Recycling Isn’t Political

June 24, 2011 by Taylor Studios in Professional & Industry Tips

With 2012 in sight, it’s worth pointing out that recycling isn’t a Red State/Blue State issue. Everyone can have a good reason to recycle, even if the benefits aren’t immediate. Betty, our president, is a dyed in the wool, free market, fiscal conservative, and she sees value in recycling. On the other hand, there are liberals on our staff who put their cans in the trash, so stereotypes are deceiving. Whether you want to reduce your ecological footprint, help preserve recreational habitats, or just stop feeding the landfills, your party affiliation has nothing to do with recycling.

And helping people recycle comes down to changing habits, not votes. You need to make it easy to recycle. You need to make it clear what is expected. You need to provide reasons that appeal to lots of different people. And then, you need to prod. And prod. And prod. You know you’re becoming effective when people start pulling plastic bottles out of the trash when they see you coming. I look forward to the day when there won’t be bottles to pull out.

One of the best reasons to recycle at work is that it can lead to recycling at home. If you have a child in school, you’re already getting pressure to recycle, and kids love to help. If you set a good example for them, you will have started a great habit that could last a lifetime.