From retailers to manufacturers, service providers to construction firms, being more eco-friendly is now a priority. With potential cash savings and a better, greener reputation, brands of all kinds are already reaping the rewards of managing their waste more effectively. The goal for all businesses needs to be improving the processes that they use for reducing their waste amounts, recycling where possible, and reusing viable materials.
While ‘going greener’ used to mean upfront costs that would take years to see the payback, falling costs and smart thinking can make those savings much more immediate. When improvements to waste management can cut operation costs while vastly reducing negative environmental impact, here are the four best ways that businesses can make improvements to their waste management.
Know Your Waste Levels
All businesses produce some kind of waste, and the key to making improvements to your management of that waste is to know more about it. Take the time to develop a clear understanding of just how much material ends up in bins, and what kinds of materials are being wasted. This can be done by making regular visual checks of your waste levels and taking notes. Know more about your levels of waste over a set period and you’ll start to develop a clearer picture of your waste issues.
Landfill Delivery Amounts
Once you have a clearer picture of what type of materials are going to waste, you will be able to start developing a more strategic approach to managing your waste. The phrase ‘reduce, reuse, and recycle’ is useful at this stage, and should be your guide to making improvements. Look at your most wasted materials and find ways to reduce your use of those materials, finding alternatives where possible. It’s also worth looking at other local businesses that may find value in the waste that you generate (providing a potential new revenue stream). Recycling is, of course, something that should be looked at as closely as possible.
Waste and Recycling Collection
If you are bundling your waste cardboard for collection, then you will be able to sell it to recycling centers. This too can be a new revenue stream, while also improving your green culture. Check with your local recycling facilities to see which ones are most suited to you, and invest in a wire baler for bundling your paper and cardboard waste into convenient packages. Make use of baling wire from www.balingwiredirect.com and you will get a higher price than by simply having paper and cardboard collected while loose. Check collection times for those waste-collecting firms, and ensure that you have waste storage that will not overfill between collections.
In-House Collection
Always ensure that your business has adequate bins and storage for the different types of materials that will be going to waste. Instill a culture of green education so that your employees know exactly what needs to be reused, and what should be placed into which bins. Make sure that different materials are separated into the relevant bins, and if yours is the type of business that shares bins with other companies (common in malls and strips), open up communication lines with those businesses to ensure a consistent approach.
As consumers place more importance on green business practices than ever, businesses of all sectors must take their waste more seriously. With the monetary advantages of improved waste management, and the chance to boost reputation, it’s never been more important to tackle reducing, reusing, and recycling your waste more proactively and cost-effectively.
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