Why you can’t afford to skip a good waste management strategy

A good waste management strategy not only keeps your business above board in a highly regulated area, but it can also save you some serious cash.

Failing to draw up a legal and sustainable waste management strategy leads to negative consequences for the environment, your community, and will likely land you with some unexpected expenses.

Here’s why it pays to take the time to consult on the right waste management strategy for your business – and why it could end up very expensive if you don’t…

Massive savings on running costs

It probably goes without saying that the less wasteful you are, the more you’ll save by not spending money on materials and supplies you simply don’t need.

Eliminating waste at the source is the most efficient and cost-effective strategy for economical waste management; there’s simply no need to manage waste that never existed in the first place.

Going digital rather than printing off reams of documents that’ll probably just end up cluttering a storeroom reduces paper waste and also makes your data far easier to search.

MORE: How smart waste management can boost your company’s profits

Bulk buying supplies that your business uses regularly to bring down the amount of packaging can go a long way to streamlining your recycling – and those extra big tubs can often be reused for cleaning or storage.

Working out what you can do without is the first step of a good waste management strategy before getting to work on how to compact down what’s left.

Reduce the volume of your waste

Waste management is typically priced by the volume of waste you need to get rid of.

For example, SunSkips hires skips at varying sizes, and getting the wrong container for your waste can mean you end up overpaying for an overly large container, or paying too much for an extra skip when the first one ends up being too small.

Consulting with waste management professionals means never having to receive unnecessary disposal bills – and you can actually squash those payments even further.

Balers and compactors reduce paper, cardboard and soft plastic to a fraction of its volume, and while they might be a significant upfront investment, they’ll pay off in the long run with reduced disposal costs.

By compacting waste, not only can you get more in your containers, but it also doesn’t need to be collected as frequently.

Poorly timed collections

Overflowing bins waiting for a lorry to come and take them away pose an environmental hazard by attracting pests, and could also lead to unwanted attention from your local authority.

So not only should you be doing everything you can to reduce the volume of your waste, you also need to make sure your waste management strategy factors in timely collections.

For high volumes of waste, consider a ro-ro skip (roll-on/roll-off) that you can keep onsite to reduce the number of collections. A 20-yard or 40-yard skip can keep a busy construction site tidy and reduce the risk of hazards from having piles of waste waiting for a container to arrive.

Reducing collections cuts down on unnecessary trips, saves fuel, and streamlines your entire waste management process.

If you don’t have the space for a ro-ro, work with a skip hire or waste management provider that can operate a smooth skip or container swap system to keep your waste outflow running as it should.

Take advantage of single-stream discounts

Many waste management firms offer discounts if you separate waste into individual types so they’re more or less ready for recycling.

SunSkips accepts mixed waste in its skips, but separating valuable waste before it’s collected minimises the need for it to go through the multi-step screening process at the waste transfer site, saving time and money.

For example, when soil is kept separate, it won’t get contaminated by the rest of the rubbish and is much easier to recycle.

Similarly, clean wood is also far more valuable when it’s not tossed in with dirty wood, because it can be reintroduced into the construction materials market, rather than recycled into chipboard or pet bedding.

MORE: Wood recycling: How it works, waste grades and why it’s vital to the UK

Avoid eye-watering legal fees

Falling foul of local authorities or the Environment Agency by not adhering to proper waste management practices can land you with steep fines and legal fees.

Cutting corners with waste management is a risky bet, and the stakes are only getting higher as authorities plan to increase fines for waste criminals.

Legitimate waste management and skip hire companies in England operate according to the Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2011 and the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

But some unscrupulous actors don’t follow this legislation to the letter of the law and end up discovering that waste crime doesn’t pay.

For example, instead of investing in quality skip hire in Cottenham, one Cambridgeshire landlord was held responsible for dumping a load of rubbish from one of his rental properties in the street.

Because he hired someone to manage his property without a contract, he was liable for the fly-tipping and ended up with a £400 fine, £1,000 in costs and a criminal record.

MORE: The big reason you don’t want to hire just any waste management company

Protect your reputation

Once word gets out that your business has been disrespecting the local community by skirting waste management regulations, you can expect a drop in revenue as customers turn to more sustainable competitors.

A damaged reputation is pretty hard to come back from. It’ll take a strong push in the other direction to prove to your client base that you’ve adopted an impactful waste management strategy and turned things around.

And when you consider that most people are more attracted to companies that actively promote sustainable practices, you’re actually losing out on potential business by not taking your responsibility to the environment seriously.

Make an environmentally friendly waste management strategy a pivotal part of your branding and marketing plan so you keep your valuable reputation intact.

Cost to the planet

Responsible businesses understand that the way they manage their waste makes a serious impact on the environment.

Methane – a potent greenhouse gas – is released into the atmosphere from rotting waste dumped in landfill, and one of the best ways to prevent it is better waste management strategies.

The good news is that being conscious of sustainability in workplace waste management can actually result in extra funds in your pocket. Good recycling habits can be difficult to maintain for busy workplaces, but rates to dispose of more valuable waste are far lower than general waste, due to high landfill taxes.

Good waste management strategies pay for themselves

Whether you’re making instant savings by reducing your waste generation, squashing down recyclables into smaller containers or finding ways to limit the number of lorries coming and going from your premises, a quality waste management strategy is just good business sense.

A waste audit can be daunting for those that don’t know where to start, but you’ll find most waste management providers are happy to pay you a visit and assess your specific situation.

If your current waste management strategy is leaving money on the table for your business, you really can’t afford to put it off any longer.

Get an expert eye on your waste management strategy. Just call our friendly team and one of our waste management specialists will visit your business to help streamline your processes to be more economical, sustainable and easy to manage.