A waste policy will govern how your company handles trash, from employee operations to overarching strategy.
Before developing a waste policy, ensure that senior management at your company will support it. Without this assistance, implementing the policy will be difficult.
What should a waste management policy include?
A typical waste policy should include the following commitments:
Abide by waste legislation.
Change your corporate procedures or processes to reduce waste.
Higher up the waste hierarchy, use waste management alternatives.
Reuse and recycle waste – or find someone who will.
Sort your rubbish into distinct containers and label them.
Ensure that your trash storage facilities are appropriate for the sorts of waste you generate.
Instruct employees who handle various sorts of waste on proper waste management.
Ensure that your waste management policy is understood by all employees.
The contents of your waste policy should be based on the findings of your trash review.
Once your policy is in place, you should conduct frequent evaluations to ensure that your waste management strategy stays effective.
Environmental management policies and systems
Your waste management policy should be integrated into your company’s environmental management system (EMS). You don’t need to construct a separate waste policy if you have an EMS because it should contain adequate information.
If your company has an environmental policy, you may wish to incorporate waste issues into it rather than having a separate waste policy.
Make a waste management plan
After doing a waste audit and developing a waste policy, you can design an action plan.
Begin with low-cost, easy-to-implement waste-reduction strategies. For example, in an office, you may modify computer settings so that printing uses both sides of the paper automatically and encourage employees to use spare paper as notepads.
Consider the data generated by your trash review. Take the following critical steps:
Identify the areas with the largest net expenses, such as trash disposal, energy use, packaging waste, and raw material wastage.
Talk to personnel who are involved in the operations that generate this waste. Inquire about their perceptions of the major issues and their solutions for waste reduction.
Make a list of significant concepts.
Set targets, objectives, important actions, and timeframes for attaining them once you’ve agreed on a strategy. Determine who is in charge of putting the policy into action. Choose a senior member of staff or an employee with access to management to coordinate your waste reduction initiative. Make a habit of reviewing progress and looking for ways to improve.
Systems for environmental management
If you have an environmental management system, it should include plans, goals, and objectives for improving waste management.
You can outsource your waste management
Rather than handling all parts of trash management in-house, there may be advantages to outsourcing particular waste activities.
How to collaborate with a waste contractor
Working together with your waste contractor will help you improve waste management efficiency and save money. Here are some straightforward measures you could take:
Discuss the types and quantities of waste you generate. The contractor may have valuable contacts, recommendations, or advice that will help you save money.
Sort your waste. This facilitates the reuse and recycling of trash such as paper, plastic, metal, and glass. Store the separated debris in a central location on site to make collection easy for the contractor.
Shop around to select the finest contractor for your needs – rubbish disposal charges can vary greatly between contractors. Learn about the trash minimisation services provided by several contractors.
Choose the appropriate size container for your waste. You may be able to save money by renting a smaller skip, or you may benefit from renting a larger skip that requires less frequent collection.
Determine whether baling or compaction is appropriate for your waste type. Compacting waste reduces the number of collections required and may make waste storage on-site easier.
Check that you are being charged for the weight of the waste rather than the number of collections.
Inquire about market variations for specific trash categories, as well as the contractor’s policy when prices decline. If possible, agree on a time frame for the contractor to guarantee the pricing.