Quarterly Newsletter            July 2013 
Recycle Tip:  
Use rechargeable batteries where possible.
 
A typical building usually generates close to one ton of e-waste every few months.

The state of California bans all e-waste from landfills making e-waste recycling a key component of DC Environmental's recycling program.

We make it easy for you to dispose of your e-waste in a responsible way. We also provide metrics reporting for all recycled items, from batteries to computers, with full supply chain accountability. This is a great way to increase your diversion rate.

Schedule you e-waste event or pick-up today!
Electronic Waste (E-Waste) Event:

Do you or your tenants have some e-waste piling up in your building?  If so, please contact us to schedule a pick-up or an event for your tenants at no cost to you.
(Please note: minimum weight requirement must be met)
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Waste Audit:

Are you looking to begin the LEED certification process?  DC Environmental offers comprehensive, LEED compliant waste audits as an added service to help you achieve the numerous LEED prerequisites and credits related to waste management and diversion.  Contact us to schedule a waste audit. (Cost details upon request)

 

Services DC Environmental Provides
  • Waste Stream Management
  • Recycling
  • E-Cycling (Electronic Waste Recycling)
  • LEED Compliant Waste Audits
  • Recycling Reports 
  • Additional Services:
    • Document Destruction
    • Temporary Roll Off Services
    • Seasonal Services
    • Universal Waste Recycling Program
    • Fluorescent Light Bulb Recycling
    • Single-Point-of-Contact Local, National, and International Account Management
    • "Share the Success" Programs - to help publicize client sustainability successes
    • Compactor Monitoring

New study shows a drop in landfill tonnage in California! 

 

Its true! Californians have been on the move to throwing away less and less garbage in landfills. Diversion of recyclable materials is up and the state is well on its way to reaching the ambitious goal of 75% diversion through recycling by 2020.

 

New statistics from CalRecycle, shows that 29.3 million tons of trash were disposed statewide last year. That's 4.3 pounds per day per person and a slight reduction from the 4.4 pounds per day per person in 2011 when 29.9 million tons were disposed. The population also increased from 37.4 million in 2011 to 37.7 million last year.

Six of the Most Common Office Recycling Mistakes

 

You have a recycling program in place. You've trained your cleaning crew.  You've sent out emails to tenants and staff. So why is your recycling program still not working?  

 

Well, it all boils down to a few common mistakes or misconceptions that we see over and over again.  By dealing with these, you can effect change more quickly. 

 

Mistake #1: Only white paper can be recycled

In reality, all types of paper can be recycled, including paper bags and paper plates. The only exception is paper with some kind of coating. The rule of thumb is that if you can tear it, you can recycle it. 

 

Mistake #2: Not flattening cardboard boxes

Unflattened boxes take up a lot of room and before long, the recycling bin is full.  Often times when the recycling bin is full then the trash bin is used as a supplement. This ultimately defeats the purpose of recycling.

 

Mistake #3:  Not bothering to use the right bins because all trash and recyclables are sorted again anyway

Many tenants think it's the cleaning crew's job to sort the recyclables from the trash. But this is not a part of their job. Bags of recyclables are transparent so if too much trash is spotted in the recycling bag, it gets diverted to the landfill.  

 

Mistake #4: Not placing recycling and trash bins together 

Recycling and trash bins placed side by side encourage people to make good, informed decisions.  With just one bin, the temptation is to just throw both trash and recyclables in that bin. 

 

Mistake #5: Lining recycling bins with black garbage bags

Many everyday decisions are made in the blink of an eye using visual cues.  So recycling bins lined with black bags can and do easily get mistaken for garbage bins.

 

Mistake #6: Improper Labeling

Labels must be visible and clear. For example, bins that are just labeled "recycling" are confusing.  Are they for paper, or bottles/cans/plastic? Confusion leads to mistakes.  

Data Security Solutions with Electronics Recycling


DC Environmental utilizes an electronics waste recycling service provider who
 understands the risk of data theft and undertakes a wide range of data erasing, sanitation and destruction services for government, military and law enforcement authorities and has extensive experience in this field. Either on-site or after secure transport to one of their asset management facilities, this provider eradicates proprietary information embedded in the drives and further processes the assets for reuse or recycling.

What you gain:
  • Data Protection Services
  • Witnessed Destruction
  • Ultimate Security
  • Certificates of Recycling and Destruction 

 

How to Encourage Tenants to Recycle at Work

Recycling has become a necessity to keep our world ticking. Learning how to encourage recycling at work can introduce recycling into a new facet of your life that you may not have considered before. The more people that are on board with recycling, the better our world will continue to become. 

 

1. EDUCATE

* Host an meeting with your DC Environmental consultant to inform the tenants about the benefits of recycling.

* Create a permanent resource such as a bulletin board or bookshelf in the lobby for tenants to reference whenever they wish.

* Keep track of the statistics - DC Environmental provides recycling reporting which will keep the tenants informed of their recycling success 

 

2. PROVIDE INCENTIVE

* Offer a reward to the office group that creates the least amount of trash and the most recyclables

* Encourage tenants to begin recycling at work and at home for an even bigger reward

 

 3. KEEP IT SIMPLE 

* Make it convenient for tenants to participate

* Choose volunteers to keep the workplace recycling program running
Earn a
$500
Credit
Referral Credit
DC Environmental is offering a one-time
$500 credit to your account (or gift card) for a referral turned customer.