As a business owner, part of preparing for your company’s future is knowing you’re going to create some mess along the way. And it’s in dealing with this mess that really proves your mettle as a leader. But when it comes to dealing with waste disposal, even when you’re just a small business, the idea can play on your mind a lot.
After all, you can do a lot of damage with what’s thrown away, and you want to be as sustainable as possible. You can be up all night thinking about the best ways to manage a task like this, and thankfully, there are many ways to cut back on the waste you produce, and we’ve got some of the best for you below.
Figure Out What’s Being Thrown Away
The first thing to do is work out where all of your waste is coming from. The more work you do now, the more time and energy you can save later, and that means you’re going to need to do some digging! So, what’s being thrown away the most? Paper? Packaging? Old electronics?
Think about what your business goes through on an average day, and then tally up the items together. Think about your own habits, and employee habits, and what goes in and out of the break room as well. Once you know what’s taking up the most room in the garbage, you can think about replacing these items with more sustainable substitutes.
Recycle as Much as Possible
Recycling is a great way to deal with the waste you’ve already got, and it’s a good way to prepare to bring in more and more reusable materials in the future. After all, if you want to recycle, more than anything else, you’re only going to work with sustainable materials and products that can have a new life once you’re done with them.
It might even be worth it to look into investing in recycling machines of your own; this would certainly cut down the transportation element of your waste cycle, which just pushes more CO2 into the atmosphere. And if you can deal with waste on-site, you can directly cut it back, because you now have a much clearer idea of what’s going into the bin!
Have a Plan for Scaling
Finally, your business is going to expand one day, and you’re going to need to keep on with this green initiative as you go. Take the time to put together a plan, while you’ve got the chance. You’re going to need more heavy-duty lifting in the waste area as you get bigger, and that means investing in recycling, employee training programs, and general ‘green’ behaviour around the office. For example, it might be time to start dealing with your own waste and ensuring it’s disposed of responsibly.
Your business waste is a big deal, and it should never be treated as an afterthought. Make sure you keep tips like these in mind.