5 Easy Ways to Get Your Staff on Board with Waste Minimisation (Without the Collective Office Groan)
0
12
0
Let’s be real—waste minimisation isn’t exactly the topic that gets staff high-fiving in the lunchroom. But with the growing focus on sustainability, businesses have to get on board, and that means making waste reduction engaging, simple, and (dare I say it?) even fun.
Because the truth is, most people do care about the planet—they just don’t want to be lectured about it while sipping their morning coffee out of a single-use cup. So, here are five ways to get your team excited about waste minimisation without the guilt trip.
1. Make It Ridiculously Easy
If your recycling system requires a PhD in bin navigation, you’ve already lost them.
Keep it simple:
✅ Clear signage with pictures (words are hard before coffee).
✅ Colour-coded bins that don’t require a staff meeting to decode.
✅ Strategic bin placement—if the landfill bin is the closest option, people will default to it.
Bonus tip: Remove individual desk bins! Yes, people will grumble at first, but it forces them to think before they toss.
2. Bribe, I Mean, Incentivise
Nobody gets excited about saving the planet, but they do get excited about free stuff.
Use challenges and rewards to make waste minimisation a game:
🎯 Coffee Cup Challenge: Whoever uses the least disposables in a month wins a free coffee (in a reusable cup, obviously).
🛍️ BYO Lunch Hero: Staff who pack a waste-free lunch get entered into a prize draw.
♻️ Recycling Roulette: A fun (and educational) game where staff have to sort “mystery” waste items into the correct bins—winner gets a free lunch.
Make sustainability feel like winning, not a sacrifice.
3. Give ‘Em a Reason to Care (Beyond “It’s Good for the Planet”)
Not everyone is moved by pictures of sad turtles. But you know what does get their attention?
Money and convenience.
💰 Cost savings – “If we reduce waste, we can afford better coffee in the break room.”🚮 Less bin duty – “If we compost food scraps, the kitchen bin won’t smell like death by Thursday.”
🌍 Local impact – “Our office waste reduction helps our community, not just some vague ‘future generations.’”
Find what motivates your team and frame waste minimisation around that.
4. Lead by Example (Yes, That Means You, Boss!)
If the leadership team is still using disposable everything while expecting staff to do better, you’ve got a credibility problem.
Change starts at the top.
💼 Bring your own coffee cup to meetings.
🥤 Ban disposable cups from the boardroom.
🗣️ Talk about waste minimisation in a relatable way—no preachy vibes allowed.
If you make waste minimisation part of the culture rather than an awkward extra task, people will follow suit.
5. Make It Fun (Because Nobody Wants to Sit Through a PowerPoint on Recycling)
People engage when they’re entertained. So, ditch the dry corporate memo and bring some fun into the mix:
🎭 Bin Audits – Turn it into a competition: Which department is the worst offender? Who found the weirdest thing in the recycling bin?
🧑🍳 Office “Chopped” Challenge – Who can make the best lunch from leftovers in the fridge?
📸 Meme-Worthy Moments – Get staff to share their funniest “oops” waste minimisation fails (like when they accidentally compost their work badge).
Make sustainability engaging, and it won’t feel like another corporate policy to endure.
Final Thought: Progress Over Perfection
No office is going to go zero waste overnight. But small, consistent changes add up—and when staff feel empowered rather than forced into waste minimisation, they’re far more likely to stick with it.
So, start small, make it fun, and lead by example. Your bins (and your budget) will thank you.
👋 Want to take your office waste game to the next level and Get Your Staff on Board with Waste Minimisation?
Book me for a workplace waste workshop! I promise no boring lectures—just practical, laugh-out-loud strategies to get your team on board with sustainability.
What do you think? Ready to get your staff waste-savvy? 🚀♻️
Related Posts
