According to a recent survey, 70 percent of cleaning professionals, distributors and facility managers believe recycling is "personally" important to them and their employers, and is also important to sustainability in general.
 
Conducted by CFR, the survey asked which items are most often recycled at their facilities, 56 percent indicated that cardboard and packaging materials are the items recycled most frequently. Virtually all of the rest of the respondents reported that paper products are the items they recycle most.

That said, 60 percent indicated that they do not have anyone specifically in charge of recycling in their facilities.

"This can be a problem," says Doug Berjer, product manager for CFR. "In most cases, a successful recycling program needs someone in charge to organize the program and make it work."
 
Even without someone in charge, more than 70 percent of respondents indicated that their recycling programs have expanded in recent years, while another 50 percent would like their recycling efforts expanded even further.
 
"It is a bit disappointing that cardboard, packaging materials and paper products are still the main items being recycled," says Berjer. "This has been true for decades now. However, very often when someone is appointed the 'recycling czar' for a facility, the program expands and more types of items are recycled as well."