As the world moves towards eco-friendly and sustainable practices, businesses also need to play their part in minimizing waste and conserving our environment. Every year, businesses produce tons of waste, including plastic wraps and packaging, paper waste, organics, and cardboard, among others. Waste management can help businesses reach sustainable goals and even save money through recycling programs. But where do you start? There are so many things to think about, from using colored trash bags to separate waste in your office to discouraging plastics. You will need a game plan, but before we give you the tips to get started, let’s look at what waste management is.

Definition of Waste Management

In simple words, waste management involves the programs, processes, activities, and equipment to handle waste products and can range from recycling to waste reduction. In a business setting, it can be all about pick-up schedules, transportation companies, pieces of equipment, and the final destination for the materials. 

Among the different types of waste different businesses have to deal with include food and organics, cardboard, product packaging, paper and plastic wraps, and films. Other businesses have different waste that could undergo incineration, landfill, composting, and recycling. The solution you use to deal with waste will be determined by the different types of waste your business produces. 

Managing Your Waste

Businesses that encourage reuse, recycling, and resource recovery have less waste going to landfills. Here are four steps you can take to manage waste and benefit the environment.

1. How Much Waste Do You Have?

For you to manage your waste effectively, you need to know how much of it you got. You could do a quick visual assessment by checking out the bins just before collection. Note the sizes, how full they are, and how often they are collected. What is thrown out mostly? How much material is recycled, and do the people who work there understand waste management programs? Having this kind of information will help in coming up with an effective waste management program and reducing how much waste is sent to landfills. 

2. Decent Recycling Programs

Although most people underestimate how effective recycling is, you should know that around 70 million tons of waste gets saved from landfills. You might find your business will benefit a lot if you establish a recycling program that works best with employees and other facilities in your business. 

Now that you know how much material your facility produces, you can also identify local recycling collectors and find the most appropriate way for them to collect and dispose of the materials you produce. You can try contacting a waste removal service provider, finding out what is recyclable, and seeing how this can reduce production costs at your facility.

3. Right-Size Your Waste

This is a fairly common problem for most businesses, and when we talk about the right size of waste, we’re usually talking about small bins. Inappropriate containers lead to overflowing waste and can cost you more money, as some haulers don’t want to service overflowing containers unless you pay extra for them. By estimating the amount of waste you have, you can make the right decision about the types and sizes of your containers.

4. Supply Chains

If you want to make an environmental impact, supply chains might be the way to go, and this means paying more attention to the processes that generate waste. For this one, you will have to think about where the materials originate from and how they are transported, packaged, and distributed. 

Is there any possibility of the waste being redesigned to make it reusable and recyclable? Maybe you could find a better packaging option to suit your eco-friendly goals. Can you cut carbon emissions and save on energy and time during transportation? There are limitless possibilities when you look into the supply chain idea, you might even find yourself saving more money while being more sustainable.    

The Takeaway

In conclusion, considering the current state of the planet, it is recommended that businesses look into waste management and adopt efficient ways to contribute to an eco-friendly environment. Companies with more environmentally friendly practices are also perceived more favorably by consumers, which makes your company more competitive and ultimately results in bigger profits.