Commercial Waste Management: Tips to Reduce Costs
Having a good waste management system in place can help lower the operational costs for your business. Commercial rubbish removal can be a costly affair, especially if you have a lot of waste to be removed on a regular basis. But if you do your research, you can bring down the costs and make sure the process happens in a timely manner without any hassles.
Photo/Nathan Bevier, U.S. Air Force via wikicommons
Observe and Analyse
The very first step in any decent waste management cycle is to observe and analyse. You need to know just how much rubbish your business generates in a week, what percentage of that rubbish is recyclable or reusable, and how often you need to employ the services of a commercial rubbish removal company to keep your waste management under control.
Ask yourself why you produce so much waste and what steps can be taken to reduce waste generation. Doing this simple exercise can lead to some very effective cost-cutting results as far as waste management is concerned.
Come Up with Cost-Effective Solutions
Get in touch with a rubbish removal company and find out how much it would cost to have a tailor-made waste removal service put in place for your business.
When you opt for customised packages you bring down expenses, simply by not paying for any additional services that you don’t really need.
Another area to concentrate on is recycling. It is much more cost-effective to recycle waste than it is to get rid of general waste. Educating staff about recycling and employing a good waste-sorting system (with separate bins for paper, metal, plastic and glass) can go a long way in saving you money. With a little more planning, not only can you recycle more, you can also find ways to reuse your waste to get the most out of them.
photo/ StockSnap
Shop Around for The Best Deal
Take the time to research rubbish removal companies and find out which of them offers the best rates. Talk to them and see if there’s anything you can do to further drive down costs. Most companies are more than happy to share their expertise and help you come up with an efficient waste management system. From tightly packing waste to avoid air space in the bins, to opting for a biweekly waste removal service instead of weekly, they offer a lot of smart tips that you can employ to cut down costs.
Also enquire about bulk discounts. If you operate from different locations around the city, organising a central waste-collection point can be much more financially feasible for you. By doing that, you won’t have to employ more than one rubbish removal company, or have one company go around picking up rubbish from different sites, which might turn out to be an expensive option.
Sell Your Trash
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. See if you can sell some of your trash for money. Metals—and electronic equipment—are worth quite a lot and can be sold for a nice amount. Always be in the lookout for valuable rubbish. A quick search on the Internet will tell you what parts of your trash can be sold.
When disposing furniture or other such objects, you can consider donating them instead. Lots of organisations offer pickup for donations, making it an easy way to dispose of old furniture.
Shift Your Focus from Waste Disposal to Waste Minimisation
Prioritise waste minimisation over waste disposal. Your aim should be to think of long-term, sustainable waste minimisation practices. It is not just about the monetary costs involved, but also the environmental costs of filling up landfills. Conduct workshops on waste minimisation and advocate it as one of your business goals. When the management takes such a strong stand, the staff are likely to follow and this will create a snowball effect, the results of which will be highly beneficial.
Being committed to the environment will also give you a competitive edge in the market. Both potential investors and customers are more likely to do business with a company known for its environment-friendly practices.
Look at The Finer Details
Know that every lit bit makes a difference. Just encouraging your staff to reduce paper usage by printing less can make a considerable difference in the long run. It is all about building a sustainable waste management system, so nothing is too small or inconsequential to the bottom line.
With concerns growing about overflowing landfills and depleting resources, now is the time to take the leap and make some changes to help the environment. And when doing that helps you save money and helps build a positive reputation for your business, it’s a definite win-win situation.
Author: Colin Steinway
