What Are the Easiest Materials to Start Recycling in a Business?

Simple starting points that deliver fast sustainability wins.

Many businesses want to improve their recycling performance but delay starting because it feels complicated. In reality, most workplaces already generate recyclable materials every day — they’re just being sent to landfill.

The key is starting with the materials that are high-volume, low-contamination, and easy for staff to recognise. Whether you manage one site or multiple locations across Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane, these materials offer the fastest path to better diversion and lower waste costs.

Why Starting Simple Matters

Early success builds momentum. When recycling systems are too complex at the start, staff confusion leads to contamination and frustration. Simple streams are easier to communicate, easier to service, and easier to measure.

Once these foundations are in place, additional streams can be added with confidence.

1. Cardboard

Cardboard is almost always the easiest and most impactful material to recycle.

Generated in large volumes by most businesses
Easy for staff to identify
Low contamination risk when flattened
Often cheaper to recycle than send to landfill

Separate cardboard recycling can immediately reduce general waste volumes and collection costs, particularly for retail, logistics, manufacturing, and office environments.

2. Office Paper

Although many workplaces are moving digital, paper is still a common waste stream. Office paper recycling is simple to implement and works best when:

Paper bins are placed near printers and workstations
Clear signage shows acceptable materials
Confidential paper is included via secure recycling services

Paper recycling also supports strong ESG outcomes, as it directly offsets virgin material use.

3. Commingled Recycling (Bottles, Cans, Containers)

Commingled recycling is familiar to most staff and is one of the easiest programs to adopt.

Includes glass bottles, plastic containers, and aluminium cans
Well-understood by employees due to household recycling habits
Effective when bins are clearly labelled and paired with general waste bins

Correct bin placement and simple signage are critical to keep contamination low.

4. Food Waste and Organics

For businesses with kitchens, cafés, or food preparation areas, organics can be a major opportunity.

While it requires slightly more education, food waste diversion delivers significant landfill and emissions reductions when implemented correctly. Starting with back-of-house areas before expanding to staff spaces often works best.

5. Soft Plastics (Where Viable)

Soft plastics such as pallet wrap and packaging film are common in warehouses and distribution centres. When kept clean and separate, they are relatively easy to recycle and can dramatically improve diversion rates.

What to Avoid at the Start

Not all materials are ideal for an initial rollout. Businesses often struggle when they:

Introduce too many streams at once
Use unclear or inconsistent signage
Fail to train staff properly
Ignore bin placement and overflow issues

Starting small and scaling up is almost always more successful.

How to Set Up for Success

To get the best results from your first recycling streams:

Place recycling bins next to general waste bins
Use image-based signage with real examples
Remove lids where appropriate to improve visibility
Review bin sizes and collection frequencies after the first month

How Nationwide Waste Solutions Helps Businesses Get Started

As Australia’s leading waste management brokerage, Nationwide Waste Solutions helps businesses identify the easiest recycling opportunities and implement them quickly. We support organisations by:

Assessing existing waste streams and volumes
Recommending simple, low-risk recycling solutions
Providing clear signage and staff education
Optimising collections to reduce costs
Delivering clear reporting for ESG and Scope 3 tracking

Ready to Start Recycling the Easy Way?

If you’re unsure where to begin, start with what’s already in your bins. Nationwide Waste Solutions can help you identify the easiest materials to recycle and build a program that delivers immediate results — without adding complexity.

Talk to Nationwide Waste Solutions today about starting or improving recycling at your business.