
Consider too that sustainability is the topic of the moment. Consumers are increasingly making sustainability-led buying decisions, so your business is better placed to thrive if you?re meeting this consumer demand.
With that in mind, here are the six steps your business needs to take to manage your waste more profitably ? both for the planet and for your bottom line. Step one: Assess your current situation The first step in actively reducing your waste is to measure your existing waste output. You?ll likely be surprised by how much you produce. So how do you actually measure your waste? You needn?t make this more complicated than it needs to be ? start by simply measuring your total waste versus your recycled waste. This will give you two clear goals to focus on as you build your waste management strategy: total waste reduction and recycling rate increase. Once you?ve chosen metrics that make sense for your business, the next step is to measure them. There are various ways you can do this and it doesn?t really matter which ? the important thing is consistency so you can build a true understanding of your business waste output. Many businesses find the simplest way is to measure your total waste when it?s collected, either by weight or by container. Weight will be more accurate than counting the number of bags, for example, but either method works. Once you?ve decided on a consistent way to measure waste, simply monitor for a period of time so you can establish a baseline. The initial assessment period is the benchmark against which you?ll measure all your efforts, so it pays to get an accurate understanding now. Observe without taking action for long enough to get a sensible average and minimise the risk of using an outlier for a benchmark. Step two: Decide on your management strategy In other words, channel the three Rs. And no, I don?t mean reading, writing and arithmetic. I?m talking about the well-known mantra: reduce, reuse, recycle.Perhaps that sounds simplistic, but it belies a more complex strategy. Look at the diagram.
Read more on green business developments:
- Ten incredibly simple ways your business can save energy ? and money
- Sajid Javid outlines part-privatisation plans for Green Investment Bank
- How to go “green” while helping the bottom line
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