Race Against Waste has claimed small businesses are beginning to get the message on managing their waste in an environmentally friendly way with more than than 320 attending its Small Change business seminars in the first six months of the year.
The campaign group found that two-thirds of those attending had put an environmental policy in place in their workplace and 34 per cent had completed a waste audit in their organisation. As many as 43 per cent had also developed an action plan to reduce, reuse and recycle at work with help from the Race Against Waste team.
The group claims the seminars “provide practical and hands-on tools to help businesses reduce waste and dispose of it properly, saving organisations thousands of euros in the process”.
Elizabeth Arnett, technical director at Race Against Waste, said many small businesses were suffering from a gap in information and support to help them solve their waste problems. “They are prepared to spend money, resources are not the barrier, it’s the support and information.”
She described the Small Change programme, which is two years old and is run with support from the Chambers of Commerce of Ireland, IBEC and Enterprise Ireland, as “very very successful”.
Race Against Waste claims it can significantly reduce waste costs to a business. According to Arnett, some companies can save as much as 80 per cent on their waste disposal costs.
The campaign encourages businesses to conduct a waste audit to assess and analyse the activities which are producing waste. Companies should also look at their purchasing policies to get a view of what waste they are buying in the front door.
“The answers are quite obvious,” Arnett argued. With support and expertise from Race Against Waste, businesses could put together an action plan and work with the service provider taking the waste away.
She cautioned companies to ensure the provider taking the business away was legitimate and had the necessary permits. “The permits should be available from the driver of the van. Otherwise, you are liable for the waste wherever it ends up.” In a bid to attract smaller companies that may have difficulty finding a waste contractor because their volume of waste is too small, the group is also Race Against Waste Minimisation Clubs. The clubs bring businesses in a particular geographic area together “to negotiate better terms/services from waste contractors. The Club may also share facilities, and equipment and exchange waste items that may be of use to another business”.
To learn more about Race Against Waste, you can visit the website – www.raceagainstwaste.ie – or call 1890 667 639.
Simple steps to take.
1. Decide that you want to solve your waste problem
2. Get the support of everyone in the business. Initiate and promote a company waste management programme but ask for ideas from staff so they become dedicated to and involved in the effort.
3. Appoint a co-ordinator to be drive the campaign. Typically, the co-ordinator will identify the types and volumes of waste produced, look for opportunities to prevent and recycle waste, identify materials for composting or recycling, select and work with waste contractor or recycling company and set up a segregated bin system for recyclables in common work areas
4. Review your waste to identify and record the different waste generating activities and equipment in your facility, the types of waste produced and any waste reduction efforts.
Examine the contents of waste containers, interview supervisors and employees, pay close attention to areas and operations that tend to generate the largest amounts of waste, such as shipping and receiving departments, copying areas, canteens, offices
5. Draw up an action plan which will include information about your current waste situation, targets for improvements, actions that need to be taken, by whom and when and a system to monitor progress.
Some simple tips to help your business
- Use ceramic mugs and glasses instead of polystyrene or plastic cups
- Print and photocopy all office documents on both sides of the page
- Don’t use bin liners in bins for dry waste (paper, cans, etc)
- Install washable towels or hand dryers instead of paper towels
- Use rechargeable batteries
- Convert scrap paper into memo pads
- Save and reuse inter-office envelopes, file folders and boxes. Use reusable mailing pouches
- Refill laser printer, copier and fax toner cartridges
- Recycle glass bottles and jars, cans, cardboard and paper
- Recycle packaging materials: cardboard, chipboard, bags, plastics etc.
- Recycle food and beverage containers
- Research and buy products made from recycled materials
- Consider selling products made with recycled-content material
- Commit to buying paper, envelopes, packaging and other supplies made from recycled materials
- Buy items which can be recycled easily: envelopes without windows, non-glossy paper
- Buy reusable and refillable items such as toner cartridges, tape dispensers and mechanical pencils
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