Waste disposal is, and always will be, a key cost that must be paid to ensure the safe and proper disposal of your general or hazardous waste, whatever it may be. There is, however, a way to streamline and reduce your waste costs to ensure you aren’t paying more than you need to be for your waste disposal means.
Organise and understand your waste systems
It is difficult to reduce your waste costs if you don’t have a strong understanding of exactly what your waste is, how much you produce, and where it comes from. A lot of the time, finding out how much you produce, and why it is produced can help you come up with ideas for reducing it.
One example of this could be finding out that one part of your business disposes of copious amounts of cardboard boxes, whereas another section buys boxes for packing purposes. Streamlining and coordinating your waste systems can be very beneficial in the long run. Conducting waste audits to really get a firm understanding of the how, what, where, why and when’s of your business waste will come in handy when it comes to finding solutions.
Roll with the times
When was the last time you reviewed your waste management services and costs? As the market changes and new technologies and disposal means come out, it can be beneficial to see what possibilities and alternatives are out there for collecting your waste more efficiently and cheaply, such as reducing the amount of collections you require by switching to larger bins, or even looking into new recycling alternatives. There are many recycling plans that are commonplace in business today, but were hardly used 5 years ago.
New services and disposal possibilities is something you should always be on the lookout for. Signing up to newsletters and staying up to date of the goings on of the waste world can help you to ensure you’re not only saving money, but also being as environmentally friendly as possible.
Aim for waste prevention
Waste prevention is the most favoured option on the waste hierarchy. The waste hierarchy lists preferred program priorities for waste disposal based on the sustainability of the programmes. When dealing with your own waste management systems, moving up the hierarchy will help you save money in the long run.
Prevent
Reuse
Recycle
Recover
Disposal
Opting in for options higher up the hierarchy such as prevention or minimisation are often much more beneficial than looking to cut costs in your disposal methods. If you can cut down a need to use or dispose of a certain item, or lessen the amount of waste you’re disposing, your costs will see the positive follow on.
Embrace Recycling
Whilst recycling has been around forever, and isn’t exactly a new idea – it is always advancing and becoming easier, cheaper and more convenient for businesses to go down the recycling route. Far more items are eligible for recycle than most businesses know of, or actively look to recycle. For example, over 75% of waste we produce is recyclable, but we only recycle around 30% of it. From your standard cardboard, paper, plastic and cans to food, glass, oil and electronics; sending more waste to be recycle, or simply recycling them yourselves can go a long way towards cutting down not only the amount of waste you’re sending to landfill, but also the cost of disposing the waste.
On the 1st of April, 2014, landfill tax increased by £8 to £80 per tonne making disposing of waste in landfills an even more costly option. Recycling, along with other waste disposal methods, is a good way to cut down on these costs. With landfill tax charging per tonne, recycling the heavy items you produce could see a significant cost saving. Food and glass recycling, for example, would significantly lower the weight of your general waste.
Going Green: Why Should You Recycle? Take a look at our blog outlining the ins and outs of why going green is right.
Waste Rebates
The increasing demand for scarce raw materials and the growth of eastern markets has made recyclables a significant worldwide market. Your waste doesn’t have to be a cost to your businesses, as you may be able to earn money from rebate waste streams by taking advantage of the high demand for certain materials.
Managing your waste properly, and exploring the option available with different services and collection options, will only help you in the long run. A large chunk of your money goes to towards properly and legally disposing of your waste, so it’s only right that a large chunk of your time should go towards ensuring it is as seamless and cost effective as possible!
