According to a recent survey, American businesses are looking for affordable and flexible options when it comes to recycling.

Many Recycling destruction firms have contracted with Coral Gables, Fla.-based AJR & Partners to conduct research into the recycling habits of U.S. businesses. The results will help determine how companies such as The File Room headquartered in Saint Louis, MO can help to improve business recycling rates in the country.

According to the Survey, 90 percent of American businesses practice some form of recycling and 10 percent do not. Fifteen industries, including manufacturing, electronics, software, medical services, finance, insurance, real estate, education, retail and public administration, were represented by survey participants from all over the country. More than two-thirds of the survey respondents reported that their annual revenue was less than $25 million, while 20 percent said their annual revenue was less than $1 million.

According to the survey: 

• Ninety percent of respondents either don’t know how their data is destroyed or have insufficient data destruction practices for protecting their organizations from data leaks or hackers retrieving sensitive information.
• The top three waste streams with recycling rates greater than 80 percent are batteries, electronics and lamps.
• Slightly more than half (51 percent) of firms that do not recycle say their customers, vendors and employees want them to recycle; however, 72 percent of these companies say the primary reasons for not having a recycling program in place is the lack of options or the cost.
• Forty-five percent of respondents that do recycle said their cost of doing business has decreased by having a recycling program in light of lower insurance premiums or reduced liability for the company.
• About 40 percent of all companies responding reported a need for more access to recycling options. 

“The 2010 Survey was important for us to learn how to improve customer service and better communicate the benefits of recycling,” says Rita Grant the General Manager of The File Room. “Since options and flexibility are important to most companies, we are able to provide those solutions while helping to reduce operational liability and regulatory costs.” 

More than two-thirds (72 percent) of the companies that do not recycle say it is either too costly to do so or they do not have available options in their geographic region. One-third of the companies that responded say they do not recycle because there is no law mandating it.  

Slightly more that half say their customers, vendors and employees want them to recycle, but the options are not there for them to meet those demands. Ten percent of respondents that do not recycle say they have no interest in it. 

The top three obstacles to increasing recycling among those respondents that do so are space limitations for recycling containers, the inconvenience of separating materials and the cost.  

Thirty-five percent of respondents say more training is needed to implement recycling programs for different types of waste streams.  

Close to two-thirds (63 percent) of respondents that recycle say they do not know how data on their electronic devices are destroyed. More than a quarter (27 percent) of respondents say they delete files off of their computers.  

“Just deleting files does not completely destroy the information, but simply moves the files to an area of the hard drive that is not visible to the average person,” Rita says. “The File Room specializes in electronic waste by completely destroying all data contained on data storage devices collected from clients and ensuring that disposal adheres to our zero-waste-to-landfill policy.”  

AERC Recycling Solutions operates five electronics processing facilities, also known as Com-Cycle, in five separate geographic locations. More information is available at http://www.aercrecycling.com/

Many organizations assume they will never experience a disaster, so they never develop a strategy for preventing or responding to one. Even if they do have a formal disaster response plan, chances are it does not address the need to protect one of their most valuable assets: their records. A strong disaster management plan will help you avoid or manage events that can threaten, damage, or destroy your records. There are many articles and companies such as The File Room that provides guidance on developing a strategy for managing a records disaster and describes how to integrate that strategy into a larger, organization-wide disaster management plan and your ongoing records management program.

Records consist of information recorded on paper, film, electronic, and other media that an organization creates and receives in the regular course of its official business. A records disaster is a sudden, unexpected event that significantly damages or destroys records or prevents access to the information they contain. A records disaster can deprive you of the information you need to resume normal operations. In private industry, a loss of information can cause businesses to fail. In any organization, it can lead to staff frustration and decreased productivity, impair services to citizens, deprive you of evidence needed in court, and make it impossible to document your revenue and assets. By extension, it can cause your employees to lose confidence in your ability to do your job and protect their interests which equates to their jobs. In many ways, a records disaster can ultimately lead to a public relations nightmare, loss of income and jobs.

Managing records disasters effectively can

• guarantee a secure environment for ongoing records storage and maintenance
• ensure the physical safety of employees who regularly retrieve, use, and manage your organization’s records
• identify and protect records vital to your operations
• identify and protect your archival records
• provide a framework for responding safely and efficiently to disasters when they do occur
• allow you to resume your work as soon as possible after a disaster

To manage records disasters, you must first develop a formal, written plan that specifically addresses those events that could potentially damage or destroy your records. A good disaster management plan will include strategies for

• preventing potential disasters by identifying your most valuable records and risks to those records
• responding directly to disasters if they do occur
• continuing normal business operations after an emergency has passed
• periodically reviewing and adapting your plan to reflect current conditions
• storing documents off site at a reputable record management company – no mini storages

Each of these four activities I will discuss in detail over time to ensure that our readers can obtain good information and build their plan in the event of a disaster for remember it is not if but when.

There are several online sources that contain information on both disaster management planning and recovery. Most State Archives are also available as a resource for providing direct technical assistance and advice on how to prepare a disaster management plan. Funding for disaster recovery planning, including money to hire a consultant and purchase planning software, are in most cases available to local governments through the Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund (LGRMIF), as are grants to support many of the facility enhancements necessary to protect your records. Local governments can also apply for emergency funding to pay for disaster recovery efforts related to records. For further information about any of these services and grants, contact your State Archives’ regional advisory officer (RAO), Government Records Services or The File Room in Saint Louis, MO for instructions and assistance.