How to Configure better recycling without compromise
Adopting visible sustainable practices is quickly becoming a non-negotiable consumer expectation, with 88% of consumers actively wanting brands to help them be more sustainable*. While many brands have the desire to help consumers become more sustainable, a few barriers and misconceptions often block the way.
What are the barriers to recycling better?
Misconceptions of cost
When talking to customers, the feedback we often hear is the misconception that implementing a front-of-house multi-stream recycling system will cost more. In fact, the opposite is true. When you separate waste at source you can avoid the high costs of sending waste to general waste disposal.
Take DPD, for example. When the leading parcel group upgraded their recycling system, they found it was a move that not only made environmental sense, but financial sense too. Due to greater recycling efficiency rates of over 90% at sites where a multi-stream recycling system had been implemented, DPD will now reap the financial savings for years to come.
DPD’s Head of Sustainability, Olly Craughan, exalted the cost savings achieved: “in addition to environmental savings we’re seeing 27% cost savings of not sending waste to general waste disposal, which means we will recoup our investment within a year”.
Aesthetic challenges
For businesses where appearances matter and a lot of time and effort has gone into choosing the finer details such as the right furniture, wallpaper, and lighting, for example, finding recycling stations that are ‘on-brand’ can be a challenge. When creating a cohesive front-of-house aesthetic, every detail is important…and this includes the recycling stations! So, with many recycling systems prioritising functionality over aesthetics, businesses are getting turned off better recycling by looks alone.
Configure containers: designed with aesthetics in mind
At RCP, we believe better recycling needn’t compromise your brand experience. Unlike many traditional recycling stations, the RCP Configure multi-stream recycling system is at home in high-end environments.
Not only does Configure communicate to your customers, visitors, and employees that you’re committed to sustainable practices, its modern appearance seamlessly fits into any indoor commercial environment. Designed with aesthetics in mind, Configure’s high-quality galvanised steel construction gives a premium look suitable for your front-of-house.
Though this recycling system effortlessly blends in with sleek, smooth surfaces and contoured edges, clear signage allows users to quickly recycle with little impact to their daily routines.
Easy to Configure
Configure recycling systems are easy to set up which means you can begin implementing effective front-of-house waste separation quickly. Configure’s sleek, smooth magnetic panels and rounded easy-glide feet allow you to easily connect the containers in a tailored layout that suits your waste management and aesthetic needs – from a simple row to an island arrangement.
Providing a signposted multi-stream waste disposal system front-of-house enables a quick and hassle-free recycling experience for your customers and facility users who want brands to assist them in becoming more sustainable. In the EU, only 30% of plastic is recycled while 39% of it is incinerated**, and the remainder goes to landfill. To make an impactful improvement on the waste sent to landfill and to your business’ bottom line, recycling must be as straightforward as possible for the user, with little impact to their daily life.
Signposting the correct waste stream is simple with eight common European recycling colour schemes to choose from. Visible signs help reduce cross-contamination of recyclable and non-recyclable materials, allowing for optimal waste separation. The added optional billboard panel provides your users with an additional visual cue to make choosing sustainable as seamless as possible.
Buy Better, Waste Less
We’re confident in the durability of our products, which is why the Configure comes with a 5-year warranty so you can be too. Investing in durable solutions is the original greener choice - cheaper solutions may appear attractive at the outset but quickly prove expensive and unsustainable when you must replace them regularly.
Read more insights and tips on how you can Buy Better, Waste less here.
* www.forbes.com/sites/solitairetownsend/2018/11/21/consumers-want-you-to-help-them-make-a-difference/
