As we’ve previously illustrated, organisations with comprehensive waste management strategies in place, generally share the following characteristics:
- They’re more environmentally and socially responsible (an important consideration in today’s world of active citizenship and the growing movement toward businesses “doing good”)
- They’re more sustainable, efficient and productive (by setting up smart waste management processes, they’ve created a “circular economy”, turning their waste into resources they can re-use for their needs)
- They’ve reduced their overall waste management costs over time (reducing unnecessary wastage, inflated costs around outdated waste management processes, overall reduction in raw material purchasing etc.)
Having worked with dozens of large businesses over the years, we’ve outlined 5 of the most common mistakes that many of them were making, regarding their waste management.
Mistakes which, once rectified, made an almost immediate positive impact to their waste management capability.
Have a read through them, and see if any of these ring true within your own organisation.
Mistake #1: Not having a waste management strategy in place
Interestingly enough, many businesses do not have an actual waste management strategy in place.
A formalised plan outlining their goals and objectives around managing waste, together with a comprehensive breakdown of specific processes and approach to achieve these goals.
For many businesses, a contract with a supplier who picks up and disposes of waste on a weekly basis is pretty much the gist of it.
Mistake #2: Going with the cheapest option
Another common mistake, are businesses who simply go for the cheapest waste management service provider.
This often sees the service provider delivering the bare minimum in terms of services and expertise, having fairly inefficient waste management processes, and ultimately providing inadequate waste disposal according to the organisation’s needs.
As with most things, going with the cheapest option can often end up costing more, through course correction and interventions.
Mistake #3: Using inadequate waste disposal techniques
Closely tied to the previous point, but by using the cheapest provider, organisations often end up having waste management processes that are not fit for purpose, based on their industry.
We’ve seen countless examples of untreated chemical waste being diverted to landfills, or of food and beverage or technology waste not being adequately disposed of (increasing the likelihood of it making it out of landfill – posing considerable reputational risk to an organisation)
Mistake #4: Not treating waste as a secondary resource
High performing, efficient organisations understand and have embraced what’s called the “circular economy” – turning their waste into energy or resources that can be fed back into either their own business processes, or into other markets.
Examples include construction materials that can be reused, including concrete, asphalt materials, masonry, and reinforcing steel, as well as plant-based wastes that can be recovered and immediately reused for mulch or fertilizer applications.
By simply discarding their waste and not setting up processes to efficiently recover and re-use, they minimise their potential to lower their raw material purchasing costs, and ultimately end up paying more for less.
Mistake #5: Not speaking to us
Yes it’s true, we help large organisations like yours, helping them better manage their industrial and commercial waste, reducing their reliance on landfills, and helping them become more efficient and environmentally sustainable in their waste management processes.
In a nutshell – we give you peace of mind, helping you to better manage and process your waste.
We’d like to offer you a free consult chat, where we can discuss how your organisation currently manages waste, together with any challenges you might be facing.
It’s a complimentary, no obligation chat, and it can help you quickly make an informed decision on what you should be looking to do, to make your business more efficient and sustainable.
So if you’d like to move your organisation into a more sustainable and eco-friendly space, or if you’re just curious at this stage and would like to know more, just click the button below and choose a convenient day and time for our call.
All it’s going to cost you is 30 mins of your time, and could ultimately make a huge difference to your business.
