With the dangers of climate change and overuse of non-renewable resources frequently in the news, many companies have increased their efforts to reduce waste associated with manufacturing or selling their products by recycling. These are four of the ways companies have implemented recycling initiatives.

1. Collection Bins

Nike has encouraged consumers to recycle their worn-out shoes by providing “Reuse-a-Shoe” collection bins at some of their stores. Nike then separates the rubber, foam, leather and textile components of the shoes and turns them into granules that can be made into new clothing, footwear or sports and playground surfaces.

2. Silicon Wafer Reclaiming

Silicon wafers are used in the manufacturing process for integrated circuits, solar cells and other products. By employing silicon wafer polishing in the reclamation process, reclaimed wafers can be reused multiple times, cutting down on both waste and manufacturing costs.

3. Trade-Ins

Best Buy gives consumers the option to trade-in used electronics and appliances for a gift card. If an item does not have enough value to qualify for a trade-in, consumers can still recycle the item through Best Buy’s electronics recycling program. Through this program, which allows customers to turn in items of any age, even if they weren’t purchased at Best Buy, they have become the largest retail recycler of electronics and appliances.

4. Educational Programs

Crayola has turned recycling into an educational opportunity by creating the ColorCycle program for schools to collect used markers and ship them to Crayola to be turned into clean-burning fuel. As part of the program, they provide educators with lesson plans for teaching kids about environmental issues.

Reducing waste through recycling programs is an important part of combating the negative impact of manufacturing and selling consumer goods on the environment. Companies are finding new, innovative ways to encourage consumers to recycle used products and to incorporate recycled products into their manufacturing processes.…