FIGHTING THE DOWNTURN THROUGH STRATEGIC WASTE MANAGEMENT

Economic instability and downturns in the market are becoming a regular affair owing to the general disruptions caused by the pandemic these last 2 years. Most businesses are on a path of austerity. Cutting costs and improving business efficiency is the only way to survive a time of severe economic instability, which has been proven repeatedly.

While organizations mainly focus on the business side to control costs and find avenues to be more efficient, waste management practices are often overlooked! A sustainable waste management strategy is a sure-fire way to cut costs and contribute to sustainable development.

A strategic plan for integrated waste management affects every aspect of the business and focuses on reducing waste and reusing and recycling initiatives. The idea is to revamp the way you approach waste management as a whole and to ensure that you are not spending a lot to deal with waste.

How Does A Strategic Waste Management Plan Help?

A strategic plan is not just about dealing with the waste in the best way possible. It also involves examining all the different manufacturing processes and operational aspects of the business to find ways to reduce waste and to reuse whatever waste materials are being currently generated. Then comes the task of handling the leftover waste efficiently to reduce the waste hauling costs and ultimately lead to a better waste stream process.

A holistic approach primarily helps in understanding the different types of waste being produced by your business and the amounts of waste being generated. Can some of these be used in other aspects of the process? Find areas where waste materials can be reduced and re-used.

Taking a more strategic view also means setting goals and milestones and trying to meet them through efficient execution. This is critical for most businesses today. If you know the amount of waste being generated and the quantities that are being recycled, you can easily set targets for waste reduction and increase the amount that is being recycled.

Being zero-waste is an aspirational goal that most businesses chase today. You do not become a zero-waste business by default. You need to actively focus on reducing waste generation, finding uses for the waste you create, and recycling as much of the waste being produced as possible.

How To Build A Waste Management Strategy That Works?

Set Objectives, Goals, And Milestones

The first, and perhaps the most important, of all the steps would be understanding the end goal and envisioning what success looks like. Cost savings is one goal. Look at what your current waste disposal costs are and set a target for a lower cost.

Another aspect to consider is how much solid waste is being recycled. You may already be recycling a part of the waste you produce. Try to set a goal to increase your recycling percentage.

Audit Your Waste Output

A waste audit paints a picture as to what different types of waste are being produced and in what quantities. It also gives a good deal of understanding about processes that are generating the most amount of waste and how you can formulate plans to cut down on this.

An audit will give you an idea about the equipment you would need to set up your waste management system and what are the recyclable materials that you need to be recycled.

Setting Up Waste Collection And Management Processes

Now you know what kinds of waste are being generated and how to proceed to create processes and deal with these. Most materials would need to be cleaned and processed before they can be sent to recycling programs. Collecting and segregating these waste materials at the source and defining how it is to be done will help in making sure that it is processed properly.

You can also define how reusable waste materials need to be handled, how the materials collected should be cleaned and stored, and processed.