Top 5 things you can do to reduce your commercial waste costs

With businesses now hunting for ways to save money on waste costs more than ever, here is a handy guide on how best to achieve it. Each step is simple and easy to accomplish and they are all based around the common denominator of recycling equipment. Did you know “the government has stated that the standard rate per tonne of waste going to landfill will increase by 2% in 2017 a following 3.3%” – statistic taken from QCR. Bale your recyclable waste A vital cog in the saving money wheel is baling. Crushing recyclable waste into separate, neat bales keeps it all together. Cardboard and plastic are the most common recyclable waste streams and are easy to compact into bales. Recyclers are increasingly looking to collect baled material rather than handle loose waste which then may have to be segregated. Businesses with quality bales will be able to have these collected for a nominal fee or in most cases for free. Those that can store enough bales could even receive a rebate. Recyclers will not collect these materials loose so it is up to waste management businesses to do it. This is a far more expensive system than baling and one which is detailed more here… Reduce your bins and skips If a business is not baling, then bins or skips are virtually a necessity. These handle every loose waste stream including cardboard and plastic. Most businesses will have bins for general waste and bins for recycling which is good for segregating waste types but that is just about where the positives end. Bin prices are expensive and are guaranteed to increase every year due to landfill tax rises placed on waste management companies each April, raising from £86.10/tonne to £88.95/tonne in 2018 – statistic taken from HM Revenue & Customs. Collections are regular because bins fail to handle high levels of waste and often overflow. This creates more expense, health and safety problems and the risk of recyclable waste overflowing into the general waste stream. Baling cardboard and plastic negates the need for bins specifically required for these waste streams, which is an immediate money saver. Segregate plastics Businesses with high levels of plastic will find baling the ideal solution and it is simple to segregate clear and coloured plastics to make the baling system even more efficient. Recycling bag stands are an excellent way to do this and so easy to use. Having separate bag stands for the different plastics ensures the final bales will be 100% clear or 100% coloured. Recyclers will value these segregated bales more and it will mean higher rebate values for the business. Segregating and baling is also the best way to tackle the world’s fight against plastic pollution as the bales will always be 100% recycled. Ensure recyclable waste does not get sent to landfill This is only a problem if a baling system is not in use. Baling will ensure everything that is recyclable is recycled as it is all compacted together. The issue is when waste is loose. Overflowing recycling bins always run a high risk of cardboard boxes or plastic overflowing into an emptier general waste bin which would then be sent to landfill. The more businesses that continue to do this will only have themselves to blame when landfill tax hikes continue to rise, resulting in the end user paying the price. As reported by the BBC, “The National Audit Office (NAO) says over half of the packaging reported as recycled is actually being sent abroad to be processed.” Reduce volumes of other waste types There is almost a piece of recycling equipment for any waste type these days, whether it is recyclable or not. Reducing volumes is the key to saving money. Bulky general waste bags can be condensed with a bin press, making bins last a lot longer. Glass bottles can be crushed inside a glass crusher, allowing for much more space in bins. The same can be applied to cans, tins and drums which can be all be crushed to reduce volumes and save money. The common denominator... recycling equipment Recycling equipment plays the lead role in these five ways to reduce commercial waste costs. Whether it is a baler, compactor, glass crusher or a simple bag stand, these pieces of equipment are simply essential to reducing waste costs in today’s world. It may not be obvious to a business until they get to see the difference in using recycling equipment as opposed to bins but it does not often take long to notice. With bin numbers reduced or gone altogether, the cost savings are almost immediate. Businesses also have the added pleasure of saving space and time on handling waste. Using recycling equipment is also the most eco-friendly method of handling waste and will boost the green credentials of any business. By Ella Hendrix