The term “waste management” describes the different plans for handling and getting rid of waste. Wastes can be eliminated, processed, recycled, repurposed, or kept under control. Reducing the quantity of useless materials and avoiding possible health and environmental risks are the main goals of waste management. To get more information about waste management services, be sure to visit WM Waste Management Services.
By drastically lowering the quantity of waste your company produces, implementing the 5 R’s into your waste management and recycling strategies can improve programme results. Go through each of these steps in the following order before disposing of your waste:
Refuse
The first item in the hierarchy of the five Rs is refuse. The best way to reduce waste is to incorporate the practice of refusing waste into your business’s strategy, even though it can take some time to master. Speak with your procurement team about declining to purchase products that are non-recyclable or wasteful. When interacting with vendors, ask for reusable or returnable containers instead of needless product packaging. Organisations can more easily “refuse” waste by making better purchasing decisions and establishing guidelines and expectations early on in the process. To make things even simpler for your company, consider partnering with a fully-managed waste services expert.
Reduce
Decrease the number of toxic, unnecessary, and non-recyclable products you use. Decreased reliance on these products means fewer waste materials wind up in landfills, despite the harmful effects they have on the environment. To prevent needless waste, we advise using the bare minimum amount needed at all times. To reduce waste output by half, print a document on both sides, for instance. Businesses can also concentrate on cutting back on single-use plastics, plastic packaging, organic waste, and Styrofoam cups, among other frequently used products.
Reuse
Because single-use plastics have normalised the practice of using products only once before discarding them, they have contributed to the development of a “throw-away” culture. The rate at which we use plastics has reached unbelievable proportions, and the plastic crisis has grown to be one of the biggest environmental issues facing the planet. Reuse items instead of purchasing new ones in the workplace to help cut down on waste. Start by concentrating on one aspect of your company at a time, such as the break room. Swap out all of the single-use plastic cutlery, paper plates, water bottles, and Styrofoam cups for reusable or compostable ones. Prioritise reusing packaging peanuts, printer cartridges, cardboard boxes, food containers, and rechargeable batteries for other products in your facility after you’ve mastered one area.
Repurpose
Try repurposing anything that can’t be rejected, lowered, or reused. Upcycling is the term used by many in the green community to describe this technique. The number of common office products that have multiple uses may surprise you. Though there are countless options, sometimes ingenuity is needed. Try recycling used printer paper into scrap paper, storing supplies in cardboard boxes, holding power cords and chargers in place with binder clips, and even organising pens and pencils with mason jars, coffee mugs, and tin cans. Set aside a space in your office to serve as an upcycle station where you can gather and store materials.
Recycle
Recycling is last, but most definitely not least. The greenest way to dispose of waste is through recycling, once you’ve exhausted the other R’s. If it hasn’t already, your company needs to start gathering cardboard, mixed paper goods, organic materials, and mixed materials like plastic, aluminium, and glass. The majority of businesses we speak with are shocked by how much waste they can cut by implementing a successful recycling programme.
The waste management services will help you dispose of the waste properly. Also remember Recycle as a last option in the 5 R’s hierarchy, after you’ve tried to refuse, reduce, reuse, or repurpose.
A waste management system is a streamlined procedure used by businesses to avoid, minimise, and repurpose waste. Alternatively referred to as waste disposal, this method involves businesses putting in place all-encompassing plans to effectively handle wastes from the point of origin to the point of disposal.