"Our beliefs are deeply rooted in everything we do." Travel Nurse Recruitment Agency Atlas MedStaff waste office, hoping to make even the smallest difference for our planet.  

Supported by his environmental biology background, Director of IT Lane Andresen spearheads the Green Team here. After attempts at composting at home, he thought composting at work would also be a great idea. He says first, it was a big change for the employee, but now, the chaos has settled, and conversations about the "sustainable next steps” are ahead.

How They Got Started 

Our Quick Start Guide helped this organization launch its zero-waste program. Additionally, Samantha offered a hands-on implementation, helping Atlas MedStaff navigate each step of the process when launching its zero waste program. 

How are the Bins Organized? 

As the main gathering place, the master "zero waste station" is placed in the kitchen area. 

• Container Recycling: Skip learning the resin identification codes that tell you what kind of plastic that material is made from. Think "containers," like metal and plastic, that can store liquid or food, like pop bottles or Tupperware. No drinks or bites left. Keep dry & empty. 

• Fun Fact: Employees are encouraged to bring in their beer cans from over the weekend. 

• EnergyBag Recycling: For hard-to-recycle soft plastics, like shrink wrap, plastic utensils, chip bags, drink pouches, and food wrappers. 

• Compost: Food (including meat + dairy), paper/cardboard, compostable service ware, and yard material will soon be composted into nutrient-dense soil. 

• Landfill: When in doubt, toss it out. It's for everything else. 

Around the office, like in the storage room, they collect cardboard and paper and take it out once a week, especially knowing they send many care packages to their travel nurses. So, they'll break it down before placing it in the bin to save space in the dumpster.  Out back the agencies offers additional recycling for staff + employees. They’re encouraged to bring their glass from home, like wine bottles or salad dressing bottles. Theses bins are locked for prevent contamination from potential passerbys.

 Andresen says he hopes to be a model for other companies. Is your office looking to become more eco-friendly? Join the party. Contact Samantha Nieman at samantha@hillside.solutions for an initial consultation today. 

Interviewer & Author Kaitlyn Kelly, Social Media Volunteer