We’ve all seen office garbage piling up at the end of the week, or at times, even the end of the day. In California, companies are taking steps to eliminate waste and go “greener” with one step – they’re removing trashcans all together.

According to an article from the California Integrated Waste Management Board (seen here), companies are removing large waste bins to great effect: there’s been 50 percent and higher waste diversion levels in many office buildings, and recycling levels have increased exponentially because the system fundamentally changes the way workers think about their refuse.

Instead of having big trashcans that people tend to throw each and every thing into, there’s been two options explored to reduce waste: mini “saddle baskets” that attach to the side of paper-recycling bins, or desktop trash bins that are about the size of a 1.5L laundry detergent container. Employees then empty their personal trash bins into a centralized container and custodial staff no longer go desk-to-desk daily, clearing out trashcans.

I, for one, would love to see something like this implemented in London area office buildings, including where I work. I try to make a concerted effort to watch what I throw away, but I’ll admit there’s times when I don’t pay attention and just chuck my waste into the nearest trashcan. It’s lazy and maybe being forced to take a second and consider where I put my garbage would make me more aware of my actions. That seems to be the common result in California, so why would it be different here?

And although it might seem strange to have your garbage sitting on your desk, wouldn’t it make you stop and think about what you’re throwing out?

Check out the article linked above to read about how you can replicate a mini trash bin program at your workplace.

- Katrina Hass
  Manager, Communications
  katrina [dot] hasstechalliance [dot] ca