Reducing Waste Disposal Costs

Reducing Waste Disposal Costs

Practical steps to make less waste

• Set up a system to ensure all e-mails are automatically saved and stored where they can be retrieved.
• Receive and send faxes direct from a computer via a fax modem.
• Print or photocopy on both sides of paper whenever possible, and print two pages to a sheet where feasible.
• Edit all documents onscreen before printing – it just takes practice.
• Don’t hand out printed notes at presentations unless absolutely necessary – use a digital slide show instead and offer electronic copies to be sent by e-mail as requested.
• Recycle paper from paper shredders.
• Use electronic methods for all routine administrative procedures: e-mail payslips and superannuation notifications, online rosters and timesheets, computer-based filing systems, memos.
• Purchase materials, office consumables etc online and don’t accept printed catalogues.

• When packaging sending fragile items for delivery, using soluble rice-chips instead of polystyrene flakes or bubble wrap as filler.
• Avoid buying products with excessive packaging (and use suppliers that avoid unnecessary disposable packaging).
• If your business sends mass mail-outs, regularly update your address list to minimise the proportion returned to sender.
• When it’s necessary to save data or documents to CD, use rewritable CDs or multiple sessions per disk, so you have fewer used CDs to discard.
• If you use acetate for overhead presentations, use non-permanent markers and re-use.

• Label recycling and waste bins clearly so that all staff and visitors will understand, even if English is not their first language. You can print out signs for all of your bins from the Sustainability Victorian website here
  

• Put recycling containers in the workplace kitchen or lunch room, so people can recycle like they do at home.
• Wash and re-use takeaway containers in the kitchen or workplace until worn out, then recycle if recyclable plastic.

Waste disposal around the office

• Instruct cleaners to empty individual waste bins only once each week. This helps staff learn how much waste they generate as well as reducing cleaning costs.
• Instruct cleaners not to empty waste bins if recyclable items have been put in them. (Include organic waste if you have set up a composting system.)
• Engage a contractor to collect cardboard separately for recycling. This can be significantly cheaper than landfill pickup costs.

• When discarding unusable computers and monitors, use a recycling service to salvage components and avoid sending hazardous waste (e.g. heavy metals, plastics that degrade to toxic products) to landfill. The Byteback recycling service is available for small businesses.
  

• Use refilled or remanufactured toner cartridges(where recommended) which can save up to half the cost of new cartridges. Or buy new cartridges but donate all spent cartridges to recycling schemes.
  
  

Food and drink

• Ban disposable cups and plates and replace with reusable crockery.
• Don’t let compost-able waste go into landfill (via ordinary garbage). Set up a compost bin (for plant matter), worm farm (for food scraps) or green waste bin in the lunch room or kitchen. Use the soil output in the garden (the workplace’s or a staff member’s) or donate to a local community garden (check with your council).
• If your business generates a large volume of organic waste (e.g. food or plant matter) try to make a deal with a worm farm or horticulture business to remove or receive compost-able waste.

Services to help you reduce your waste and improve you recycling