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How to champion sustainable waste management in the workplace
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Businesses across the country are working towards a greener future. And to be able to reach this, sustainable waste management is essential. Choosing to dispose of your waste ethically brings social, economic and environmental benefits that will better not only eco-systems but also your business.
In 2019, the UK’s commercial and sectors industries generated over 37.2 million tonnes of waste. As the country moves closer to its net zero goals, all unnecessary waste must be reduced and dealt with responsibly.
We take a look at sustainable waste management, how it can be achieved, and the subsequent benefits.
How to combat waste sustainably
As net zero targets are nearing and a consistent stream of government legislation is appearing, businesses across the world are becoming more sustainable and transparent. But this is proving a greater challenge for multi-site businesses.
It is easy for larger businesses to slip into green washed tendencies through short-lived initiatives and less significant projects such as implementing recycling programmes for short times. It is vital that multi-site businesses find ways of being consistently sustainable on a larger scale.
This can be achieved through a holistic strategy of operational changes, capital projects, employee engagement and accountability.
Multi-site sustainability
There are several ways that businesses can improve their waste management systems, while making those systems more sustainable. And businesses can also tailor these options to the office culture and company goals.
The main advantages of sustainable waste management are social, economic, and environmental. Disposing of waste in a sustainable way helps to reduce pollution, and in turn, reduces the risk to public health. Air and water quality is improved and the environment also benefits from reduced production and harmful emissions.
So, what are the most effective ways of championing sustainable waste management?
Closed-loop manufacturing
Closed-loop manufacturing entails businesses re-collecting and reusing waste to rebegin the manufacturing process.
By recycling a product into the same product, a closed-loop is created and the cycle continues.
This often occurs with aluminium cans.
Embracing this type of manufacturing comes with several benefits, including:
- Preserving natural resources
- Minimising risk to environment
- Reducing waste that would have otherwise gone to landfill
- Pollution and carbon emissions are lessened
While some waste simply can’t be recycled, it is essential that sustainable manufacturing solutions are incorporated into daily business operations.
The importance of a waste audit
To reduce waste, you must first reduce consumption. And before you can reduce consumption, you must first understand how much you are consuming and where. This is where waste auditing comes in.
A waste audit involves reviewing the current methods of waste disposal. From there, improvements can be made and businesses can start to reap the rewards of sustainability. Not only will businesses reduce costs by cutting out unnecessary waste, they can also improve on their environmental performance.
How can EIC help?
Becoming efficient is an essential step for the UK when reaching its net zero targets. This means that every aspect of a business must move towards becoming sustainable.
As one of the UK’s leading utilities consultancies, we are well placed to support you no matter where you are in your journey to net zero. We ensure that your waste management systems are the most advantageous for your business, from both a financial and environmental perspective. Typically, we will carry out a free audit, followed by a site survey. From there we can see which aspects of your business could be improved.
Get in touch today to find out how we can help you on your journey towards sustainability.
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