Reducing waste

Waste management is not just about how you handle your waste, it is also about how to avoid or reduce waste before it becomes a part of your business.

Reducing waste is not only good for the environment, it can also save you money, improve your reputation and reduce carbon emissions that contribute to climate change.

Below is a list of tips to help you identify and reduce your business waste:

1. Undertake an audit to measure how much waste your business creates. This will give you a baseline to work with and allow you to understand what your key waste products are.
2. Involve your staff, contractors, suppliers and customers. Ask for their ideas for reducing waste and bring them along the journey with you.
3. Learn from other businesses who have made improvements.
4. Identify and speak with others who could use your waste as a resource.
5. Follow the ‘waste hierarchy’: AVOID, REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE.
6. Set measurable targets to reduce or reuse waste, and communicate this with everyone involved.
7. Separate the different types of waste using separate bins.
8. Review your products and services. i.e. consider the cost of disposal compared to purchasing, ask suppliers if they can adapt, can you go paperless or use less packaging etc. 
9. Measure your success, review and continue to improve.
10. Let your customers know by promoting your efforts and achievements.

Resources to assist:

• City Switch offer tools and advice on undertaking a waste audit and identifying how you can reduce waste.
• Understand the State Government’s single use plastic bans at ‘Replace the Waste’.
• Supporting customers to Bring Your Own (BYO) containers. Information on changes to the South Australian Civil Liability Act 1936, that removes liability from food businesses when packaging and selling food to a customer in their own container.
• Hospitality businesses are encouraged to become members of Plastic Free SA to access free advice, signage and more.
• Not sure where to put an item. Check out Which Bin?