How to reduce business waste

Wasting money

Business waste is any waste that is produced by a commercial organisation, no matter what size or industry. The term covers many different types of waste, from general waste to hazardous waste, clinical waste, or secure document shredding. How much and what kind of waste a business produces will depend on many factors such as the type of business activity, and the number of employees, so the cost of proper disposal will vary accordingly.

A business has two main reasons to consider waste reduction. Firstly, it is a business overhead, and like any other overhead it needs to be managed. Secondly, the environmental impact of waste disposal needs to be addressed, with increasing levels of regulation being introduced and public concern mounting. It is part of a business owner’s legal responsibility to reduce their waste as far as possible.

What steps can you take to reduce waste and save money?

Government regulations state that businesses must make reasonable efforts to reduce their waste. They should do this by prevention, reuse, recycling, and recovery in that order. What will work best for one business is not necessarily the same for another, but something as simple as introducing separate waste bins for different types of waste can help.

Introducing a waste management system saves money by reducing the amount of waste going to landfill, and consequently the amount of landfill tax the business needs to pay. As this charge has nearly doubled in the last ten years, even a relatively small reduction in the amount of waste a business produces can show a significant saving.

The first step in the hierarchy is to avoid being a waste producer. Preventing waste includes activities such as discouraging the printing of documents or promoting printing double sided or re-using the blank side of old documents as note paper. You can also invest in items that are reusable, rather than single use / disposable such as paper cups or plastic cutlery.

Another way to reduce your waste is when an item has served its purpose. Ask yourself if it can be used elsewhere in the business or donated / sold for reuse by someone else—one person’s waste product could be another person’s lucky find.  

Installing recycling bins encourages your employees to contribute to the company waste management scheme, by separating general waste and recycling. This can be a single bin to accept mixed recyclable materials which will then be sent to a recycling service for sorting. If your business produces a large quantity of one type of recyclable material—such as glass bottles in the hospitality industry—you might want dedicated recycling bins for that type of waste.

Segregating waste into categories, such as recyclable or compostable is an easy place to begin. Food waste and other organic waste can often be collected separately and is then repurposed for energy generation or composting. Facilities vary around the country, but by using a waste management company, you can be sure your waste is being disposed of legally and responsibly, and in the most effective manner for the type of waste.

Start with a waste audit

A waste audit is a great way to evaluate the quantity and type of waste that your organisation is producing, so you can plan how to reduce your business waste. With some effort and detective work you will surely uncover more ways to reduce the amount of waste you send to landfill and save money in the process.

Start by taking a look around your premises and see what different types of waste are being produced. Don’t just look at the obvious ones connected with your business activity. For example, do you have a kitchen facility for your staff? If so, what is happening with any food waste?

What different kinds of bins do you have available? Are they located in the most suitable places, and do your staff know what to put in each one? For example, is wastepaper going into general waste because the recycling bin is nowhere near the printer?

Think about your business processes? Are there areas of your activity where you can reduce or eliminate some of your current waste?

Follow the waste stream

The waste stream is a way of tracking the entire history of waste from when it is put into a bin to reuse, recycling (including the new product), energy production, or landfill. By being more aware of what happens to your waste, and making staff aware, you can implement better measures to reduce it.

As consumer awareness of environmental issues grows, there is increased demand for recycled products. These products cannot be created if the raw materials are not sent to a recycling centre. Your business may even start to use recycled products, or even create them as part of a broader waste reduction strategy.

Whatever industry you are in, and no matter the size of your organisation, it makes perfect business sense to reduce your business waste to save money as part of complying with your legal duty of care.

If you are looking for more detailed advice, or a professional waste management service in the UK, we can help you.

Contact Erese Ltd today:

01375 258022
info@ereseurope.net