Welcome to “How I Recycle,” a new series from Rubicon® in which we sit down with a Rubicon employee from across our offices to dive into everything from their recycling best practices, interesting solutions that they have created to make recycling easier, and what they’re doing to live up to Rubicon’s mission to end waste, in all its forms, in their own communities.
Next up is Stephen Wong, Chief of Staff, based out of Rubicon’s Atlanta, Georgia headquarters—though due to the COVID-19 global health emergency, currently working from home.
This is how he recycles.
What are your recycling routines at home? What do you tend to focus on?
I use reusable cups whenever I grab coffee out of the house, though this is of course less of an issue at the moment. Sometimes I get a discount and when I use my Rubicon Yeti tumbler, and I get to show off my company spirit at the same time.
I love reusing glass jars and bottles for cooking and food storage—for example, old mayonnaise jars with the wide mouths are perfect for storing onions.
Inspired by Rubicon’s Upcycled Atlanta mug collection, I bought dinner plates, drinking glasses, and even some pots and pans from the Salvation Army. Since working at Rubicon my first stop for many kitchen and home items are the charity shops where I can save something from the landfill, support the work of the non-profit running the shop, and do it all on the cheap.
One of my favorite things about where I live in Atlanta is being walking distance to a wonderful farmers market. The farm vendors are all certified naturally grown or certified organic, and I try to buy as much of my produce there as possible.
Have you discovered any cool solutions to make recycling easier?
Does the onion in an old mayo jar count?
What are your most-recycled items or materials?
Aluminum cans! I’ve loved sparkling water since before it was cool.
How has working from home made you rethink your recycling or sustainability efforts?
With more time and meals at home, I have challenged myself to avoid food waste by trying food projects that use all of an ingredient. I’ve made preserved lemons and a bunch of fun condiments all with no waste.
If you could share one nugget of advice on how we can all better recycle, what would it be?
Start somewhere! It can feel daunting, but even if you start small—not buying bottled water for example, or bringing reusable bags to the grocery store—you will have a habit to build on.
David Rachelson is Vice President of Sustainability at Rubicon. To stay ahead of Rubicon’s announcements of new partnerships and collaborations around the world, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, or contact us today.
