Business to business recycling, or B2B recycling, refers to the sustainable use of products in the business to business sales sector. It is the responsibility of businesses to know where their products end up, and sustainably disposing of products has become an increasing priority. Oftentimes, liability is what is driving the collection of information on products, but circularity should be a goal for businesses as it provides both environmental and economic benefit. In order to streamline recycling processes and reduce waste, businesses need to work together to create solutions.
By implementing a B2B recycling practice, businesses can prioritize sustainability while simultaneously collecting valuable data for their company about product life cycles. There are many B2B practices available that can serve as a framework for businesses looking to implement sustainability measures of their own. Nespresso partnered with TerraCycle to implement a B2B recycling practice that involves collecting and shipping Nespresso capsules to be recycled. In this B2B recycling practice, Nespresso gets information from TerraCycle about their products' lifecycle, and is assured that less of their products will make their way into landfills.
B2B recycling practices are not only helpful for the environment, but helpful for businesses. With efficient B2B recycling practices, businesses can partner with each other to reduce waste and therefore reduce certain liabilities in producing their product. Here are some tips on where to start with your B2B recycling practice and how to make the process more streamlined and efficient.
Partner with Another Business
Partnering with another company or business is the best way to implement B2B recycling practices easily. Partner with a business that already uses your products, or partner with a business whose products you use. Start by tracking recyclable materials and where they end up. This will strengthen your B2B recycling practice, as you will have more information about how products are disposed of. There are many different ways to go about recycling these materials. Find the best fit for your business by evaluating costs, efficiency, and environmental impact. Make sure your business policies and ideals align with the process you choose, and partner with a business whose ideals align with yours.
Clear Waste Management Policies
Having clear waste management policies will make things simpler by guiding employees to make the right choices when handling recyclable materials and products. With comprehensible guidelines, there is little room for human error. Having a framework to go by will make things much easier on the B2B recycling practice as everyone will know what products go where and how to properly dispose of materials to abide by guidelines. Recycling efforts will need to happen company wide and require persistence and education efforts to get all employees to pitch in.
Make Steps Simple
The simpler your system, the more likely it is to be utilized. In B2B recycling practices, businesses are not likely to recycle your products if the process is difficult. Try adding policies to your waste management solutions so that there is a clear guide to your B2B recycling practice. These steps should be simple and easy to follow to ensure that the practice is being abided by. For simplicity, use simple language, pictures, and directions with your practice guidelines.
Understand Impact
An ethical understanding of the impact of products on the environment will influence B2B recycling practices. Businesses should be aware of both the positive and negative impacts that products and services make on the environment. Understanding impact will likely have a positive influence on the implementation of B2B recycling practices as negative impacts will decrease and positive impacts will increase. Sustainability will become a priority when ethical understanding occurs because of the environmental stress certain industries cause. When taken into consideration, sustainability is the only correct answer to the question of how to have a positive impact on the world.
B2B recycling practices can decrease carbon footprints for businesses while fostering a culture of community surrounding sustainability. The more we view sustainability as a community effort and work together to implement solutions, the more impact we will have on the environment and therefore our quality of life. Efficient B2B recycling practices support partnerships, implement clear waste management strategies, and understand the importance and impact of recycling and a circular economy. To implement a B2B recycling program, evaluate your current business practices and pinpoint where B2B recycling could and should occur.
Want to learn more about sustainability? CIRT is a recycling software company that helps companies recycle internally, with B2B practices, and externally to the end customer. CIRT uses dynamic data to help educate consumers in a user friendly way. Not only is the interface easy to use, but is set up in a way that will collect data across the customer's entire distribution footprint. The goal is to know where products are ending up at the end of their lifecycle and provide information on what can be recycled where. CIRT is a women-owned company and a Benefit Corporation (B Corp), focusing on environmental sustainability along with the other pillars outlined by B Corp. Visit our website to learn more: https://www.cirt.tech/
