Reduce your business waste

Reducing your business waste will save you money and reduce your impact on the environment.

Steps to reduce your waste

Reduce – the best way to deal with waste is not to produce it in the first place.
Reuse or repair – use the material again in its current form.
Recycle – make sure you are recycling as much waste as possible.
Disposal – the last option is to dispose of waste that can’t be reused or recycled. You need to dispose of all waste responsibly.

Find out how much waste you're producing

The first step to reducing your waste is to check what kinds of waste you’re producing and how much by conducting a waste audit. You should:

find out which waste materials your organisation produces (for example food, glass, plastic or paper)
estimate the amount of each material produced each week
find out the disposal cost for each material
look at the options to reduce, reuse or recycle each material
set targets for reducing waste
work out how to measure waste going forward

You should involve all of your staff in the audit and inform them of any changes you make that will affect their work.

How to reduce your waste

Once you’ve done a waste audit you can begin to reduce your waste. You should:

check if your waste contractor will collect recyclable materials
arrange a joint collection of recyclable materials with other local businesses - contractors are more likely to make a collection for a greater quantity of waste
provide clearly labelled recycling bins for your staff
buy durable products that can be repaired rather than replaced
buy products with recycled content
purchase reusable rather than disposable products
choose products with minimal packaging
turn off machinery and lights when not in use
replace bulbs with energy efficient ones
cancel unwanted subscriptions and junk mail External link

Advice for your workplace

The waste you produce will depend on the work your company does. Below is guidance for reducing waste at your organisation.

Offices

Reduce

You should:

set printers to print black and white and double sided copies
refill printer, copier and fax cartridges
use whiteboards for messages
use cups, glasses and reusable bottles rather than providing disposable cups
lease IT equipment rather than buying it
prolong the life of IT equipment by having it serviced by an IT company

Reuse

You should:

set up a used paper drawer in your printer to print draft documents
turn scrap paper into note pads
arrange for packaging to be taken back by your suppliers
donate unwanted furniture and electrical items to reuse groups or charities or list on a waste exchange
use rechargeable batteries

Recycle

You should:

put a paper recycling bin next to the photocopier
provide all staff with a paper recycling bin and have centralised general waste bins
arrange a collection of your recyclable items and provide containers for different types of materials
recycle mobile phones through a recycling scheme
arrange for food waste to be collected and composted
contact your computer or electronics supplier - they should have a take-back scheme for waste electronic products

Catering

Reduce

You should:

provide sugar bowls, bottles of sauce, salt and pepper cellars rather than sachets
join the water refill networkExternal link offering to refill customer water bottles and encourage customers to bring their own reusable drinks containers
serve milk, juice and soft drinks from dispensers rather than individual cartons, bottles or cans
use minimal packaging on take-away food - no polystyrene as it will not biodegrade
organise stock rotation to reduce food wastage
control portion sizes and cook to order
make your menu smaller so there is less waste on less popular dishes
assess leftover food from catering jobs and adjust quantities if necessary

Reuse

You should:

use reusable glasses, plates, cups and cutlery
reuse packaging - use glass jars and plastic containers for storage
provide jugs of tap water rather than bottled water
donate undsold food to groups such as OlioExternal link and Too Good to GoExternal link
consider using packaging which can be returned, for example refillable takeaway cups

Recycle

You should:

arrange collection of your recyclable items and provide containers for different types of materials
used cooking oil can be collected by a reprocessor
ask suppliers to operate a return facility for crates, boxes etc
arrange for food waste to be collected and composted
print menus on 100% recycled paper

Find more tips on www.lovefoodhatewaste.com

Construction and building trade

Reduce

You should:

ask suppliers to minimise packaging and operate a pallet take-back service
when working with other tradespeople meet regularly to improve communication and reduce waste by carrying out tasks efficiently
hire rather than purchase equipment you don't use regularly

Reuse

You should:

reuse materials on site or salvage material to reuse later
soil and rubble can be reused as subsoil for landscaping
leftover masonry can be crushed and reused in driveways
waste wood can be sold or reused for future jobs
salvage items from renovations such as doors, cabinets, windows and fireplaces

Recycle

You should:

source materials with a recycled content
sell waste metal to scrap metal yards or arrange to get it collected
arrange a collection of your recyclable items and provide containers for different types of materials

Retail

Reduce

You should:

only provide plastic bags if requested
don’t over order
choose products with minimal packaging and ask suppliers to reduce packaging

Reuse

You should:

offer customers a reusable bag
return unsold goods to the supplier or donate to a reuse shop or charity
donate undsold food to groups such as OlioExternal link and Too Good to GoExternal link
reuse packaging (boxes, bubble wrap) and ask suppliers to run a take-back scheme

Recycle

You should:

source products made with recycled content or from sustainable sources
offer unused space on site to be used as a recycling centre for the community – contact us on bin.deliveries@leeds.gov.uk

Leisure and tourism

Reduce

You should:

ask suppliers to reduce delivery packaging and operate a take-back policy
join the water refill networkExternal link offering to refill customer water bottles and encourage customers to bring their own reusable drinks containers
provide drinks from dispensers rather than in individual cartons, bottles or cans
avoid providing individual sachets of sauces
cancel unwanted subscriptions and junk mail External link
avoid providing disposable cups
change towels and bedsheets on request to minimise the detergents and water used in laundry
carefully measure chemicals and cleaning products and consider eco friendly products
install motion sensor lighting in corridors and low energy lightbulbs

Reuse

You should:

use reusable glasses, plates, cups and cutlery
donate unwanted furniture and electrical items to reuse groups or charities
provide water in jugs rather than bottles or coolers
use soap or shampoo dispensers rather than individually wrapped bars or bottles

Recycle

You should:

arrange a collection of your recyclable items and provide containers for different types of materials
provide clearly labelled recycling bins in public areas
print brochures and menus on 100% recycled content paper
source products made with recycled content or from sustainable sources
arrange for food waste to be collected and composted
donate or sell unwanted textiles

Manufacturing

Reduce

You should:

design out waste at the product or process design stage
store raw materials correctly to reduce damage and contamination
organise stock rotation to reduce damage and unnecessary storage
reduce or redesign packaging to help your customers reduce their waste

Reuse

You should:

reuse packaging where possible or arrange a take back scheme with suppliers
use off cuts for alternative processes or donate to schools for craft materials
use heat created by production processes to heat other parts of the building or hot water

Recycle

You should:

keep hazardous waste seperate from other waste - reducing your disposal costs
label products or materials which can be recycled to help consumers

Printing

Reduce

You should:

consider effective ink management or use soy or water based inks
maximise use of digital substrate by using appropriate widths and optimising layout by nesting
use materials on a first in first out basis to reduce waste from products with expired shelf life
use a computerised inventory system to track your stock
store paper in an environmentally controlled area to reduce waste from damage
ask suppliers to reduce packaging

Reuse

You should:

arrange a take back scheme with suppliers
use off cuts for alternative processes or donate to schools and scrap stores for craft materials
use heat created by production processes to heat other parts of the building or hot water

Recycle

You should:

arrange a collection of your recyclable items and provide containers for different types of materials
offer customers a range of recycled paper and board for their order
contact your computer or electronics supplier - they should have a take-back scheme for waste electronic products
avoid contaminating non-hazardous waste with hazardous substances, making it all hazardous, increasing your disposal costs and making it difficult to recycle and reuse the materials
separate paper and board into different grades to receive the best price for recycling