We have lots of ideas for reducing waste. As a business you pay for trash removal, so less is best!
Less trash also means…
- Using less raw natural resources, including petroleum products.
- Reducing energy used in manufacturing.
- Making your drive to work safer and healthier – less road trips by heavy garbage trucks.
- Less gas used for transportation.
- Minimizing emissions and toxic leachate from landfills.
We could go on! So…
- Design your recycling program to encourage participation. Ensure that you have enough containers placed in the right areas, appropriate signage, and clear instructions so that recycling is easy and convenient.
- Make two-sided printing and copying a standard practice, and ensure you have printers and copiers capable of duplexing.
- Use the backs of printed sheets you’d normally discard for printing drafts or for notepads.
- Route reports, periodicals, memos, newsletters, and other materials to interested employees instead of making multiple copies.
- Create a central filing system instead of multiple personal files.
- Use electronic newsletters for marketing purposes, only provide printed materials on request.
- Use continuous-circulation envelopes for routing within your business.
- Request that your business be removed from unwanted mailing lists, and eliminate duplicate mailings.
- Update your business mailing lists regularly.
- Design mailings that do not require an envelope (fold and mail).
- Fax directly from computer to recipient without printing, and/or eliminate fax cover sheets by using stick-on fax directory notes.
- Order supplies by e-mail or telephone.
- Request only the number of telephone directories or manuals needed, and encourage employees to share. Or use electronic versions.
- Select products with the least amount of packaging and/or that have recyclable packaging.
- Purchase products in bulk or refillable containers to reduce packaging waste.
- Replace all bottled water with filters on taps (non reverse osmosis filters).
- Compost food waste.
- Minimize or eliminate plastic bag use in retail operations.
- Centralize purchasing to eliminate unnecessary purchases and ensure that all waste-reduction purchasing policies are followed.
- Practice “Just in Time” buying (buying inventory just as you are about to run out), and track material usage to optimize ordering.
- Replace several similar products with one or two that can do the same job.
- Use a “first-in, first-out” policy for time-sensitive materials.
- Purchase products with longer shelf-lives or useful lives.
- Maintain proper storage conditions to reduce material degradation.
- Manage storage areas and control access to reduce the potential for damaging stock.
- Replace, where feasible, paints, solvents, cleaners, glues, and other hazardous material containing products with less hazardous or non-hazardous products.
- For hotels and motels, use bulk-dispensed shampoo and other amenities.
- For restaurants, use refillable condiment bottles instead of individual packets, and refill them from bulk.
- Set up an internal program to reuse office supplies, cardboard boxes, packaging or other reusable items.
- Donate unwanted items to a local charity or other organization for reuse, such as office furniture, equipment, office supplies, food, etc.
- Participate in a waste exchange with another business able to use your discarded materials.
- Purchase reusable products rather than disposables, such as reusable mugs or glasses, rechargeable batteries, refillable pens, etc.
- Choose vendors that will take back packaging, containers, and/or pallets.
- Offer incentives to customers who bring their own reusable bags or boxes.
- Set up a system for your customers to return packaging for reuse.
- If you are a manufacturer, design products with recycled-content or reusable/recyclable components.
- For hotels and motels, donate partially used amenity bottles to local shelters, nursing homes or halfway houses.
