Why Should you Care about Waste?
“There is no such thing as away, when we throw anything away it must go somewhere”. Annie Leonard.
When you reduce your waste not only are you helping the environment, but you also help yourself. Your business could save money, become more competitive as a business, inspire staff and improve your standing in the community.
Below are some tips for how you can minimise your business waste and save some money at the same time:
Recycle what you can from your business waste to divert materials from landfill. Some recycling options to investigate are; printer cartridges, batteries, soft plastics and polystyrene. Recycling some items may reduce the cost of your garbage collection.
E-waste has been banned from landfill so collecting these items for recycling is important. E-waste includes items that have a cord or batteries and can be recycled at many locations. Check recycling near you here. (Commercial quantities may not be accepted at some facilities)
Recycling and reuse may avoid the need to buy new materials – for example, shredded paper also makes great padding for shipping delicate items, eliminating the need to buy more environmentally damaging materials. Think about ways that your company can reuse the materials it already has before sending it to the bin.
Make sure all employees know about the waste management processes you have in place and include the processes in any inductions and training updates.
Food waste can contribute a lot to your garbage stream. For large amounts of food waste try to arrange for a separate collection from a local waste collection service contractor. Small amounts can be composted using a workplace compost bin, bokashi bucket or worm farm.
Try to procure your workplace equipment from sustainable or recycled sources, whether that is stationary, raw materials or food – there are some great options out there and you can even use these to promote your brand and sustainability credentials!
Include waste management considerations or discussions in your team meetings.
Check out the Planet Ark Waste Toolkit for Businesses