Here’s How Businesses Can Reduce the Environmental Cost of Waste Collections
Waste collection doesn’t always get treated like part of a business’s environmental impact, which is kind of strange when you think about it for more than two seconds. Everyone talks about recyclable packaging, greener suppliers, less plastic, lower waste, well, how to change the world (even in small steps), and it’s all very sensible stuff. But then there’s the truck turning up again and again because the bins are full of mostly air, loose cardboard, bulky packaging, and materials that could’ve been handled better before collection day.
And okay, no business is going to make waste disappear by sheer willpower and a nice sustainability policy. Instead, things still need to leave the building (which is a given here). But the way they leave matters too, though. Like, if collections are happening more often than they need to, if recyclable materials are messy or poorly sorted, or if bulky waste is taking up space too quickly, that’s not exactly helping the eco side of things.
But thankfully, this is actually one of those areas where businesses can make changes that are actually useful, not just nice-looking on a website (or only half-heartedly trying to be sustainable).
Loose Waste Takes Up More Space than it Should
Cardboard is the big one, isn’t it? Sure, a few boxes don’t seem like much, but then a business has deliveries coming in every day, packaging going out, returns coming back, and it just gets to the point where the cardboard basically takes over.
Plus, you should probably keep in mind here that loose materials fill bins faster, which can lead to more collections, more transport, more handling, and more time spent dealing with waste instead of actual work. Flattening boxes helps, sure, but once waste volume gets high enough, that can only go so far before staff are spending too much time wrestling packaging into submission.
Better Equipment Can Mean Fewer Pickups
At some point, extra bins stop solving the problem. They just create more things to empty. If a business is dealing with regular cardboard, plastic, or packaging waste, it’s worth looking at equipment that helps reduce volume before the materials are collected. Which might be obvious here, but it really will help to explore your options out there.
For example, it might help to compare vertical vs horizontal balers, which can help, especially for businesses trying to figure out what suits their space, waste volume, and daily workflow. But in general here, fewer pickups can mean less transport impact, meaning there’s less disruption, and a waste area that isn’t so overwhelming.
What’s the Collection Schedules vs the Waste Pattern?
This was briefly mentioned, but if you have control over the schedule, then shouldn’t it be controlled then? No, really, a lot of businesses set up waste collections and then just leave the schedule alone forever. As in, it’s the same days, same frequency, same routine, even though the business has changed around it. But why is that so bad, though? Well, think about it, that can lead to half-empty collections during slower periods, overflowing waste during busy weeks, and a general sense that nobody has checked if the system still makes sense. Chances are, you might be overpaying, over-collecting is happening, maybe even unnecessary transport is happening too (if you’re a seasonal business, then this is especially a bigger deal).
