A Quick Recycling Guide for Your Employees

Recycling at work is one of the easiest ways employees can reduce waste, save resources, and support an organization’s sustainability goals. At Prestige Property Services, we stress the importance of recycling to our clients in the private business sector in Los Angeles and Orange County. In this short guide, our team explains what recycling is and why it matters, identifies common office wastes, provides practical ways to recycle office items, and explains how a commercial cleaning partner can support workplace recycling efforts.

If you are looking for professional cleaners, contact our team today.

What Is Recycling, and What Are Its Benefits?

Recycling is the process of collecting, sorting, and processing materials that would otherwise become waste and turning them into new products. Essentially, recycling reduces the need for virgin raw materials, conserves energy, lowers greenhouse gas emissions, and diverts material from landfills and incinerators.

Some key benefits of recycling includes the following:

• Energy savings and emissions reduction. 

Recycling many materials uses far less energy than producing them from raw materials. For example, recycling metals and paper can save significant energy and greenhouse gas emissions compared with primary production.

• Reduced landfill and pollution impacts. 

Diverting recyclables prevents additional landfill space use and associated environmental impacts.

• Supports the circular economy. 

Recycling is a practical step toward a circular economy. They keep materials in use, reduce resource extraction, and create opportunities for reuse and sustainable procurement. 

• Risk management and compliance. 

For businesses operating in California and elsewhere, state recycling and organics laws require commercial generators to provide appropriate recycling and organics services. This means that workplace recycling supports legal compliance as well as sustainability.

What Are the Usual Office Wastes?

Offices generate a mix of recyclable and non-recyclable materials. These common streams include:

• Paper and cardboard: office paper, mail, newspapers, pizza boxes (clean parts), and cardboard shipping boxes.
• Plastics: water bottles, single-serve beverage cups, some food containers (check your local rules as not all plastics are accepted).
• Metal: aluminum cans, tin cans, and certain small metal items.
• Glass: beverage bottles and jars (rinse before recycling when required).
• Electronics (e-waste): printers, computers, phones, batteries. These often require special handling.
• Organics/food waste: food scraps and compostable paper products.
• Mixed waste/contamination: coffee cups with plastic lining, used tissues, or greasy food packaging often belong in trash rather than curbside recycling.

Local recycling rules often vary, so always check facility signage and your municipality’s guidance before assuming an item is recyclable. In some places, the accepted list is narrow; in others it’s broader but depends on local sorting capacity.

Ways to Recycle Office Items: Practical Steps for Your Employees

Employees can make recycling simple and effective by following consistent habits and shared procedures.

Set up clear collection points.

• Place labeled bins for paper, containers (metal/plastic/glass), and trash in high-traffic areas.
• Also use color-coded or well-signed bins and post short lists of accepted items.

Reduce contamination.

• Empty and rinse food and beverage containers when possible.
• Flatten cardboard to save space.
• Do not place greasy pizza boxes, food-soiled napkins, or used tissues in the paper recycling bin.

Handle special streams correctly.

• Collect batteries, lightbulbs, and electronics in a designated dropbox; coordinate with facility management for proper disposal or recycling events.
• Use compost/organics collection where available. Many California businesses must provide organics collection if they meet threshold rules.

Adopt simple daily habits.

• Use reusable mugs and utensils to cut single-use waste.
• Also, choose products with minimal packaging or with clear recycling instructions.
• Encourage double-sided printing and digital documents to reduce paper demand.

Communicate and train.

• Short onboarding or periodic reminders help keep recycling rules top of mind.
• In addition, you can post a one-page “what goes where” guides on or above each bin.

How a Commercial Cleaning Company Can Help

Implementing and maintaining an effective office recycling program often requires specialized support. A commercial cleaning company like Prestige Property Services provides the necessary assistance and expertise to ensure your office recycling efforts meet their goals.

• Accurate Sorting Protocols: Cleaning teams are trained in the specific sorting requirements of California’s waste management facilities. 
• Preventing Contamination: They can help ensure non-recyclable items or liquids do not compromise the collected materials.
• Strategic Receptacle Placement: They can advise on and manage the optimal placement of clearly labeled recycling bins throughout the workspace. This maximizes employee participation and convenience.
• Consistent Collection Schedule: They can establish a reliable schedule for checking and emptying all recycling containers. As such, they help prevent overflow.
• Logistical Management: A professional cleaning company can handle the transportation of segregated materials to the central collection points for pickup.
• Enhanced Diversion Rates: By managing these processes, professional services help offices increase their volume of successfully recycled materials.

Ready to enhance your office’s recycling efforts without the hassle? Prestige Property Services provides specialized services designed to simplify compliance and boost your environmental goals. Contact us today for a consultation and discover how easy sustainable office maintenance can be in LA and OC.