Today I drove by a remodeling site and saw a dumpster that was chocked full. Much of the debris that threatened to tumble over the sides was cardboard! Boxes and boxes made of cardboard–all recyclable. Because both in our home and office, we are avid recyclers, this made me ill.
And it hit me clearly that if I had to choose between two remodelers — both offering similar services and price points — with the only difference being that one recycled job site waste and one didn’t — I’d definitely choose the company that recycled! In fact, I’d pay more for it! And I know that I’m not alone.
More and more, people care about the environment and are taking steps to do what they can to help alleviate the stresses that we’re putting on the earth.
We’re doing what we can in many areas of our business. For example, when we plan our 50+ meetings each year, we prefer to choose hotels that are as environmentally conscious as we are. We print on both sides of the paper in the office and recycle everything we can get our hands on. This is just the start.
A year ago or so, Remodelers Advantage became endorsers of the EPA’s WasteWise Program that provides information and resources on how to reduce construction debris. In addition, we’ve been compiling information from our members, successful remodelers from across North America, on what they are doing to recycle.
We’re all heading in this direction so why start now. Do the right thing for the earth and get a great market advantage your clients will appreciate. Tell us about your recycling efforts, concerns and successes. We’re eager to hear.
I have been recycling all the cardboard and paper from my projects for years. I also recycle glass and plastic bottles. It took a while to educate the subs. I have a separate container for recyclables. The larger cardboard items I have them leave in a corner of the worksite and take it back to my office where I recycle it.
This takes care of 80% of the items. The other 20% I still fish out of the dumpster is from new crews sent by my subs.
My homeowners wonder what’s going on and I explain that I am recycling, that it saves the environment and saves the homeowner and me on dumpster costs.
On a kitchen project I can fill 5 to 6 65 gallon recycle bins with cardboard and other recyclables.
I also use a waste company that recycles construction waste. Most of my homeowners are impressed.
Mark, you rock! Thank you! And be sure to tell the homeowners up front about this as it could make a nice difference in their choice. In fact, if a homeowner says complimentary things, ask them if they could specifically address your recycling efforts in a testimonial which you can then use all over the place. Great job.
Thanks for sharing this. We’re always looking for valuable resources to send to clients and my coworkers, and this post is certainly worth sharing!
We also recycle all of the job site cardboard along with the drink cans and bottles. We have a separate bin with our company name on it for the cans and bottles that we empty throughout the course of the project. We also also post a sign at the project reminding the trades to recycle. It takes some time to train the subs, but after a few projects they get used to it.
I think that recycling is something that clients are coming to expect, especially if you want to be considered a green builder. It does not take much more effort but can make a big difference.