SE Center Street, Snoqualmie

Telephone: [phone]

Web site: http://sonicare.com

Contact name & email: Marie Hillard, [e-mail]

Recycling: Manufacturer of Sonicare products, Philips Oral Healthcare has continually improved its recycling program since starting it in 1999 – beginning with  recycling just paper and cardboard, to recycling plastics, electronics and scrap metal in the office and factory today. As a result, the company's garbage disposal costs have decreased by 17 percent. The recycling program is part of Philips overall sustainability policy. According to Environmental Health & Safety Engineer Marie Hillard, "Sustainable development is a priority for corporate management, which has formulated guidelines and measurements for performance in this area."

Advice to others: Find ways to simplify processes, using existing operations and equipment, and get management support. Make sure goals are set and status reports with cost savings are then provided back to management.

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Port of Seattle – Sea-Tac Airport

Business type: Airport

Address: P.O. Box 68727, SeaTac

Telephone: [phone]

Web site: http://www.portseattle.org/community/

Contact name & email: Stacy Fox, [e-mail]

Recycling: Upon arrival at Sea-Tac Airport, visitors may notice recycling containers scattered throughout the terminals, an unusual sight for a major airport. However, what you don't see is all the recycling that is also going on behind the scenes. Sea-Tac Airport has increased its recycling rate a whopping 900 percent between 2001 – 2005, and decreased its hazardous waste generation by over 50 percent over the five years. Efforts led to a savings of about $150,000 in diverted disposal costs each year. The Port of Seattle's waste reduction and recycling programs recycle more than 30 different materials, from the usual paper and plastic to items such as cooking oil, asphalt, concrete, petroleum contaminated soil, pallets and shrink wrap. Its latest waste reduction effort is a food donation and recycling program. As much as 500 pounds of leftover pre-packaged foods such as sandwiches and salads are sent from participating vendors to a south King County Food Bank each week.  In addition, the airport collects more than 12 tons of coffee grounds each month from 60 coffee shops for off-site composting.

Advice to others: You must have upper management support and the program must include ongoing multi-lingual training and education programs. Place recycling receptacles next to every trash receptacle. Report results to keep people motivated. Find ways to make the program incentive based.

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REI Southcenter Store

Business type: Outdoor equipment retailer

Address: 240 Andover Park West, Tukwila

Telephone: [phone]

Web site: http://www.rei.com/tukwila            

Contact name & email: Holly Medvitz, [e-mail]

Recycling: Recreational Equipment, Incorporated (REI) began as a co-op in 1938 with a group of 23 mountain climbing buddies, and is now the nation's largest consumer cooperative with 2.8 million members. At REI, they know first hand the importance of quality outdoor gear and customer service. Valuing quality outdoor experience, it only makes sense that the company would also be an environmental leader. At the REI store near Southcenter Mall in Tukwila, recycling has been a priority since the store opened its door nearly five years ago. Recycling bins with instructions are placed next to workstations, garbage cans, printers, fax machines and copiers. The bins are picked up every morning so that the workplace stays clean and organized. Because they receive so much gear and clothing in cardboard boxes, recycling cardboard has always been a top priority. Along with cardboard, aluminum, plastics and paper are also recycled. Closing the recycling loop, REI Southcenter employees are also masters of reuse and do their best to make sound decisions to reduce their carbon footprint. They are working towards a program which will recycle light bulbs and batteries, and are on their way to minimizing as much trash as possible. This saves money that would otherwise be spent on new products, and saves natural resources. They also reuse durable dishware, glassware and flatware to avoid producing extra waste. The REI in Southcenter has put together a "green team" to focus on the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling, and have planned meetings to organize and discuss ways to help the environment through proper disposal of common workplace trash.

Advice to others: With a little bit of effort you can do it! Our Green Team is a leader in making sound recycling workplace decisions and corralling enthusiasm to educate and instruct recycling efforts.

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Reprographics Northwest

Business type: Document management, reprographics

Address: 1850 130th Avenue NE, Bellevue

Telephone: [phone]

Web site: http://www.repronw.com/

Contact name & email: Patrick Clark, [e-mail]

Recycling: Reprographics Northwest provides document management services to the design and construction industry. The company implemented a recycling program in 2006 that included making recycling easy and visible to employees, creating a recycling program committee, and implementing various waste prevention strategies such as reusing boxes and envelopes, and eliminating disposable kitchen supplies. Recycling coordinator Patrick Clark says there has been a huge boost in the amount of awareness as far as what can and can't be recycled. "Overall, there has been a palpable change in the culture at our shops when it comes to recycling," he said. In addition, Reprographics Northwest helps close the recycling loops by offering recycled paper products. Said Clark, "As part of our overall efforts to reduce our impact on the environment, we have exponentially increased the number of recycled paper products we offer," Clark said.

Advice to others:  Make recycling bins as commonplace as trash bins so there is no excuse for not recycling, and include colorful posters explaining what items can be recycled. Spread the word about recycling in meetings, at the water cooler and during lunch. Everyone needs to know that yesterday's irresponsible ways are no longer acceptable, and that we all need to do our part.

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Yoga Centers

Business type: Yoga studio

Address: 2255 140th Avenue NE, Bellevue

Telephone: [phone]

Web site: http://www.yogacenters.com/

Contact name & email: Kirsten Elfendahl, [e-mail]

Recycling: For Yoga Centers employees, health is a way of life. Environmental health is the way to keep our planet alive. Established in 1992, Yoga Centers has a commitment to the environment, demonstrated by their recycling efforts. Recycling bins are provided next to each workstation, printer, fax machine and copier. The bins are large enough and emptied often enough to prevent messy overflows. Along with paper, cardboard, plastic, glass and cans, Yoga Centers also recycles used toner cartridges and electronic equipment. They also purchase recycled office products, completing the recycling circle. Yoga Centers' employees reuse mailing boxes and envelopes, which saves money spent on new items and saves natural resources used in the production of new items. They also reuse durable dishware, glassware and flatware to decrease the amount of kitchen waste produced.

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King County Solid Waste Division

King Street Center 201 S. Jackson Street, Suite 701, Seattle, Washington 98104

Solid Waste Information Line: 206-296-4466, Fax: [phone], TTY Relay: 711,

800-325-6165 ext. 66542 (outside the local calling area M-F 8:30 am - 4:30 pm)

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Updated: Oct. 23, 2007

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