How Many Trees Are in Your Trash? 

by Bo Howard, National Accounts Manager

When you walk past one of the industrial waste collection points at your facility, what do you see?

For many manufacturers, it’s merely a pile of stuff. You can easily spot wooden pallets, plastic bottles, non-metal byproducts, and cardboard. Have you ever thought that perhaps the box of trash is part of your company’s legacy?

In the future, how will we be remembered? The products we made, or the mess we left behind? As manufacturing moves forward, so do the causes that will affect the future. Will you be remembered for your involvement or your apathy?

Thinking of your trash in terms of trees is relatively simple. According to industrial averages, one ton of cardboard equals 17 trees. When you think about wood waste, that number grows even faster. There are many ways to calculate the number of pallets that come from a tree. Let’s use eight pallets per tree as an example. So again, how many trees are in your trash?

Too often, we think about recycling items like cardboard and pallets as a cost not worth incurring. When you consider how many trees you can add back into the environment with a good program, you might want to look again.

The good news is that recycling isn’t necessarily a more expensive option. With the right equipment, your company can capture the value of proper recycling. With the right partner and process, you can accurately capture these improvements to showcase the positive steps taken to improve your facility and your community. If that sounds too good to be true, Shapiro has case studies to reinforce why you should be looking at this today to improve your tomorrow. And while doing so, save a tree or two.

A total facility recycling program with streamlined reporting and continuous improvement is possible. Have your purchasing and EHS departments have been trying to find improvements to your program with little success? Let us show you how a new approach to your recycling program can create a better tomorrow for your business—today.