Cost savingsMetro Vancouver case studies on waste reduction and recycling reported the following examples of cost savings through waste reduction by businesses in British Columbia: Environmental considerationsCitizens Bank of Canada estimates that it has saved 1,390 kgs of solid waste, 4,600 tonnes of greenhouse gases, 57 GJ of energy and 111,291 litres of effluent since it began publishing its Corporate Accountability Report online.
What you need to know
Reducing paper useReduce - Set the default on your printer to print and copy on both sides or used one-side paper (paper that has only been used on one side).
- Reduce paper usage by sending and keeping digital documents, memos, contracts, invoices and records whenever possible.
- Reset default settings to reduce font size and to decrease margins to use 25% more text per page.
- Proofread documents on the screen instead of printing hard copies.
- If electronic versions won’t do, route or circulate memos and report drafts instead of printing individual copies.
- Buy/use recycled paper. Choose the highest post-consumer waste content available.
- Pay bills online or sign up for paperless billing.
- Use white boards or overhead projectors rather than paper for meetings.
- Take minutes on a laptop for easy, paperless emailing to others.
- Make training manuals and personnel information available electronically.
- Review distribution lists and regularly update databases to avoid over production of marketing and publicity materials.
- Write meeting agendas on a white board or print two on each page and cut in half before distributing.
Reuse - Reuse paper.
- Reuse envelopes.
- Convert scratch paper into memo pads and telephone message slips.
Product design and manufacturing tips - Work with customers, suppliers and buyers to reduce packaging and make sure that materials sent to your business are recyclable.
- Improve product design to use fewer materials.
- Redesign packaging to eliminate excess material while maintaining strength.
Other waste reduction tips for your business- Use linen towel dispensers or hand dryers instead of paper. If you use paper, make sure it has a high recycled content and that it goes into the green bin/organics stream.
- Discourage or eliminate the use of plastic bottled beverages.
- Switch to reusable transport containers.
- Purchase products in bulk and buy only what you need.
- Use ceramic instead of paper coffee cups. If you do use filters, use non-chlorinated filters.
- Use rechargeable batteries.
- Buy remanufactured fax, ink jet and toner cartridges and return them to the suppliers for recycling.
- Read equipment manuals and implement maintenance practices that extend the life of copiers, computers and other equipment.
- Choose office furniture and fixtures that are durable and won’t break easily. Choose carpet that is laid in tiles so that only that become worn need to be replaced not the entire floor covering.
Encourage waste prevention through Sustainable PurchasingSustainable purchasing also involves looking at what products are made of, where they come from, how they were made and how they are disposed of. - Ask whether it is necessary to purchase an item in the first place.
- Identify your top or priority purchases and/or suppliers (either by volume or money spent) and develop criteria or specifications for reducing impacts from those goods.
- Purchase products that are durable, concentrated, reusable, high quality.
- Consider the length of warranty and availability of repair services when purchasing equipment.
- Invest in technologies that eliminate or decrease the need for materials. For example, purchase software that helps to reduce paper use with features such as highlighting and removing unwanted pages, letting you decide what prints and what does not and tracking pages and money saved.
- Purchase products with fewer toxic materials (e.g., vegetable-based inks, water-based glue, markers and paint).
- Look for products that have minimal packaging.
- Buy Energy Star certified products.
- Consider life cycle costs and benefits, not just up-front costs. Often a purchase that appears cost-effective at the outset is not attractive when you consider the timeline for replacement or the cost of consumable materials required.
- Reduce transportation impacts.
- Ask your suppliers how they can help you achieve your sustainability goals.
Taking it further- Educate your customers about waste prevention through promotional campaigns, posters and advertising. Ask them to get involved.
- Offer worthwhile incentives such as rebates or discounts when customers bring their own reusable grocery bags, coffee mugs or other containers.
- Offer branded/reusable bags for sale in place of plastic bags.
- Offer customers smart product choices such as bulk items, energy efficient and sustainable merchandise.
- Reduce the size of your office if you can, using the space you have for multiple tasks. If it makes sense for your business, work from home. No commute means less pollution, less time wasted and lower overhead.
- Reduce the waste your company produces by composting, kitchen waste and other organic waste.
- Track your progress.
FAQDoes waste reduction actually affect climate change?
Most stages of a product’s life cycle – extraction, manufacturing, distribution, use and disposal – indirectly or directly contribute to the concentration of green house gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere and affect the global climate. Waste prevention and recycling decrease GHGs by delaying the need to extract raw materials, requiring less energy to make new products and move them to market and diverting materials from landfills. Why is incineration a bad idea?
Burning waste encourages more waste because incinerators require a certain minimum amount of rubbish to operate. It also produces more greenhouse gases than gas fired power stations because it generates energy inefficiently. Burning waste also discourages recycling which means having to use more materials to make new things. And finally, incineration causes pollution and emits smoke, gases and ash, which can contain harmful dioxins that have been known to cause cancer.
| |
Find out proven strategies for waste reduction in the workplace.
|
