How do you train your building staff on waste management and recycling best practices?

1 Assess your current situation

Before you start planning your training, you need to assess your current situation and identify the gaps and opportunities for improvement. You can do this by conducting a waste audit, which is a process of measuring and analyzing the amount, composition, and sources of waste generated by your building. A waste audit will help you understand how much waste you are producing, what types of waste you have, where they are coming from, and how they are being disposed of. This will give you a baseline to set your goals, monitor your progress, and evaluate your performance.

2 Set your goals and objectives

Based on your waste audit results, you need to set your goals and objectives for your waste management and recycling program. Your goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). For example, you may want to reduce your waste generation by 10% in six months, or increase your recycling rate by 20% in a year. Your objectives should be the specific actions or steps that you will take to achieve your goals. For example, you may want to implement a source separation system, or provide more bins and signage for recycling.

3 Develop your training content and materials

Once you have determined your goals and objectives, you must create training content and materials to educate and motivate your building staff on waste management and recycling best practices. This training should cover the benefits of waste management and recycling, legal and regulatory requirements, the waste hierarchy, the types and categories of waste, policies and procedures, facilities and equipment, as well as your building's goals and objectives. The content should be clear, concise, and engaging - utilizing different formats such as manuals, brochures, posters, videos, games, quizzes, etc. Additionally, it can be beneficial to use real-life examples, case studies, testimonials or success stories to further illustrate points and inspire your staff.

5 Follow up and reinforce your training

To ensure that your building staff apply what they learned and maintain their waste management and recycling best practices, provide ongoing support and guidance to your staff, as well as regular reminders and updates. Give recognition and rewards to your staff for their achievements and successes. Additionally, provide feedback and coaching to identify their strengths and weaknesses. Offer refresher and advanced training to update them on the latest trends and developments. By taking these steps, you can train your building staff on waste management and recycling best practices, thus improving your building services quality and performance.