Business Recycling continues to grow despite pandemic, helping more Australians recycle right at work
By Rachael Ridley 26 November 2021
Recycling was likely not a priority concern for many Australian businesses and workplaces during a pandemic. Despite this, the Business Recycling platform continued to grow throughout 2021. Since its inception in 2010, the educational resource and recycling directory has helped more than a million Australians find recycling solutions for their workplace.
Last year, Planet Ark celebrated the 10th anniversary of Business Recycling by launching a revamped website and merging it with Recycling Near You to form Australia’s most comprehensive database of recycling information for individuals and workplaces. The project was made possible with funding from the NSW Government, a Foundation Partner of Business Recycling.
Since the launch of the redesigned website in October 2020, Business Recycling has welcomed more than 167,000 new Australian users, with more than 400,000 pageviews. In 2021 the site has seen an 8.9 per cent increase in new users compared to the same time period in 2020 (Jan-Nov), with a significant portion of users redirected from the Recycling Near You website.
New recycling guide is a hit with workplaces
In April 2021, Business Recycling launched a new guide to help workplaces responsibly manage their waste. A Simple Guide to Recycling Stardom was created to help environmentally conscious workers implement practical changes in their workplace that would improve its environmental footprint.
The guide, which has been downloaded more than 5,600 times already, was launched alongside a series of free webinars to help businesses reduce waste, increase recycling, and close the recycling loop by buying products made from recycled materials.
Business Recycling teams up with Ecycle Solutions
In September 2021, Ecycle Solutions came on board as a sponsor of Business Recycling, helping the platform to reach more businesses with recycling education and resources. Ecycle Solutions, an administrator of the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme, provides innovative recycling services for expanded polystyrene (EPS) and electronics for all industries and businesses, with Australia-wide coverage including remote communities.
The merging of the websites was based on a survey of Recycling Near You users in 2018, which found 17 per cent were businesses looking for commercial recycling solutions. By simplifying the navigation from Recycling Near You to Business Recycling, workplaces and businesses using the platform can find commercial recycling services in their area more easily. Since the website merger, Business Recycling has received more than 17,000 referrals from Recycling Near You. Referrals from Recycling Near You have increased by 371 per cent year on year (Oct 2019-Oct 2020 compared to Oct 2020-Oct 2021).
With restrictions easing in areas previously in lockdown, workers returning to offices and businesses regaining economic strength, Business Recycling expects 2022 to be its biggest year yet. We look forward to helping even more businesses and workplaces make an impact at work by preventing valuable resources from ending up in landfill.
Interested in becoming a sponsor of Business Recycling?
Team up with Planet Ark’s Business Recycling program and be part of the initiative that is making it easier for Australian businesses to reduce waste and recycle more. Contact the Partnerships team for more information at recycling@planetark.org
Rachael manages the Business Recycling and Recycling Near You websites. Rachael joined Planet Ark in early 2019 after eight years working in media and publishing as a producer, editor and writer. Rachael loves using her skills in content creation and communication to instigate positive environmental behaviour change. Outside of work, Rachael enjoys spending time in nature, listening to music and patting dogs.
