Business Recycling Program

Why Recycle?

THE LAW - According to the Wisconsin Recycling Law, everyone who lives or works in the state is required to recycle, including:

• Businesses: commercial, retail, industrial
• Institutions: public and private
• Residents

This law also requires businesses to separate items banned from landfills and incinerators or to send them to a facility that will separate them. Also, facility owners are responsible for providing separate containers for recyclables, providing for collection and transport to a recycling facility, and notification and education of employees or tenants of programs.

THE BENEFITS -  It's easy to do! Taking a few minutes a day to recycle has many benefits. Recycling reduces the amount of pollution in the soil, water, and air, making it a cleaner place to live. Also recycling gives manufacturers back the raw materials they need to make new products. This cuts down on the costs of harvesting new raw materials and does not take as much of a toll on natural resources. Recycling also has its financial benefits. It reduces the cost of disposal and lowers taxes because of less pollution. Recycling will also give your business a "green" image, which will make your business more attractive.

Recycle What?

Items banned from landfills and required to be separated from other post –consumer waste include:

• Office Paper
• Corrugated Cardboard
• Newsprint
• Magazines
• #1 and #2 Plastic Containers
• Aluminum
• Steel
• Bi-metal
• Glass Bottles
• Waste tires and oils
• Lead Acid Batteries
• Major Appliances
• Electronics
• Yard Waste - grass clippings, leaves, yard and garden debris and brush less than 6 inches wide

Where to Start

Get a recycling program started at your business! Perform a self-audit on your waste and see what and how much recyclables are in it. Then come up with a specific recycling plan and some goals to reach. Contact your local hauler to set up a recycling pickup, or you can also self-haul recyclables to the Recycling Center if you do not produce enough to contract a hauler. Place labeled recycling bins next to your trash bins and encourage your employees and tenets to use them. Make sure they look differently from the trash bins, and are labeled with what recyclable item should go in it to avoid confusion. The Manitowoc County Recycling Center has free drop off of recyclables plus a number of other programs to help your business recycle, including Yard Waste Drop-off sites, year round Electronics Collection, and Tire Collection in the fall. Please contact the Recycling Center for more information.

Additional Resources

Wisconsin Business Recycling Toolkit

Communicating with your waste hauler

Recycling Law: Implications for Businesses

Waste Reduction and Recycling A Guide for Owners of Apartments & Other Multi-Family Dwellings

EPA Waste Wise Program

DNR Recycling and Waste Reduction at Convenience Stores

DNR Recycling and Waste Reduction for at the Workplace

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