Waste

Not many people realise that the production of landfill waste produces greenhouse gas emissions, the same as the use of energy and transport does. By making a few simple changes your business can reduce the amount of waste it produces, to help save the planet and save your business money. The options are endless!

10 practical tips to reduce your waste:

1. It’s good to recycle although it’s even better to prevent waste occurring in the first place. Remember the waste hierarchy principles: prevent, minimise, reuse, recycle and last of all, dispose.
   
   
2. Work with suppliers to take back empty packaging, e.g. boxes or bags that can be reused or recycled. This will stop you paying for the packaging twice - once in the cost of the product and again to dispose of the packaging.
   
   
3. Assess the waste you send to landfill to make sure it is not contaminated with recyclables. Sending items to landfill is an expensive way to dispose of waste.
   
   
4. Set up recycling and organic waste bins in your workplace to reduce the amount of waste you send to landfill by up to 80%!
   
   
5. Encourage staff to bring lunch from home or provide them with cutlery and containers suitable to take to the local eateries for filling up, instead of accumulating more packaging from takeaway food.
   
   
6. Investigate alternative uses for your waste –many restaurants make extra money by selling their waste cooking oil so that it can be turned into bio fuel. Canvas other local businesses, remember; one person’s trash is another’s treasure.
   
   
7. Set printers to default double-sided printing and set up one-sided paper collection trays so that one sided paper can be reused to print internal documents.
   
   
8. Make sure that staff understand the waste management system in place and have the opportunity to contribute their ideas.
   
   
9. Revise purchasing policies –choose quality, durable products containing recycled content over single use, disposable ones.
   
   
10. Choose and produce products and services that aren’t over packaged or that lead to the creation of unnecessary waste.

Resources

• Do a waste assessment of your business
  
• Search for your closest recycling provider

The content on this page has been provided by Grow Me The Money, a program run by VECCI, a leader in delivering sustainability services and supporting small to medium businesses within Victoria. www.growmethemoney.com.au