Reducing waste material is important for the environment. One proposed remedy was recycling, but it’s not quite the solution some thought it would be. Our post on The Problem with Recycling points out that recycling has been ineffective in fighting climate change in the UK.
At this point, it’s necessary to do more than just recycle, and businesses should be focusing on finding ways to cut back on material waste altogether. Let’s investigate some possible solutions.
1. Use Double-Sided Printing
With so much printing on single-sided paper for daily operations and just going to waste at the same time, a business can reduce waste by simply switching to double-sided printing. Most printers can print double-sided. An adjustment in the printing settings can usually take care of this, or it could be in the Print menu options. By printing on both sides, the company will use less paper, therefore reducing total waste and saving on printing costs. The total printing can be reduced by literally half of the costs since one piece of paper can accommodate front and back printing.
2. Go Paperless
When possible, don’t print at all and go paperless! Today’s electronic devices offer great alternatives and more efficient ways to share information. Documents can be scanned and immediately emailed, or simply take a photo using a smartphone and send it via SMS.
For those about to board a business flight, avoid printing out the boarding pass, instead use an electronic version on a smartphone with a QR code. These paperless methods reduce waste and save time because the information is transferred electronically, thus there is no need to file the papers in a physical location.
Inc. admits that going paperless doesn’t happen overnight and does require making a strategic plan to implement. But even making a start is a step in the right direction.
3. Send Digital Business Cards
A few years ago, printed business cards were the normal way people exchanged contact information (as well as showed off their title).
But now, since the world has gone digital, the trend is to send digital business cards, not to mention it’s highly conducive to reducing waste.
In Doorway’s overview of digital business cards, they outline how ordinary paper business cards account for a stunning amount of waste –– causing as many as six million trees each year to be cut down!
People that send digital business cards in the modern world can be seen as high-tech as well as going green.
4. Use Reusable Tableware
People must eat and drink every day, but that doesn’t mean they need to increase waste every time they do. Avoid offering disposable cups at the water dispenser or coffee area. Instead, encourage employees to bring their own tableware to use every time they need to eat or drink.
The BBC Good Food recommends the use of eco-friendly kitchenware like wine glasses and stainless-steel lunch boxes to help save the environment. As the employer, you may need to provide dishwashing liquid and cleaning sponges in your office pantry, but this will be a small cost compared to the big savings and reduction in waste material.
5. Create a Waste Reduction Campaign
Creating a waste reduction campaign within your business, it will affect your company’s culture and how employees treat material resources.
Engage employees at all levels of the organization by educating them about the importance of reducing waste, the different methods of doing so, and its impact towards the environment.
Make it an official company campaign by following it up with promotional materials and incentivize employees who excel at reducing waste.
Conclusion
Every business has the social responsibility of taking care of the environment by ensuring the ethical use of every resource. The tips stated above may be menial, but if all businesses do these together, it will create an impact on the world.
Reducing waste does not just save the environment; it also ensures resources for future generations.
We hope these suggestions can help, and for more content on waste management, the environment, and a range of other topics please visit us here at Wasters Blog again!
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