Waste is a business cost. Both when you buy the original product and again when you pay someone to take it away. It also has an environmental cost both in the extraction of the resources needed to make it and the environmental impacts of its disposal. Recycling helps reduce all of those costs, but the energy needed to recycle also has a cost. So, the best option is always to reduce the amount you use. We’ve prepared a series of ten tips to help you recycle better and more effectively and to identify areas where you may be able to eliminate waste altogether.
1 – Measure, mull and monitor
Regardless of the size of your business, a waste audit is the first step you need to take to establish where improvements can be made and how to increase recycling within your organisation. Only once you have identified the volumes and content of your waste, can you mull over the best options of how to reduce it and how best to recycle it. A waste audit will enable you to identify common products that are currently being incorrectly disposed of, establish areas within the business where recycling is better than others and help you highlight cost-effective solutions. Our Knowledge Hub has an SME Waste Monitoring Template and a Waste Monitoring Workbook which includes Special and Hazardous Waste. These will enable you to track waste streams over time assess progress and identify further improvements to the way you tackle waste arisings and costs.
2- Establish an empowered Green Team
Establish a Green Team Waste Prevention Team. This should be made up of Green Champions or Ambassadors. Experience has taught us that it is best to recruit these from those on your team with a proven interest in sustainability and that it is worth giving them real power with a clear communication/reporting route to senior management. They should also be representative of the business, with one person from every area of your organisation, to discuss, raise awareness and most importantly get everyone engaged and motivated. They will play a vital role in monitoring your waste streams. It can help to deploy clear bin bags instead of coloured ones, so it is clearer to see what is being disposed of where. Knowing that will put them in a better position to advise what can be recycled and what can be reused.
3- Apply the Waste Hierarchy
This may sound a bit technical, but it is really very simple. Basically, the waste hierarchy is a list of the options relating to waste in order of preference. At the top of the hierarchy is Prevent. Not acquiring the thing in the first place means that the waste simply doesn’t happen. Going paperless would be an example of this. Next in the list is Reduce. Using less means wasting less and your waste audit will reveal where you may be using more than you need. Next best is Reuse. Are you throwing things away that you could repurpose elsewhere in the business? Cardboard boxes or glass containers, for example, can have a long and productive life after they have served their first purpose. Only now do we come to Recycling. And there are degrees of recycling. The best kind is known as closed-loop recycling where the object is broken down and made back into the same product. The next best option is Recovery. This covers a multitude of sins most notably energy from waste but it also includes composting and anaerobic digestion which are good outcomes for unavoidable food waste. Last on the list is Disposal. In simple terms, that means landfill and it is the one to be avoided if at all possible.
The Waste Regulations across all four UK nations and across much of the rest of Europe require businesses to apply the Waste Hierarchy so it’s something you need to know and understand.
4- Work with a good waste contractor
Building a trusting relationship with your waste contractor is critical. They should be able to advise you on how best to segregate and present your waste to ensure you achieve the best recycling outcomes and that they can get maximum value from your waste.
Never forget that waste is all made up of resources that have a value. How you present that waste can have a huge bearing on how it can be used and how much it costs to process. Recyclable materials that are contaminated with food, for example will be worth far less and will often not be commercially recyclable. If cardboard is allowed to become wet or contaminated with glass, that will affect both its value and the recycling outcome. Understanding the waste collector’s issues will help you ensure your waste is correctly stored and segregated so it can go to the best possible use and that will help keep your collection costs down.
5- Think how you buy
We’ve talked about using your waste for Reuse and Recycling, but you can also buy reused and recycled goods for your business. Vintage or upcycled furniture, for example, often has more character than brand new and has a much lower environmental impact. Bulk buying things like condiments, cleaning products and toiletries can help avoid single use containers thus cutting down the amount of plastic waste your company produces. Buying locally can also facilitate the use of returnable packaging and help reduce your waste. Buying better quality equipment can also reduce waste if it has a longer lifespan and can be repaired. Ultimately, you should question everything you buy. Do we really need this? If you decide you don’t, you are going straight to the top of the waste hierarchy.
6- Nudge everyone in the right direction
People will always default to the easiest option. Studies have shown that if there are residual waste bins easily available, people will tend to use those rather than going to a designated recycling area even when disposing of recyclable materials. Positioning your recycling bins strategically, in the easiest places to use them, and only having general waste bins in harder-to-reach locations, will help your team take recycling in their stride. Ultimately, you may be able to get rid of residual waste bins altogether.
7- Educate and it might go further than you think
It’s vital that people know what is expected of them and why. Getting everyone together to explain new recycling and waste reduction policies is a great way to get people on board and thinking positively about sustainability. Positioning signage around the premises will also help clarify what is supposed to go where and can be worded to motivate and inspire your teams. Some businesses actually reward their teams with bonuses for their recycling and waste reduction performance – especially if it has delivered financial benefits for the business. There is some evidence that improving recycling and waste reduction behaviours at work have resulted in people taking that learning home with them and recycling better in domestic environments so you might have even and even more impact than you expected.
8- Create new streams
Your waste contractor will help you work out the waste streams you need based on the waste you have identified and some of these streams, such as cooking oil, may well have enough value to generate a return from your waste if they occur in sufficient quantities. There are also likely to be problematic items such as batteries and waste electronic and electrical equipment (known as WEEE in the trade) which should never go into general waste and having clear streams for these waste items is essential.
9- Counting the costs
We’ve talked a lot about the environmental costs of waste especially food waste in last month’s blog but it’s worth remembering that a coherent and effective waste strategy can generate huge savings for a business. WRAP estimates reducing waste and recycling more could save larger organisations anything from £400 to £1,000 per year.
10- Waste reduction could also reduce the time you spend recruiting
Do not underestimate the value of a strong sustainability strategy in motivating your team and retaining talent.
A successful waste reduction and recycling programme depends heavily on staff involvement and team-working. People who feel part of an organisation and are asked to be involved with projects are more likely to feel valued by their employer.
According to Business In The Community’s report – “Lifting The Lid On Waste”: 80% of young people (aged 18-22) entering the workforce ranked tackling single use plastics as important for employers, putting it ahead of reducing electricity and water consumption. A further 37% said that they would consider a potential employer’s environmental responsibility when looking for a job.