For more information on how to build an exceptional recycling program for your retail store, click here.
In recent years, retail stores, retail centers and office owners & managers have demonstrated a willingness to share data to acquire a better understanding of how the retail industry performs in regards to its waste management techniques. For stakeholders and policymakers, the results are helping shed light on the variations between the IC&I subsectors, and where support and attention is required to reduce the negative impact the retail industry has on the environment. Great news!
Managers of both office and retail properties with sophisticated recycling programs and streamlined reporting have noted their waste generation rates have increased from previous years. This has been accomplished, in part, due to better tracking and reporting that’s allowed owners to dig deeper into the composition of their waste streams, as well as determine bottlenecks in their collection programs that are unique to retail waste management.
This increase in data collection paired with the increase in communication between retail owners has led to some interesting patterns in the problems that retailers are coming across when starting a recycling program at their storefront. As it turns out, on a micro scale, there are a significant amount of unique problems retailers face when tackling waste management, but on a macro scale, the problems are very similar to those in different industries. According to a survey conducted by the Recycling Council of Ontario, the top challenges retail owners are facing, from highest to lowest, and based on a combined scoring of the responses, are as follows:
- Occupant/visitor participation in waste recycling program
- Contamination of recyclables
- Cost of waste management services
- Lack of material diversion opportunities
- Cost of waste hauling services
- Variability of waste regulations by province and city for national program managers
- Variability of recycling market across the country makes it difficult to assess the success of like-properties (a recycling program may be restricted to a few materials based on local collection and recycling facilities.)
If you’re looking at this list and finding that these problems are quite similar to the ones you have at your retail location–as it turns out, you’re not alone! And the good news is that we’ve been building solutions to all of these issues for 35 years across a number of different industries.
The best place to start tackling these issues is to read our blog 7 Tips for Improving Recycling & Waste Management at Your Retail Store. Once you’ve devoured the information laid out there, get a hold of our Retail Waste Management Specialist to start tailoring a unique plan for your retail space!
