Waste management reduces the demand on natural resources and processing materials, minimising the greenhouse gas emissions and impact on the environment and our health. No matter the size of your company waste management should be a priority for health, safety, financial and environmental purposes.
When waste is disposed of correctly and recycled it costs the business less and landfills don’t overflow unnecessarily creating health hazards. Does your business have a waste management plan? A waste management plan will help you track in detail the type of waste your business produces and how it will be reused, recycled, or disposed of. You can create your own plan by taking a few simple steps.
- Identify the quantity and types of waste
- Define the waste by recyclable, reusable and disposable.
- Plan on how you will manage each waste element and include any costs associated with the removal.
- Identify where and how you will dispose of waste and make sure these comply with all laws governing the management and disposal of waste.
- Organise the workspace well to support the process (for example glass and paper recycling bins etc)
- Communicate with your employees. It is important they know what is happening, why and what they need to do.
- If you have a larger employee base you may want to consider appointing a person to look after the waste management.
Find out what materials can be recycled in our reuse and recycling guide, as well as general information about recycling, reusing and reducing waste.
