More than ever, each business has a duty to take reasonable care of the waste it produces. Society is rightfully moving towards stronger regulations to fight climate change. Waste can also directly harm people in various ways.
Although every business has to deal with leftover materials in some form, waste is a particular issue for those in the retail industry, as deliveries – both inbound and outbound – will feature an abundance of plastic packaging and cardboard. Any waste needs to be dealt with effectively.
To ensure your retail business abides by the regulations that govern its disposal of waste and employees are safe from harm, here is a quick guide to follow:
Review Your Facility
To begin with, closely examine your facility. How is your business set up to deal with waste? What type of supply chain do you have in place? Perhaps solving your waste problems could be as simple as having recyclable containers that are easily visible within your office space. Or do you need to make other, larger changes?
You can also take a deeper look at your current product line. If it’s possible to switch to recyclable products, this will help to reduce any unnecessary waste.
Utilize the Right Machinery for Recycling
The right machinery, in a nutshell, is a baler. What is a baler exactly? Well, it can help to condense a wide variety of waste materials that you throw its way, including plastic, paper, and cardboard.
Using a baler comes with a number of benefits:
- Recycling helps to comply with government regulations
- It saves a lot of time compared to dealing with waste manually
- A baler is relatively simple to repair
- Expenses are reduced due to there being less need to dispose of waste
- Your company appears eco-friendly, which is a selling point for your customer base
Do your research as to what baler options are available on sites like recyclingbalers.com. Here you’ll be able to find the machine that fits the specifications and requirements of your business.
Go Paperless
Considering the world is becoming ever more digital, going paperless shouldn’t be too painful for your business. Going this route is, obviously, a useful method for reducing waste.
To ensure the transition to a paperless world is a seamless one, there are various steps you can take, including everything from paperless meetings to having all communication done through email and online chat software.
Reduce Packaging
If you can reduce the need for packaging, it’s one of the best ways to eliminate waste before it becomes a significant issue.
For instance, if you run a t-shirt business, there’s no need to use plastic to keep each shirt packed and organized.
However, you will mainly be dealing with waste that is sent to you by suppliers. In this case, see if there are alternative suppliers that place an emphasis on sustainability, as they will attempt to avoid using unnecessary materials when possible. The result: you will have less packaging to recycle and dispose of.
