Waste Minimisation for Businesses

The most effective way to manage waste is to avoid it in the first place
 

Incorporate waste minimisation into your purchasing policy to reduce your waste and influence others to do the same.

Consider the total life cycle of a product when making a purchase decision. Is it better to invest in a higher quality product that will last longer and is repairable?
Work with other businesses to help with your waste minimisation. The possibilities are endless: sharing resources, buying in bulk, liaising with suppliers or even having a joint worm farm.

Replace your staff room coffee capsule machine with plungers or machines that use beans. Compost the coffee grounds or offer these to staff for use in their gardens.

Provide a ‘library’ of reusable crockery and containers that staff can use for takeaways.

Leverage digital technology to go paperless.

Consider renting, borrowing or sharing equipment rather than owning it.

Refuse single-use items such as straws, napkins, bags, soy sauce packets, and takeaway cups.

Swap from buying milk in plastic bottles to buying it in glass swappa bottles or, for larger volumes, opt for a refillable keg service.

Include waste minimisation information as part of employee inductions, so they understand how the company lives out its sustainability principles

The most effective way to manage waste is to avoid it in the first place

Source from suppliers who are on-board with taking a more sustainable approach (consider including this as a criteria in tender processes). Ask for no or less packaging and if they can’t help you, ask around for alternative options.

Buy in bulk where possible to reduce packaging.

Consider the types of materials that are being used. Are the products you need available using recycled materials?

Opt to receive email correspondence over printed mail where possible and opt-out of unwanted print databases.

Swap paper towels for energy efficient hand dryers.

If you can’t avoid using and disposing of an item, consider if there is a way to reuse it

Switch from disposable to reusable products, e.g. refillable toner cartridges and whiteboard markers, reusable cups and hand towels.

Non-confidential, single-sided paper can be reused for notepaper. Used envelopes can be re-stickered.

Waste paper can be shredded and used for packaging or in compost.

Compost your organic waste.

Use local exchange networks to source what you need and re-home what you don’t.

Repair old furniture and office equipment.

Buy furniture from suppliers of used office furniture

Pallets and wooden cable reels are popular for people making their own outdoor furniture. Offer it online and see if you get any interest before sending it to landfill or recycling.

Once you have made all the steps to reduce and reuse your waste, the next option in the hierarchy is recycling

Ensure recycling bins are colour-coded, easily accessible and well signed. Check out New Zealand’s standardised colours and signage here.

Make sure everyone knows what can be recycled in our district and understand where our recycling goes:

How we recycle in the Queenstown Lakes District (qldc.govt.nz)

There are a number of commercial waste providers who offer recycling services within the region:

Commercial Services (qldc.govt.nz)