Reducing waste in your small business will help you save money and the environment. The SWCorp estimates that the typical Malaysian generated around 17 007 tonnes of daily waste in 2021. Imagine that individual working at your company for 6 to 8 hours each day. Your garbage has become their waste. Even more crucially, your company is paying to have it removed to a landfill or elsewhere that practises more responsible environmental practices. As a result, you spend extra resources like printer paper, food service ware, plastic wrap, etc., to replace wasted ones.
However, employee waste is just the start. Additionally, you’re picking up all of your suppliers’ and vendors’ garbage. You’re likely to share garbage with everyone you do business with. So how can you manage waste across your small business in a more financially and environmentally responsible way? To get you started, here are suggestions for reducing waste.
10 Waste Reduction Tips for Small Businesses
Conduct a Waste Audit
It’s critical to comprehend the current state of your company’s trash output before beginning any significant modifications. Measure the volume of each type of waste you consistently create over a specific period. Speak with workers, see how resources and raw materials are used, and evaluate how your recycling and waste management procedures now operate. You’ll be better equipped to decide what areas to concentrate on, and it will be much simpler to measure progress if you have access to these insights.
Reduce Single-Use
There could be more plastic in the ocean than fish in 2050. Thus, businesses must reduce their reliance on single-use plastic and other disposable products. If you still need to provide free water refills at your place of business, start doing so right now. Provide water bottles or glasses for staff to use, and encourage them to pack their lunches in reusable containers. Buy solely plastic-free teabags for the office, invest in reusable dishware and cutlery, and stop using items like clingfilm as further measures to decrease single-use.
Reduce Paper
Particularly in workplaces, the paper may contribute significantly to commercial waste streams. You’ll rapidly notice a considerable decrease in waste if you take charge of your workplace’s printing and paper consumption practices.
When feasible, reuse items like envelopes and only purchase recycled paper. Incorporate a company-wide paperless policy as well. Use online invoicing, send electronic memos, communicate in the online platform, and digitally sign papers. Lastly, tell staff members or your team not to print anything out and, ask them to print on both sides of the page if they must.
Consider including a reminder to folks to print in your email signature with the environment in mind. You’ll significantly reduce the amount of paper you use, which will also save you money on printer ink prices.
Better Inventory Control
A simple strategy to save waste is to improve your inventory management. You’ll be less likely to overorder supplies and have better control over your operations if you know how rapidly supplies are consumed and what is already in stock. Inventory management is essential for manufacturers, construction companies, and food producers, but many industries benefit from streamlining their inventory processes.
Assess Packaging Use
Examine how packaging is utilised across your company. There is more in use than is necessary, whether because of the packaging of your products or the materials and goods you purchase.
Redesign your packaging if you make and sell things to use less of it. Make the materials biodegradable or reusable if at all possible. When making purchases, attempt to order products in bulk or concentrated form so less packaging will be required. Any packaging that cannot be avoided may be repurposed throughout the office; for example, cardboard boxes provide excellent office storage options.
Create a Recycling Programme
Now is the perfect moment to start recycling at your company. Plastic, metal, cardboard, and wood may all be readily recycled to prevent the trash from going to the landfill. Make recycling a core component of your company’s operations and give everyone clear, colour-coded containers and signs, so they know what to do. Removing personal trash cans from under desks or from offices is another effective technique to reduce general waste since it forces workers to transport their trash to the recycling can.
Engage Employees
Having support from the entire organisation is essential for waste reduction achievement. Employees must be inspired and informed to shift behaviour throughout the company. Therefore, spread the word and highlight the value of operating ethically and the advantages that improved waste management will bring to the company. Encourage your employees to participate and provide their ideas; you could even establish a waste committee to oversee company-wide outreach.
Composting
Even though organic waste still makes up the most considerable amount of all the garbage we create, composting may be required for your company even if you believe it would be irrelevant. Biodegradable buying products, which now cover a wide range of packaging, is an excellent place to start. You may set up your composting programme on your property using bins or shipping materials elsewhere to be handled appropriately. Compost can save you money if your company uses it, or it can be sold to others who need it.
Get Rid of Water Bottles Made of Plastic
They need more frequent pick-ups since they occupy excessive room in your trash and recycling bins. Most workers use water at work, and if each worker consumes more than one bottle of water daily, there will be a lot of plastic trash. Instead, consider installing a water filter on your sink faucet or purchasing a water cooler.
Label Every Bin
If you have a composting bin, you may use signage to direct people to put their organic waste, recyclables in the recycling bin, and garbage in the trash can. For clear, consistent signage that is simple for your customers, staff, and suppliers to comprehend, turn to Recycle Across Malaysia. Post notices of acceptable items, wherever feasible, with visual examples, on each trash can you have at your company. This will guarantee that the services you have are genuinely helpful. Despite how effective signage is, keep things from changing overnight just because of a few signs; aggressive internal communication is also necessary.
The Benefits of Waste Reduction for Business
Let’s explore the benefits in more detail.
Better for the Environment
Of course, the main advantage is that your company minimises its environmental effect. By doing this, you will reduce your company’s carbon footprint as well as your contribution to landfill greenhouse gas emissions. You may feel good about helping to preserve resources for future generations by refraining from using single-use products.
Save Money
Your firm will save money in several ways if waste production is decreased. Your operations and procedures will be more cost-effective by increased resource efficiency, resulting in cheaper landfill taxes and waste disposal expenses. The systematic approach might help employers save hundreds annually for each employee.
New Streams of Income
Clever business owners can divert their garbage from landfills and generate additional cash. Topsoil, aggregates, and scrap metal are all materials that may be recycled and sold again, protecting precious resources. Sometimes we tend to get substantial discounts for our waste at garbage transfer stations by streamlining the process and eliminating the need for scrap metal dealers.
Worker Pride
If you work together to achieve your sustainability goals, unified in a similar cause, your staff will likely experience a significant morale boost. Many people will sense more corporate loyalty and be happy to work for an environmentally conscientious firm. Moreover, up to 4% of staff turnover may be attributable to poor waste management.
Competitive Advantage
Reducing your waste generation can enhance your eco-credentials and your company’s reputation with clients, suppliers, and future workers. Consequently, you’ll get a competitive advantage over your competitors, and brand loyalty will rise.
Safeguards Compliance
Businesses are required by law to minimise the amount of waste they produce and to handle any waste that cannot be appropriately avoided. You can protect your compliance and make sure you fulfil your commitments by taking actions to reduce your waste generation.
Reduce Your Business Waste With Gargeon Smart Waste Management System
It would be best if you recycled any garbage you could not eliminate after reducing the quantity of waste you create in your office. You may develop or enhance the Smart Waste Management system with the assistance of Gargeon.
Using our service, you may sustainably minimise your trash by up to 40%. With the help of our services, you may take part in practical green activities every day. We also provide free introductory talks, instructive consultation, and complete recycling services.
For you to easily recycle and compost, we will undertake all the labour-intensive jobs. What are you still holding out for? Call us immediately, and we’ll help you reduce waste, so the world is better.