As citizens of this planet, all of us have a shared responsibility to manage our waste in a conscientious manner. Nowadays, that responsibility can feel overwhelming with everything being wrapped in plastic and excessive packaging as the norm. Therefore sustainable waste management is a must.
We live in a throw-away society and only rarely think about where our rubbish ends up. We were taught we are doing everything right as long as we put the items in the designated bin. But even when we put things into our ‘recycling’, they often do not actually get recycled and still end up in landfills.
Slowly, people are realising that simply disregarding items is not enough anymore, so the internet is full of calls for action – and also conflicting information and finger-pointing. So how do we actually find out what to do?
How the 5Rs can promote sustainability in your business
Luckily, there is an easy, 5 step process that we can follow to improve our personal, and also our business waste management. It is called the 5 Rs of sustainability. The five Rs are made up out of the concepts of refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose and recycle.
This post will give you a helpful explanation of why and how you can implement these 5 steps to improve your company’s sustainability and waste management. If you are interested in conducting a workshop to improve your companies waste management, click the link below and contact us:
Refuse: What is the first step to breaking the throw-away cycle?
Sometimes we just simply have to say ‘no’ to products and items we do not actually need. We often get handed promotional items at conferences or sign up for free newsletters to receive that extra discount. And sometimes we fall for a really good marketing scheme and buy an extra item we do not need. While we all love a freebie, most of the time we do not actually need the item and after a short period of collecting dust on our desks or on our shelves, we simply throw them away. Here are a few tips on how where to start:
- Refuse freebies at conferences or meetings.
- Refuse Junkmail. Unsubscribe from all of those unwanted newsletters, group Email lists.
Reduce: How can you reduce waste in your business?
An easy way to start reducing your waste is by looking at what you actually throw away. What lands in your employees’ bins? What other waste does your company produce? Then, start thinking of alternatives that are either reusable, repairable or compostable! These are a few common ways you can reduce waste in your office:
- Paper waste & printing. An easy way to reduce this is to just go digital!
- Packaging. Try to buy items in bulk, it does not only reduce the amount of packaging but is also a lot cheaper!
- Energy. Turn on the energy-saving mode on computers and appliances. This one will save you money as well!
- Switch to a green energy provider for your offices, or even better, install solar panels and/or a heat pump!
- Encourage sustainable travel of your employees. Implement subsidies for employees using bikes or public transport.
Reuse (or Refill): How can you reuse more in your business?
Reusing more is actually one of the easiest steps. It might be hard to remember, but there was a time before single-use items, and we are able to go back to that! Here are a few starting points for your business, but I am sure you can think of even more:
- Don’t offer single-use products at the office, encourage employees to bring their own cups, glasses and cuttlery – or even better, provide them for them!
- Use hand towels in the bathrooms rather than single-use paper ones.
- Repair broken computers, equipment instead of buying new ones. Investing once in high-quality items which can be repaired rather than replaced can also save you loads of money!
- You could even implement a day, where employees can bring items they no longer need to work, to switch them with or give them away to co-workers!
Repurpose (or Upcycle): What does it mean to repurpose?
Repurposing, or upcycling, means to give an old item you do not need anymore a new life by using it for a different purpose. This is also something you can easily implement in your business! Here are a few examples:
- Use the back of old scrap paper and make notepads out of them (but make sure they do not contain sensitive data).
- Take office cardboard and toilet paper tubes home for arts & crafts with the kids.
- Use old, shredded paper as packing material instead of buying styrofoam packing peanuts.
- Upcycle old, dried out markers by simply taking off the nib on the back and adding a few drops of isopropyl (‘rubbing’) alcohol.
- Use old erasers to clean your keyboard. They are perfect for getting between the keys and who even uses pencils anymore! (Old poster putty is perfect for this as well)
Recycle: Should we even continue to recycle?
The simple answer is, yes. But recycling should always be our last solution. A lot of plastics and products cannot be recycled and even products that could be recycled and are collected from recycling bins end up in landfills. Therefore, the first 4 Rs should always have priority, but there are a few recycling actions that actually work and can have a big impact on your business:
- Offer opportunities for employees to recycle their batteries, electronics, lightbulbs etc.
- Recycle pens – There are some great companies that offer recycling programmes for pens, TerraCycle is one of them. Either collect pens at the office and bring them to one of the drop-off points or create a new drop-off point at your office!
- You could even give back to the community by encourage employees to recycle their cans and bottles. The money made through that can be given to the charity your employees choose!
Conclusion
The 5 Rs of sustainability offer an easy, step-by-step guide on how to make the waste management of your business more sustainable. The planet needs our help; Lets follow these 5 simple principles to achieve sustainable waste management so we can truly make a difference – together!
If you are interested in conducting a workshop to improve your companies waste management, click the link below and contact us:
