Today, we’ll go over how you can make a big difference in our guide to office composting in Waterloo.
At the Office Compost Program, we’re committed to helping businesses reduce waste and would love to share what we’ve learned with you.
In this guide, you’ll learn more about why office composting matters, how you can begin, and so much more. So, let’s get started!
Why Does Office Composting Matter?
In the Kitchener-Waterloo and surrounding areas, businesses do not have access to waste removal.
Unlike residential properties, where your garbage and compost is picked up curb-side on a regular basis, businesses have to work with private waste management companies to remove their waste. The Region of Waterloo does not provide waste removal services for businesses.
Most of these waste management companies do not provide composting services. Instead, all waste – including organic waste and recycling – is thrown into the garbage.
Unfortunately, when organic waste is thrown into the garbage, it ends up in a landfill. When many people think about excess waste in landfills, their main concern is excessive garbage.
However, when organic waste enters a landfill, the main concern is actually methane production. Due to the nature of landfills, organic waste is not able to quickly or properly decompose.
Food waste in landfills produces methane – a greenhouse gas
This slow decomposition produces significant amounts of methane – a powerful greenhouse gas. Unfortunately, food waste is responsible for a lot of methane that enters our atmosphere.
Since most employees spend 8 hours a day, 5 days a week in an office setting, think about the amount of food eaten and thrown away in the average workplace!
Composting at the office can significantly reduce the amount of organic waste that ends up in landfills, which helps reduce greenhouse emissions!
Composting In Waterloo Region
If you want to begin composting in the Waterloo area, it’s easy to start at home!
The Region Of Waterloo consists of three cities (Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge), and four townships (North Dumfries, Wellesley, Wilmot, and Woolwich).
If you want to learn more about getting started with your green bin at home, click here.
Composting at home is a great way to become familiar with composting in the workplace. The same items that you compost at home can be composted at work!
You can compost the same items at work as you do at home
In the Region of Waterloo, you can include the following in your Green Bin:
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All food scraps, including tea bags, coffee grinds, and filters
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Paper products, including facial tissues, paper towels, napkins, microwave popcorn bags, and paper plates – no coffee cups
Do NOT include:
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Glass, metal, or plastics
However, as mentioned above, businesses need to work with a private waste management company to compost in the workplace.
To learn more about how the Office Compost Program can help you get started, contact us now!
How To Compost At Work
Composting at work doesn’t have to be complicated!
It’s easy to compost at work when you work with the Office Compost Program! Here is our simple four-step process to composting at work.
STEP 1: GET YOUR GREEN BIN
First, sign up with the Office Compost Program and receive the right number of bins for your office space. We will help you choose the right number for your unique workplace.
STEP 2: START COMPOSTING
Encourage employees to use the Green Bin to compost all food scraps, small amounts of liquids, and some paper products. You may want to have a training session beforehand to ensure all employees are confident and comfortable with your new initiative.
STEP 3: WE DO THE WORK!
Our team will pick up your bin(s) on a weekly or twice weekly basis. Pick-up will depend on the size of your office, the number of employees, and what you are most comfortable with. Regular pick-up means no smell – or hassle – for you and your team.
STEP 4: TRACK YOUR IMPACT
Your waste will enter the compost stream in one of three ways:
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Donated to local neighbourhood garden compost piles
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Sent to the Region’s Compost facility
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Used at Kitchener Clean’s Worm Farm where it becomes worm castings
(a high quality fertilizer)
We’ll provide regular updates on your office’s impact (for example, how much organic waste has been diverted from landfills), so you can continue to feel great about your composting efforts.
Corporate Social Responsibility
Consumers prefer working with companies that align with their values
As more and more workers and consumers alike want to work with companies that align with their personal values, it’s important for businesses to keep up.
Composting at the office is one of the best ways to improve corporate social responsibility and show your customers that you care.
A recent Nielsen study took a look at consumers and environmental sustainability.
“a whopping 81% of global respondents feel strongly that companies should help improve the environment. This passion for corporate social responsibility is shared across gender lines and generations.”
According to this study, the vast majority of shoppers believe that businesses should work towards greater environmental sustainability.
This belief impacts their shopping and consumption choices. It’s important for businesses in 2020 to take this information into account and act on it.
Office composting is one of the most cost effective and simple ways to get started today.
Improving corporate social responsibility is not only good for their business, but also good for the environment!
The Benefits Of Office Composting
Improved employee morale is one important benefit of office composting
We’ve gone over some of the major benefits of composting in the workplace – including the environmental impact and greater social responsibility – but there are others that you will notice when you begin!
1. Reduced Waste Collection Fees
Because businesses do not receive waste removal from the Region of Waterloo, they must pay for private services.
Waste collection fees are often charged by weight and frequency. If all waste, including organic waste, is thrown into the garbage, that can create excessive amounts of garbage that need to be picked up.
However, when you choose to compost in the office, your waste removal fees can actually go down! Office composting services typically cost less than traditional waste removal services, so you can save money while you help the environment.
2. Improved Employee Morale
The Green Office Movement is growing in popularity, and more employees want to work with businesses that share their values.
When employees get to work for a business that they believe in, they’ll feel better as they work. Improved morale can actually lead to improved productivity – which is great for both employees and business owners alike.
3. Increased Cognitive Thinking
One study outlined by FacileThings found that working in an eco-friendly office boosts cognitive thinking by 26%!
Since office composting is one major step towards a greener workplace, it is a great place to start if you’re focused on helping employees work more efficiently.
There are other simple ways you can work towards an eco-friendly office too – click here to get more ideas.
Office Composting – Join The Movement Today!
Did you know that on average, Canadians produce about 2.7 kg (5.9 lbs) of garbage every single day? One study showed that over half (58%) of all food produced in Canada is wasted!
Canadians don’t just waste food at home – we produce significant amounts of food waste at work too. You can help reduce the amount of waste produced in your workplace by opting into the Office Compost Program.
We proudly offer our Office Compost Program to businesses across the Waterloo Region, helping you make a positive impact on the environment.
Create a greener workplace with our Office Compost Program – contact us today!
“WE ARE CURRENTLY USING THE COMPOST PROGRAM AND THEY HAVE BEEN GREAT AS OUR COMPANY HAS GROWN AND OUR USAGE INCREASED. VERY FRIENDLY AND TERRIFIC SERVICE!”
— JULIE G., BIG ROAD