Why do businesses/companies get away with not recycling?

[ES_Revenge]

Sorry if this was asked/answered before (I did a search and didn't see anything)...

I've wondered this for quite some time. We as regular people living in residences, we have to recycle whatever waste is recyclable come garbage day. But companies, they seem to not have to do anything in terms of recycling at all. Why? :confused:

I'm not going to mention any company names here but where I work, I work in offices owned by a different company than who I work for (I work representing my company's interests at this particular site). The company here does not recycle anything. They put everything in the garbage. This includes, among all other recyclable waste, a pretty large amount of paper waste. Like tons and tons of paper, everyday, right into the garbage. What's interesting is this particular company is owned by a larger much more prominent/well-known company, who I would assume also does not recycle given the policy (or lack thereof) here.

Personally I cannot, in good conscience, just toss my paper waste into the garbage. So, what I do (because my company does recycle) is put all my paper waste in a box and send it off to my company's office for recycling when it gets full. With my other recyclables (plastic bottles, etc.) I take them home and put them in my blue box there.

But what's disturbing to me is how if this company can just garbage all waste, every other company out there must be able to do this as well no? And the waste produced by businesses is HUGE, like way more than a household or even an entire block of households. Yet all this stuff goes in the garbage while municipal governments keep harping on people to reduce their waste, recycle, etc? (I mean nothing wrong with that per se, but what about the companies just dumping stuff?)

Now yeah I know that businesses have private waste collection but that shouldn't somehow absolve them of having to recycle and make efforts to reduce waste, should it? I mean landfills are landfills, right?

I dunno, it just seems to me that it's well past due to start forcing these huge waste producers to do something about their garbage output, like the rest of us. I'm in no way trying to "make a statement" here either, this is a legitimate question--why has this gone neglected for so long?

[pshch]

We as regular people living in residences, we have to recycle whatever waste is recyclable come garbage day.

Probably depends on location but I do not think you have to. Nobody will fine you if you do not but if there is a limit on number of garbage bags (an looks like all places with curb side recycling sooner or later implement it) you may not be able to dispose of all you garbage or you will have to pay extra.

Companies very likely use private garbage companies which do not impose limits so they just do not care or do not want to pay extra for recycling.

Why there is no law to force them to recycle I do not know, possibly because it won't be easy to enforce.

[CSR]

My company was pretty good (tech firm). We had recycling bins beside the printer and fax machine, also a high security locked paper recycling bin which was cleared by a private 3rd paper who supposedly shredded the paper. In every kitchen on each floor, there were separate recycling bins for bottles and cans, with the holes cut right into the counter.

[highvelocity]

I really think companies should take more responsibility with recycling.. at work we have recycling bins, and our shredder paper is recycled at the end of the day by the cleaners. I always recycle any unnecessary papers, and also any boxes/packaging materials if possible.