Top tips to reduce waste costs

A more efficient waste management strategy could be the key to saving your business money. Rather than viewing waste as costly but necessary problem, taking a step back and looking at potential improvements could enhance your organisation’s environmental and financial performance.

Here are some of B&M’s top tips to help you achieve this –

Know what waste you produce

It’s easy to assume that your business will produce ‘general’ and ‘recyclable’ waste, but to tailor the right solution, at the right cost, you need to understand the actual type, quantity and source of waste generated at your business premises.

Whatever the size of your business, take the time to look at the waste going into your general waste containers. You might be surprised at how much recyclable material is mixed in there.

Embed practical recycling processes

By seeing what areas of your business produce what waste, you can modify the waste storage provisions to segregate more recyclate and reduce the more costly general waste collections.

Are the bins situated in a practical location? Are they clearly signposted? Is your recyclable waste being cross-contaminated with other substances? Does everyone have a desk bin that makes it too easy to mix the contents?

You need to have the right storage facilities available and ensure that all members of staff buy-in to their obligations.

Minimise the amount of waste you generate

Once you have assessed the type, volume and source of the waste streams, you can also find ways to minimise waste. This may involve rolling out a company-wide waste minimisation campaign, for example by encouraging people to print less paper, reuse their coffee cups, and wash out containers to remove food residue.

Speak to an expert

Now that you have garnered a better understanding of your waste, speak to a commercial waste management company who can advise on an effective strategy that is bespoke to your requirements.

Perhaps you have enough of a particular commodity to bale the material and generate revenue, or could use a compactor to reduce general waste transport and disposal costs. We can use the data you have collated to help determine if this is the case.

Contact B&M today to arrange a free waste audit so that one of our experts can put forward a custom-made no obligation proposal.