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To get employees to recycle more at work, first confirm what the building’s hauler or local program actually accepts, then find out what employees are throwing away. Put clearly labeled recycling and trash bins together where waste is generated, use simple pictures and consistent instructions, explain the program, and check the results so you can fix the barriers that remain. A recycling program works only when the right collection service is available and employees can use it correctly.
Start by finding out what is stopping people from recycling
A low recycling rate can have several causes: employees may not know what belongs in the recycling bin, the nearest bin may be too far away, the building’s collection service may not accept a material employees assume is recyclable, or the bins may be confusing or poorly placed. Contamination creates a different problem: employees use the recycling bin, but put materials in it that the local program cannot process.
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These problems need different fixes. More signs will not solve a missing collection service; adding a recycling bin will not help if it is placed far from the trash bin people need. Start by observing how waste is handled and measuring what is actually discarded, rather than choosing a campaign before identifying the barrier.
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Contact the municipal recycling office or the building’s waste hauler. Ask which materials are accepted at this address, how they must be prepared, and whether the service offers recycling, composting, or a waste assessment. Rules can vary by region, local program, hauler, and building service, so there is no reliable universal list of workplace recyclables. A material accepted in one office’s collection may be rejected in another’s.
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Clarify details that affect the signs employees will see: whether containers need to be empty, whether lids or labels are accepted, how paper should be handled, and whether food-contaminated packaging belongs in recycling, compost, or trash. Ask about collection frequency and any restrictions on the building’s service. If the hauler’s instructions are unclear, request written guidance before printing labels.
Look at the bins and the route waste takes
Walk through the workplace at different times of day. Notice where employees eat, unpack deliveries, print, meet, and clean up. Look for recycling and trash containers that are difficult to see, separated from one another, overfilled, or labeled with terms that do not match the local service. Check whether janitorial or facilities staff combine streams later, and whether collection and storage arrangements can keep materials separated.
Ask employees and custodial staff what is confusing or inconvenient. Their observations can reveal practical obstacles that a written policy misses: a bin hidden behind a door, unclear instructions for a common packaging item, or a station that fills before its scheduled service. Treat these as diagnostic clues, not as proof that employees do not care.
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends tracking waste and conducting a waste assessment to identify the quantity and composition of a building’s waste stream. An assessment can show whether recyclable material is going into trash, whether the recycling stream is contaminated, or both. It gives facilities teams a way to select improvements based on the actual problem.
Set a useful starting point
Record the waste and recycling information the building can collect reliably. Depending on the service, that may mean weights, container counts, collection records, or a sampled review of what is in bins. Track the same locations and time periods when comparing before and after changes; otherwise a difference may reflect a change in occupancy, collection schedule, or activity rather than the intervention.
If a hands-on sort is practical and safe, arrange it with the hauler or a qualified waste-assessment provider. Agree in advance on safe handling, what categories to record, and how results will be reported. Do not ask employees to open waste bags or handle sharp, biological, or otherwise hazardous material. A hauler or municipality may be able to help, and some local programs offer business audits at no cost; availability depends on location.
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Separate participation from sorting accuracy
Use measures that help distinguish whether employees are recycling more from whether they are sorting correctly. For example, review the amount of recyclable material recovered, the amount of recyclables still appearing in trash, and the types of unwanted material found in recycling. A single total can conceal opposite problems: a large recycling volume may come with substantial contamination, while clean recycling bins may coexist with valuable material being discarded as trash.
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Put recycling and trash together where people dispose of waste
Place paired recycling and trash bins in visible, convenient locations. The EPA recommends keeping the two choices next to each other so employees can make a correct decision at the point of disposal. A recycling container that is distant from the trash can encourage people to use whichever option is easiest, while two nearby choices let them sort without a detour.
Choose locations based on the waste people generate
Prioritize shared areas where employees routinely discard material, such as kitchens, break rooms, printer areas, meeting spaces, and central work areas. The right locations depend on the building’s layout and the kinds of waste generated there. A recycling station belongs where accepted recyclables arise, not simply wherever there is an unused corner.
Check visibility from the approach employees take. A station should be easy to spot and should not be blocked by furniture, doors, or deliveries. Where a location needs multiple containers, arrange them so the labels are easy to read and each opening is accessible. Check whether bins are large enough for the volume they receive and whether staff can service them without mixing the contents.
Use desk-side bins deliberately
Desk-side configurations can make disposal convenient, but they should fit the collection arrangement and the materials generated at desks. If employees have a trash bin at their workstation but must walk to a distant shared recycling station, that imbalance can work against the desired behavior. Conversely, adding individual recycling containers without a clear way to empty and service them can create operational problems.
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Before buying office recycling bins or paired recycling and trash bins, confirm the building’s collection rules, available floor space, servicing plan, and storage capacity. Match containers and openings to the materials accepted by the program. A container alone does not guarantee better sorting; convenient placement, accurate instructions, and a workable collection process matter too.
Make labels clear, consistent, and locally accurate
Use short labels and pictures that show the materials accepted by the specific collection service. The EPA recommends clearly marking bins, using picture-based signs, and keeping color conventions consistent throughout a building. People should be able to make a decision quickly without decoding a long policy at the bin.
Write the sign around the local decision
Make the accepted items prominent and show common items employees actually handle. Where a frequent item does not belong in a bin, say where it should go if that destination exists. Avoid broad claims such as “all plastics” unless the local program explicitly accepts every relevant plastic item. A label that is simple but inaccurate can increase contamination.
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Use examples carefully. If the local hauler accepts only certain types of containers, pictures should distinguish those from lookalikes that are not accepted. If rules differ for food residue, lids, bags, or coated materials, keep the guidance aligned with the service’s instructions rather than assuming an item’s material name tells the whole story.
Keep labels and colors consistent across the building
Employees should not have to relearn the meaning of a color or symbol at each station. Use the same color conventions, words, and visual style throughout the workplace. If the building has multiple floors or departments, check that facilities and cleaning teams use the same instructions as the signs employees see.
Place prompts on or near the bins, where the decision happens. In a 1993 study by J. Austin, D. B. Hatfield, A. C. Grindle, and J. S. Bailey, approximately 217 faculty, staff, and graduate students across two academic departments were exposed to signs prompting recycling and proper trash disposal. The results differed by department and placement: Department A showed a 54% improvement over baseline when sign prompts were close to receptacles. In Department B, signs over containers four meters apart were associated with a 17% improvement over baseline; placing signs and receptacles close together was associated with a 29% improvement over baseline. These are outcomes from that study’s specific conditions, not guaranteed results for every office.
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Explain the program and make participation part of workplace routines
Employees need to know not just that recycling is expected, but what the building collects, why the setup looks the way it does, and where to ask when an item is unclear. The EPA recommends a kickoff with visible support from senior leaders, continued promotion, and engagement activities such as challenges and recognition. A one-time poster is unlikely to keep instructions visible as staff, materials, and routines change.
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Have a manager or senior leader explain the purpose of the program and the specific actions employees should take. Introduce the locations of collection stations, show the local sorting rules, and explain how staff can flag a confusing item or a full bin. Keep the message tied to what employees can do rather than relying on general appeals to be more sustainable.
Invite employee input before and after the change. Ask which materials are most confusing, whether stations are convenient, and whether the labels reflect what people discard. Include custodial and facilities staff in the discussion: they can identify service constraints and recurring contamination that employees may not see.
Use reminders, challenges, and recognition to sustain attention
Refresh reminders when the program changes, when new employees join, or when audits reveal a recurring mistake. A team challenge or recognition activity can draw attention to the program, but make sure it rewards the behavior the workplace wants. If the measure focuses only on the amount placed in recycling, teams may increase volume by adding nonaccepted material. Pair any participation goal with a check on sorting accuracy.
Build the program into everyday processes where appropriate. Include a short explanation in onboarding, point out stations during office orientation, and give event organizers a clear way to handle waste at meetings. These are practical ways to keep instructions accessible without expecting employees to remember a one-off announcement.
Understand why home recycling habits may not carry over to work
People do not make disposal decisions in a vacuum. At home, a person may know the local rules, control the bins, and decide how materials are stored. At work, they may face different materials, unfamiliar collection rules, shared bins, limited control over the setup, or uncertainty about whether separated waste stays separated. A 2021 organizational study identified organizational support and social context, as well as accountability, personal control, waste types and volumes, and the design and consistency of recycling schemes, as relevant factors in workplace recycling.
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That evidence helps explain why a workplace should not assume that employees who recycle at home automatically know what to do at work. Make the worksite rules explicit, provide accessible bins, show that the collection process is supported, and give employees a way to ask questions or report problems. The study identifies contextual factors; it does not establish that one intervention will work identically across organizations.
Choose composting and packaging changes only when service supports them
Compostable packaging is not automatically suitable for every workplace compost collection. Whether it can be collected depends on local availability and the building’s service. Before adding a compost bin or labeling packaging as compostable, ask the hauler or municipality which items it accepts and confirm that the building has the collection and servicing arrangements to handle them.
A 2025 study of three UK workplaces reported results for a combined intervention involving compostable packaging. Its setting and combined approach matter: the findings should not be generalized to all materials or workplaces, and they do not isolate the effect of signage alone. Use local collection rules to decide whether composting belongs in the program, rather than treating a study from a different service context as a universal instruction.
Review results and adjust the program
After changing bin locations, labels, or communications, review the same measures used to establish the starting point. Check whether more accepted material is being recovered, whether recyclables are still showing up in trash, and whether contamination has changed. If possible, compare similar locations or time periods and note changes in occupancy or service that could affect the result.
Use the pattern to choose the next fix
- Recyclables remain in trash: check whether employees can see and reach the recycling option where the material is discarded, and whether the sign names that material clearly.
- Contamination remains high: identify the most common unwanted items, confirm the hauler’s rules, then update the examples or labels at the relevant stations.
- One location performs differently: compare its layout, waste types, visibility, and collection routine with better-performing areas before applying a building-wide change.
- Bins overflow or are inconsistently serviced: review container capacity, collection frequency, storage, and the handoff between employees, custodial staff, and the hauler.
Make adjustments based on what the measurements and staff observations show. A sign, incentive, or new container may address one barrier while leaving another untouched. Reassessment is part of operating the program, not an optional final step.
What workplace recycling evidence can and cannot tell you
In addition to the 1993 office-sign study, a Keep America Beautiful summary hosted by Maryland’s environment department describes a six-month project in 34 offices. The project included a waste audit each month and employee surveys before and after. The summary discusses specific-sized trash and recycling receptacles, simple consistent signage, and messaging as ways to support employee participation. Its publication year is not clear, so its reported outcome percentages should not be treated as dated statistics.
Jennifer Jehn, then president and CEO of Keep America Beautiful, said: “Our research clearly shows that by combining specific-sized trash and recycling receptacles, with simple, consistent signage and messaging, businesses and other organizations can increase employee participation and improve their rate of recycling of office-generated materials.” The practical value of this observation is that bins, signage, and communication work as parts of a system; it is not evidence that any single configuration will produce the same result in every building.
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Together, the available evidence supports a measured, context-specific approach: make correct disposal easy, use clear prompts at the point of choice, sustain communication, and check what happens to the waste. Local service rules and a workplace’s layout determine how those principles should be applied.
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