Buy Recycled at Work

The tremendous buying power of businesses, institutions, and government agencies can send a powerful message to manufacturers by the products they choose. When businesses buy recycled, they assure manufacturers that a consistent, long-term demand exists for the recycled products. Remember, it takes a commitment from upper-level management to make your Buy Recycled program a success.

If you want to implement a Buy Recycled program in your office, here is what you can do:

Make a commitment to buy recycled. This can be done by establishing a policy that is as informal as just having a general preference for recycled products or as formal as an established price or bid preference. A price or bid preference is established when a business or government agency is willing to pay a slightly higher price, usually 5% to 10%, for a product with recycled content. The bids should show the minimum amount of recycled content that you find acceptable, but do some research first and make sure that the minimum level you require is widely available in your area. Another option is to establish the goal that a certain percentage of total purchases must have recycled content.

You may want to consider cooperative purchasing agreements where organizations with similar needs pool their purchasing power into a single order or bid rather than individual purchases. Cooperative purchases work particularly well with schools, government agencies, and public institutions. It requires planning and communication so that the products being purchased meet everyone's needs. The benefit of cooperative purchasing is that it lowers the overall unit costs for all parties and saves everyone money.

Another option you may explore for your office buy recycled program is a closed-loop system. This concept involves the organization establishing a collection program for recyclable materials (such as used oil and rechargeable Ni-Cd batteries) and then the same organization buying back the product made from the materials they previously collected (re-refined oil). The benefit of a closed-loop system is that it guarantees a market for recyclable materials by maintaining a constant demand for the recycled products. Organizations create a direct link between the collection, manufacturing, and purchasing of recycled products, the three steps of the recycling loop.

Let the public know your preference for recycled products. Add the chasing arrows recycling symbol to your letterhead, and state the percentage of recycled content on everything you print.

Think beyond paper. In a typical office setting, people often think of and notice recycled paper products, but often don't realize the other office supply products beyond paper that can be purchased. So look and shop for the recycling and recycled content seal! More offices are discovering the wide array of recycled products available including:  pencils, rulers, diskette mailers, padded mailer envelopes, tape dispensers, organizer trays, calendars, binders, toner cartridges, computer disks, furniture, carpeting, rechargeable Ni-Cd batteries, and many others.

Check with your local office supply store for more information on recycled products.

Have you ever considered purchasing remanufactured products for your business?

Remanufacturing is the repairing or restoring of used, durable products to a "like new" condition. Products to be remanufactured are collected and brought to a factory environment where they are completely disassembled. Each component part is cleaned and inspected, then refurbished or replaced as necessary. The parts are then reassembled, and the resulting products are tested to perform to original specifications. The performance of remanufactured products must be as good as new in order to compete with originally manufactured products.

Commonly remanufactured items that can be purchased for the office and businesses include: furniture, toner cartridges, machinery, medical equipment, computers, cranes and forklifts, pallets, photocopiers, steam turbines, and automotive tires, engines, and parts.

If you have concerns about purchasing remanufactured products, we suggest you ask questions; obtain written materials including catalogs, brochures, price lists, and written warranties; and check references.