If you want to help the environment, a recycling center is a great way to do it. Just recycling a single aluminum can offers the potential to power a television for three hours—an important statistic for those concerned about energy. Whether you're considering opening a recycling center or trying to improve an existing one, it's important to recognize how important efficiency is.
The more efficient your recycling center is, the more energy you save—and the more effective recycling as a whole will be. Improving the efficiency of your recycling center starts with developing streamlined processes and investing in better facility maintenance supplies, from superior recycling products to safety gear.
Start with the Right Equipment
Most recycling centers don't need a lot of equipment when they first start out; a strategic number of recycling bins is often enough. As you grow, you'll also need to purchase a recycling truck for further expansion. Periodically review the equipment that you have and whether you need to purchase additional supplies.
Efficiently moving your recycled goods is a large part of making your recycling center more efficient. Making a single trip with a larger truck rather than multiple trips with a smaller truck could increase the amount of good you do for the environment.
Create Better Processes
Frequent process audits can be used to optimize your recycling operations, by identifying existing inefficiencies within your workflow. To conduct your own process audit, create written documentation regarding the flow of recycling through your center. Identify how materials are transferred, who is responsible for their transfer, and how the items will be sorted, recycled, and redirected.
As you go, identify areas in which there may be unnecessary steps or steps that aren't as well-optimized as they should be. Ask employees whether they have suggestions for improving processes—and consider purchasing new tools or supplies that could make their job faster and easier.
Improve Your Worker Safety
Worker safety is an important aspect of any business. Getting the right equipment and establishing the right safety processes will help. When workers are injured, it doesn't just affect your workers—it also slows down recycling and reduces your efficiency.
Invest in safety vests for visibility, safety glasses for eye protection, work gloves for hand protection, and ear plugs for sound protection. There are many potential hazards that workers will encounter while collecting recycling and processing it. Employees should be aware of where safety equipment is, when they should be using it, and what the potential consequences could be if they do not.
Make sure your employees have a written safety and instruction manual—in addition to knowing who they should report any safety violations to. Creating a safety and instruction manual creates a sense of accountability.
Take Care of Your Facility
A number of maintenance and repair issues can cause a facility to become dangerous or inefficient. If you haven't purchased the right facility maintenance supplies, you may find equipment breaking down or operating erratically. Broken equipment leads to costly downtime—and the equipment itself can be expensive to replace.
A clean facility is also a safer facility. Many workplace accidents occur due to workplace hazards such as tripping, slipping, or having something fall from above. Inspecting the facility often and maintaining equipment as needed will reduce your risk.
A more efficient recycling center will help the environment even more, while also being able to increase its own revenue in order to encourage further expansion. The right facility maintenance supplies will keep your recycling center clean, functional, and well-run.
