Vilmate Green Office

Initiating a recycling program in the workplace is easy — that’s what we’ve learned from our own experience.

Getting started with recycling

It all began six months ago. One day, encouraged by the example of our new client, we looked into the garbage produced in the Vilmate office and realized that it was time we had to come up with the effective methods of waste sorting and recycling. Even summing up the situation at a glance, it was apparent that a good part of what was being thrown in the trash could be recycled. The question was: what exactly could be recycled in an office? So, we contacted the local recycling waste contractor and thus found ourselves on a journey of discovery and change.

Encouraging the employees to recycle in the workplace

Pushing employees to reduce, reuse, and recycle was obviously not the best way. Corporate recycling could be introduced by either bringing in new corporate rules or motivating, educating, and encouraging. We opted for the latter course. Now, most Vilmates support the program, but it took time and required some convincing of the importance of sorting waste. Going on business trips to Sweden and watching other people who are used to sorting gave food for thought and became the first powerful trigger for action.

Fortunately, the recycling company we started cooperating with provided us with the recycling boxes. Not only was it indicated on the recycling posters that we hung right above the bins what could and could not be put in each box, but the company representative also delivered a lecture to Vilmates explaining how to sort and what the current state of recycling in Ukraine was. We understand that the office recycling program implementation should be timely, so the lecture became the entrance to the loop. Step by step, we introduce changes and never forget to educate our newcomers and encourage the growing legion of program supporters. Thus, birthday presents for our employees have become eco-friendly, too. These presents are aimed to help either reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills or reuse materials, so we purchase new products made from recycled plastic and offer them to Vilmates as one of the birthday present options.

In the interview below, our PR Manager Yulia Vasylenko goes into detail of what else the environmental friendliness of the Vilmate office comprises, why it is important to recycle, and what progress we’ve made as of today.

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