In today’s climate of unprecedented uncertainty, the most risky thing an organisation can do is to stay on the same course. Waste management has its costs, but far more costly is the price of doing nothing. 

Poor waste management is expensive. There are incurring costs that quickly stockpile, and opportunities for valuable reinvention that fall between the cracks.  Business leaders today simply have to interrogate their current waste management strategy, and set a plan in place that will safeguard their sustainable future. They must know the costs involved in managing waste, and be empowered as decision makers to optimise their waste processes. 

But where do you start? We have put together a comprehensive list of what we think you should know before choosing a waste provider. The aim is to inform and assist you in navigating the way forward, so that you, and the planet,  are better off for the smart choices you’ve made.

How does waste management affect your bottom line?

Quite simply, it costs to mess. A poor waste management system – one that lacks recycling innovation and cost-savings strategies – will definitely dent your bottom line. You will not only pay by way of punitive taxation for every load to landfill, including transport, fuel and cleanup costs; you will miss out on the opportunity to widen the scope for out-the-box alternatives that will save you money and generate fresh revenue. 

Key costs you can incur from not managing your waste

 

There are a number of different ways your costs increase when waste management lacks a strategy. Costs could include:

1. Lost opportunity

Much of what we consider to be ‘throwaway’ can be converted into a valuable commodity. E-waste is just one example. When properly extracted, its minerals can generate large volumes of raw materials needed for new recycled products. Organic waste is another example. Food waste from canteens and pause areas can easily be composted on site, which can reduce your disposal costs and help move your company towards zero waste.

2. Lost production time

If all the components of production are not in happy sync, they can hinder the process, waste time and generate unnecessary waste. If production scheduling is not integrated and streamlined, you will jeopardise efficiency and overall cash flow. 

3. Unmonitored processing

Subpar waste management can breed a whole host of liabilities, like extra clean-up costs and energy over-expenditure. Mismanaged or untracked practices around storage, treatment, and disposal can incur heaps of costs over time. Offcuts in the production cycle, for example, should be redirected into a circular economy. But failing to do so squanders potential value and hinders any innovative momentum. 

4. Poor communication strategy

Regardless of how genius your corporate waste reduction strategy may be, if your people don’t understand it and are not living it, it’s a dud strategy. The only way an organisation can make long-lasting, effective change is if every staff member can own and articulate the vision. Your waste reduction strategy has to be consistent, visible, and simple to understand.

And of course there are just some cold hard costs for moving all that trash around. The more rubbish you generate the more you can expect to pay on the following penalties:

5. Fuel surcharge

Part of your waste removal fees are your fuel (and other transport-related) costs. Naturally, the more loads of waste that need removing, the more you’ll pay.

6. Landfill disposal fee

Your waste management provider needs to pay heavy tariffs to dump your garbage in those landfills. So you will subsidise those costs, based on an agreed rate per tonnage of waste.

Clean up

You spill it, you pay for it. As simple as that; and the costs can be sizable.

Taxes

Just like your organisation, your service provider is keeping due diligence by reporting to the Department of Environmental Affairs and paying the necessary taxes (including SA’s new Carbon Tax on the horizon). Your partnership helps subsidise those taxes.

 

5 ways you can make money from your waste 

1. Up your recycling

Rather than paying for your waste to be dumped at landfill, companies like WastePlan pay you for every kilogramme of material recovered through effective recycling. A good service provider’s job is to extract as much value as possible from your waste, and to source the right buyer for your recyclables. The more you recycle, the greater your rebate and the lighter your load to landfill.

2. Prioritise on-site waste management 

In order to optimise the value of your waste processes, it’s vital to operate at the source where waste is produced. When waste is managed on site, a team of trained sorters can ensure that everything possible is being recycled and nothing of potential value is lost to landfill. Good on-site waste management also keeps you compliant with local legislation and ensures your business operates above board when regulations shift.  

3. Get opportunistic

There are so many recyclable markets opening up today. Get creative; find new ways to redirect your waste from the wheelie bin and back into the circular economy. It could be the food waste from your local canteen, or those old computers you planned to throw away in the office. Whatever it may be, don’t doubt the potential to turn old resources into new profit. Companies like WastePlan can help link you with the right third party provider. 

4. Track your waste 

It’s vital to understand your processes, and how they interplay in the big picture view of your company’s operations. Are your systems effectively working together to maximise profit and minimise your carbon footprint? With a full sustainable reporting service in place, you can monitor the progress of your waste removal on a daily basis, and keep your finger on the company pulse. 

5. Commit to Zero Waste

To adopt a zero waste approach, every aspect of your business needs to be interrogated, adapted and aligned under the banner of your sustainability goals. Rerouting your rubbish will save you the costs (and regulatory red tape) of waste management and disposal. Better use of core resources like water and energy will improve profitability and slice costs. 

But improving your organisation’s sustainability can also boost your corporate image and positively engage employees. Customers want to see that companies are serious about sustainability. Zero Waste means you can market and brand your business as being “green”; in turn, improving your brand loyalty and reputation.

Waste management can be profitable when well executed, in partnership with a reliable waste management provider. With the right tools and information to empower the process, alongside the professionalism and committed partnership of trusted waste service providers, your waste management experience can be a rewarding one. 

Contact us to see how we can help you boost your profits and safeguard your business. Alternatively, take a waste gap analysis to see how your company currently performs.

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