News & Events / ...

When we think of waste management and recycling, we often think strictly of managing vendors, gate fees, and the rising cost of sending waste to the landfill. While these things are important components of a waste management plan, they only take you so far.

To create a strong waste management and recycling plan, you need to go beyond costs and vendor management, and instead think about resources generally. The right waste management plan is actually a resource management improvement plan. It will allow you to eliminate waste where you can, and recycle and repurpose what you can’t by understanding where your waste exists and what you can do about it.

Are you ready to learn more? Here’s how to incorporate resource impact for a waste management plan with measurable environmental impact.

1. Understand Your True Waste Footprint

First, you need to understand that you can’t manage what you don’t measure. There are two ways to measure your waste footprint: by outgoing costs, and by inefficiencies in your operations.

Start by calculating all your landfill and recycling fees for the past year. Use your monthly invoices from all your waste management providers. Make sure you provide figures both for dry mixed recycling, as well as any recycling collected separately. If you’re looking for free tools to help track waste, try Zero Waste Scotland’s free waste tracking spreadsheet.

Then, look at your types of waste and ask questions like:

• What materials do you use that become either waste or recycling?
• Are you over-ordering? Under-ordering?
• Are there gaps in your inventory management system?
• Is it possible to update a process that will allow you to change materials to something that creates less waste?

The answers to questions like these combined with your costs will help you to identify the scope of your potential to improve your plan.

2. Find New Ways to Eliminate Waste

With an understanding of your waste and environmental impact, you should then ask: where can you eliminate waste (including recycling waste) altogether?

Some options that almost all businesses can follow include:

• Run a paperless back office
• Ask suppliers and vendors to take packaging away with them
• Eliminate single use plastics like paper cups or cutlery

You might also find there are unique opportunities that exist for your own operation.

To take advantage of these, consider appointing a waste elimination committee made up of people who work across your operation, who will look for unique opportunities for your business to eliminate waste. You might be surprised at the connection between landfill and recycling waste, and inefficiencies that exist within your business.

3. Work with Waste Management Partners to Handle What’s Left

Once you’ve diverted and eliminated where possible and have an accurate idea of what’s left, turn to your waste management partners for help.

The waste management industry moves quickly. Make sure your partners are not only meeting minimum accreditation requirements, but are also working with the latest technologies and processes. They may have made updates that you’re not aware of that could allow you to consolidate your partnerships, or might spur you to choose a new partner.

When looking at equipment, aim for partners who can work with you for the duration of your business. At LSM, our waste and recycling balers are built to last with a simple, yet powerful construction, and our maintenance plans help ensure you get additional life from your machines.

Are you ready to better manage your waste and recycling? Get in touch to learn more about the benefits of compacting and baling waste, from increased productivity to lower fuel costs.