4 Signs You Need to Review Your Waste Management System

Often considered the “ugly duckling” of business management, the importance of waste management can sometimes be neglected. An effective waste removal plan should optimise your business’ staff, customers, budget, and carbon footprint. Its top priority is to ensure a hygienic and tidy workspace for staff to perform their jobs well, and for customers to enjoy your facility, regardless of the industry your business is in. Like any aspect of business, your waste solution should be cost-effective, with an appropriate allocated budget.

However, one thing that isn’t always considered, waste management also affects your corporate social responsibility to the environment. A reputable provider should communicate to you how your business can achieve the most sustainable solution.

A very niche area of expertise, this can also be neglected if business owners simply don’t know much about what an effective waste solution plan entails. So, here are four things that you should know to look out for - four signs that your waste management system needs to be reviewed and refined.

1. Your bins are overflowing

While this seems like a very basic thing to be aware of, collection frequencies and bin sizes are two of the first important things to consider when optimising your rubbish system. An effective solution will prove that there is no excuse for bins being too small, for there to be an inadequate number of bins, or for collections to be infrequent, to accomodate to the amount of waste produced by your business.

It’s a system of supply and demand. Your provider should make clear to you your options for optimising your solution, which brings me to my next point.

2. Communicating with your provider is difficult

Communication with any business stakeholder is important, especially with one that requires specialised experts. As a business owner or manager, you’re not expected to know everything about effective waste management, but you’re entitled to a trusted provider communicating to you all aspects of your solution, especially since each solution is unique to each business.

It is expected that communication with your provider is consistent and open for you to ask questions to improve or better understand your solution. Clients also value customer service that is personalised, so liaising with the same expert is important to ensure they fully understand your business needs.

3. You’re unaware of your performance

You should be made aware of the efficacy of your solution. How much rubbish is your business producing? How much of that is, or can be, recycled? How does this compare to your competitors or your industry’s average? Questions like this allow you to consider the ultimate, how can your solution be improved?

Improving your solution is about managing its cost-effectiveness, as well as reducing its harm to the environment.

4. You’re producing far more general waste than recycled waste

The streams and amount of waste each that business and industry produces varies. However, you should be aware of how environmentally-friendly your rubbish and materials are.

There is often room for improvement in diverting waste from landfill by using more recyclable options. It’s worth discussing with your provider how to achieve a more eco-friendly solution, whether you’re concerned about the amount of general waste your business is producing, compared to recycled waste, or whether you’re simply unaware and curious if this can be improved.

It is a priority for waste management companies to find the most sustainable solution for you. For an example of how a significant amount of business waste can be diverted from landfill, read a testimonial from one of our happy clients about their 500% increase of waste being repurposed and recycled.

Is time you stopped neglecting your waste management plan? Speak to one of our trusted waste management experts on 1300 729 922 or visit our website to discuss how your plan can be improved.

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How to Choose the Best Waste Management Company?

How to Choose Best Waste Management Company?

Waste management is an essential, but sometimes, underrated aspect of business management. It’s a necessity that businesses must consider, and it’s important for business owners to know what to look for when determining the best rubbish removal provider. Here is a list of questions to consider.

How flexible are their services?

Each business produces a number of waste streams and has specific waste management needs. This includes bin sizes and collection frequencies. Your rubbish removal provider should tailor their solutions to your specific requirements and provide a solution for each stream of waste your business produces. Waste management services should be about convenience, and this is what you should look out for when choosing a provider.

You should also consider how reliable the company is. It’s useful to read online testimonials and reviews to determine this.

How knowledgeable are their staff?

Waste management is a fairly niche area of expertise, so it’s important that you deal with knowledgeable and experienced staff. This will allow you to get most out of your money and have the most effective waste management solution. After all, the competency of staff determines the reputation of a company.

One way to research the staff you’ll be dealing with is to search their LinkedIn profiles. Another is to set up a free consultation, which most providers allow, before signing any contracts.

How affordable are their solutions?

Last year, Victorian waste fees increased, affecting both domestic and commercial rubbish removal providers. Waste management fees can represent a sizeable expense for businesses, so there’s no doubt business owners will shop around for the most affordable option.

It’s the responsibility of the waste management provider to ensure their clients understand their options for cost-effective solutions. They should also be transparent with their clients when discussing how best to tackle Victoria’s waste fee increase and provide prices and the quality of services that clients are happy to pay for.

How much do they care about sustainability?

In a society so environmentally aware, a company’s corporate social responsibility significantly affects its reputation. This is especially relevant for waste management companies, as their work directly affects the environment.

You should ensure that your provider acts ethically and provides you with sustainable solutions that increase your recycling rate and reduce your landfill contribution. The best provider is one that cares about both the environment and the quality of services they offer to their clients.

Nationwide Waste Solutions is a leading waste management company in Australia. With over 15 years experience, we guarantee solutions that consider sustainability, convenience, and affordability. For more information, give us a call on 1300 729 922 or contact us here.

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Waste Management for Schools and Universities – You’re in Safe Hands

A school or university’s top priority is providing a safe and adequate environment for learning. Although waste management isn’t the first thing you think of, it plays an important role in creating a clean and comfortable education facility. Waste management is a necessity that every facility has to handle, and it’s about allowing students and staff to learn and work in a hygienic and inviting environment.

Waste management in schools and universities should be handled by both the education facility itself, and its waste management provider. To make things easy, we’ve put together our three E’s on how to effectively handle waste in your school.

Here’s what you should consider:

Educate:

A school’s waste management practices and solutions are only as good as the people practicing it (and the waste management company providing it comes a close second). That means that it’s the staff and student’s responsibility to make sure rubbish is thrown in the correct bins.

A school should incorporate an efficient waste and recycling system into their policy, and make this known to both staff and students through meetings, posters and general awareness. This should include, not only how to recycle, but why recycling and waste segregation is important for the facility and environment beyond school grounds.

Encourage:

For the convenience of students and staff, it’s important to have an adequate amount of bins around the school. For example, bins should be placed on each floor or level, in every classroom and office space area, and in each section of the outdoor school yard.

It’s a no brainer that this simply encourages everyone to participate in effective rubbish disposal by allowing there to be facilities to do so. It also greatly minimises the chances of people littering.

Evaluate:

Schools should work with their waste management provider on the logistics of handling waste. This includes:

• Budget and costs
• Collection frequencies
• The size of the lift waste bins
• What bins are needed to tackle each stream of waste
• Where to place the different types of bins

Considering that schools and universities are massive facilities, it’s important to implement the most cost-effective waste management solution in their budget. The size of the school will also determine what sizes are required for the lift waste bins and how often the waste gets collected.

Schools and universities produce a number of different waste streams, and this should be considered with what bins are needed and where to put them.

Classrooms should be equipped with regular bins and paper recycling bins.

Libraries need paper recycling bins, mostly. If your school library permits eating, then regular waste bins are required as well.

Admin/Office Space should be equipped with e-waste recycling bins for ink cartridges, paper and cardboard recycling bins, and regular bins.

Cafeterias and Outdoor Yards should have regular bins, food compost bins, and can and hard plastic recycling bins.

Additionally, washroom services are required.

It’s important to tackle every waste stream that schools produce to ensure sustainable disposal practices.

When evaluating the logistics of a good waste management plan, you want to work with a reputable provider. At Nationwide Waste Solutions, we create collaborative, sustainable and cost-effective solutions for your education facility. Speak to one of our waste management experts on 1300 729 922 or request a free quote today.

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How to Dispose of Hazardous Waste?

 

Safe waste management practices are important, however it is even more critical to manage hazardous waste effectively. Hazardous waste is often filled with chemicals that can cause harm to both the environment and human health. If not disposed of and handled correctly, these chemicals can cause hazardous waste problems and can leach into the environment and waterways, causing contamination.

What is hazardous waste?

Most businesses inevitably produce hazardous waste. Examples include solvent-based paints, pesticides, batteries, and cleaning chemicals. Some hazardous waste is specific to its industry. This includes petrol, motor oils and kerosene, which are mostly produced in automotive businesses.

For More information of ways to dispose Hazardous Waste, read here.

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Turning Australia’s Waste Into Energy

Australians trust that our waste will be disposed of appropriately. Although most don’t understand the nitty gritty behind our waste management solutions, the least we know is that our general and recycled waste is taken care of in an ethical and environmentally friendly manner.

However, one of the world’s most eco-friendly solutions to waste management is still causing debate in Australia. That is, the solution to turn our waste into energy.

But before we dive into this waste-to-energy method, Harry Van Moorst, community activist from the Western Region Environment Centre, stresses that there is a “waste hierarchy” to consider first. According to Moorst, our top two priorities regarding eco-friendly waste management, concerns the general Australian public.

The first is to consciously reduce our waste. Naturally, a reduction in the average Australian’s waste consumption will reduce our overall waste crisis. Waste reduction can be achieved with simple practices such as ditching plastic shopping bags, using a keep cup for your morning coffees, and packing your children’s school lunch in tupperware, rather than cling wrap.

The second priority is to recycle. There is a particular emphasis on knowing how and what to recycle. This includes focusing on clean paper, cardboard, hard plastics, glass and aluminium. It is just as important to understand what can’t be recycled, as it is to understand what can be. For example, materials contaminated by food (such as greasy pizza boxes) cannot be recycled.

The third solution to consider regarding eco-friendly waste management is out of our hands (that is, the hands of the general Australian public). Instead, it’s in the hands of our government. Moorst reasons that “our waste is better off going to a waste-to-energy plant than to landfill.”

Rather than piling up in landfill, a waste-to-energy solution involves burning the waste in incineration systems as a fuel to generate energy.

What can we learn from other countries?

Turning Waste Into Energy

Sweden, one of the world’s leading nations in effective waste disposal, first adopted this solution in the 1940s. With over 34 waste-to-energy plants currently in operation, Sweden diverts approximately four million tonnes of waste from landfill each year. Two million of that is their own waste, and the other two million is imported from neighbouring countries, such as the United Kingdom, that pay Sweden to get rid of their rubbish.

Considering Australia’s waste crisis, especially after China’s recent waste ban, it is reasonable to question why a country like Sweden would want to take another country’s waste.

Sweden is able to recycle approximately half their waste and burn 49% for energy, which generates electricity for a majority of the country. In addition to diverting almost all landfill waste and providing sustainable energy solutions to their residents, Sweden also makes about $100 million a year from this trade with other countries.

While I’m not suggesting Australia should take responsibility for other country’s rubbish, it’s important to consider the sustainable benefits of turning a liability, such as waste, into an asset, such as energy.

So, why is this causing debate in Australia?

Most Australian’s argue that the solution reminds them of backyard incinerators that were commonly used in the 1960s. What once encouraged families and neighbours to socialise, backyard incinerators were banned over 40 years ago due their contribution to pollution and poor air quality. Most of those against the waste-to-energy solution are concerned about their health.

However, our government wouldn’t consider reintroducing the practice of burning our rubbish if it had such a negative affect today. It’s important to consider that times have changed and more advanced technology and solutions have been discovered that contribute to this renewed method to convert rubbish from landfill. It’s also important to consider that this global method of using incinerators is not the same as it was in the 60s. It’s not just a backyard solution anymore, and it’s now handled by professionals in the waste management and environment industries.

What is Australia’s progress so far?

Despite debates, Australia is slowly introducing this waste management method and currently operating about 30 waste-to-energy projects, most of which are confined to small incinerators.

Australia’s first large scale project of the sort is the Kwinana Waste to Energy facility, located just outside Perth. A $668 million renewable energy project, the facility is expected to officially open by the end of 2021.

The plant will divert up to 400,000 tonnes of waste from landfill each year, which is approximately one quarter of Perth’s post recycling rubbish. It is also expected to convert the waste into enough energy to power 50,000 homes and contribute to the Australian Federal Government’s national target of diverting 80% of our waste from landfill by 2030.

While there are a number of eco-friendly ways that we, as the general Australian public, can dispose of our waste (such as recycling), a waste-to-energy solution is a part of the bigger picture for Australia to consider. According to Federal Energy and Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg, waste to energy has to be part of the solution to dispose of our rubbish ethically and reduce landfill.


Nationwide Waste Solutions is your trusted waste management company. We prioritise finding the most sustainable solution to tackle your waste and recycling management needs. For more information about our services, call us on 1300 729 922 or contact us here.

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Environmentally Friendly Ways to Recycle Unwanted Papers

Recycling is one of the simplest and most effective ways to achieving a sustainable environment. We find ourselves accumulating piles of unwanted paper, and more often than not, it’s at our office workplaces. Here are some ways to dispose of those unwanted papers in an environmentally friendly way.

Office Recycling Bin

Think about one of the most common places that unwanted papers accumulate. It’s most likely your office work space! Often, office employees have stacks of paper accumulating on their desk, and it’s these same papers thrown into an un-orderly pile that are probably never going to be looked at again.

The most convenient way to get rid of them is to have an office recycling bin, or multiple bins if you work in a large office space. The most sensible places to put these bins are next to the photocopiers and printers. It’s also sensible for each employee to have a small recycling bin under their desk.

Office recycling bins give employees an easy, central point to dispose of all of their unwanted papers. Having enough bins and placing them in convenient spots, allows you to dispose of the papers straight away. This is a very simple way to encourage an easy transition into a more environmentally friendly workplace.

Not only is this beneficial to the environment, it creates a far more tidy and productive work space for people.

Secure Document Destruction Service

Depending on the nature of the business, some companies must safely store and sometimes, destroy confidential documents. Often, the most convenient way to achieve this is to go straight to your waste management company for a secure document destruction solution.

Not only will the waste management company know how to destroy the unwanted documents without breaching confidentiality, they will also ensure that it is done so in an environmentally friendly manner. As this process takes a little bit more consideration than regular recycling, it’s helpful to know that your waste management company can handle it all for you.

Secure document destruction solutions can come in a variety of container sizes depending on your business’ needs. Additionally, this solution is especially useful if you have too many documents to simply be shredded.

• Shred it

Using a shredder is another effective way to recycle unwanted papers. Firstly, shredders are useful to destroy confidential documents, considering you don’t have many to get rid of and a complete secure document destruction solution isn’t necessary.

However, there are also many other efficient ways to make use of unwanted shredded paper in the workplace. If your business ships goods from a warehouse, consider replacing your packaging material or void filler with the shredded paper accumulated in the office. Reusing this paper allows your business to save resources and reduce waste. Not to mention that the shredded paper is likely to be a more environmentally friendly void filler than your existing one, such as foam or pieces of polystyrene void filler.

• Donate it

Shredding and reusing unwanted papers is still effective even if you can’t find a use for it in your workplace. That’s because there are many more creative ways to use it. Rather than going straight in the recycling bin, shredded paper can be donated to people who could make use of it, to help reduce overall waste. For example, shredded paper can be used by people who are moving houses, to help pack and move items safely. It can also be used as mulch for those who enjoy gardening. Another alternative is for it to be donated to your local op shop and used as packaging for fragile items such as glassware. Instead of recycling unwanted papers straight away, consider what other uses shredded paper could be effective for.

• Use less paper

A big part of being sustainable is saving resources or getting the best use of out them so that they’re not going to waste. Using less paper to begin with, reduces the need to recycle as much.

A simple way to achieve this in the workplace by printing and photocopying on both sides of the paper when documents have multiple pages. This reduces your paper consumption by half - a simple, yet significant solution.

Outdoor recycling containers

Many workplaces consider outdoor recycling containers a highly effective way to recycle documents. Offices can allocate a staff member at the end of each day to be responsible for collecting the recycling bins and disposing of them in the outdoor containers. However, this can also be done by the office cleaner.

Bulk waste removal has many benefits, including the reduced number of collection frequencies. On a side note, this also reduces transport emission from the collection trucks, making this an even more environmentally friendly solution.

Waste management businesses offer a variety of sizes for both front and rear bins, as well are flexible collection frequencies.

Co-mingled recycling

Another efficient way to recycle unwanted papers is to use a co-mingling solution. Co-mingled recycling is a solution that allows you to mix paper with other recyclables, such as bottles, cans, cartons, cardboard and certain types of plastics.

Some people consider this a far more cost-effective and easier recycling method, to encourage an eco friendly waste solution.

At Nationwide Waste Solutions, we offer recycling solutions to suit your needs, including office bins, secure document destruction, co-mingled recycling bins, and bulk waste removal. For more information about how we can help conveniently encourage your business to be more environmentally friendly, call us at 1300 729 922 or contact us here.

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6 Easy Ideas to Reduce Office Waste

In today’s society, corporate social responsibility is a standard business practice. Often, these efforts include implementing eco-friendly policies into the workplace. Most businesses prioritise reducing their carbon footprint. Not only does this help save the environment, but it also makes businesses appear more favourable to an environmentally aware consumer base. Regardless of the reason for doing so, introducing eco-friendly practices in the workplace is a crucial as ever. For businesses only just introducing such practices, it is best to start small. In fact, there are a number of basic practices that can have a great impact on the environment in the long-run.

Here are 6 easy ways to reduce waste in the office.

1.          Keep a bin within an arm’s reach

There’s no doubt that the easiest way to protect the environment is to recycle, especially in a workplace where paper makes up most of the waste. Be sure to equip your office with an adequate amount of recycling bins. This includes placing small bins under each desk, so that it’s within an arm’s reach, as well as providing a larger, centralised bin in the office.

Having a recycling bin within an arm’s reach of each employee simply makes it more convenient to dispose of waste instantly, without compromising on productivity by wasting work time. It’s likely that office staff will go through piles of paper each day, and makes it easier to dispose of unwanted documents.

2. Print smarter

Recycling is essential, and printing smarter allows your office to produce less waste. Most businesses are aiming to go paperless. This is a reasonable option, considering that most documents can be stored digitally now.

Encourage your staff to print only the most necessary documents. Before doing so, edit each document digitally, to avoid printing unnecessary copies.

For documents that must be printed, be sure to set your printing default to double sided. Some official documents may require specific margins, however where possible, use narrower margins and spacing. Not only does this save paper, but it also save ink costs.

3. Reuse office supplies

‘Reduce, reuse, recycle’ is a slogan that has been embedded into the memory of the Australian public for as long as I can remember. It’s simple, but effective.

A great way to reduce office waste is to reuse folders, binders and other office supplies each year. Get into the habit of not throwing away supplies until they are absolutely of no use (in other words, broken).

It’s helpful to keep an organised cupboard of supplies that may be needed in the future, even if they’re not being used at the moment.

Again, this tip reduces both waste and office expenses.

4. Gift employees with reusable coffee cups and water bottles

Although paper is probably the most common waste in an office but it’s not the only type. Think about other ways that your employees produce waste at work, even if it isn’t directly linked to work.

It’s likely that your staff will bring a drink bottle to work or have a cup of coffee each morning. Encourage your staff to use reusable bottles and coffee cups by setting an example yourself. These products make excellent corporate gifts to give to your employees especially at Christmas. Staff can show off these products customised with your company logo.

Encouraging simple eco-friendly practices in the workplace is a sure way to have an influence on your employees, even outside of work. This can cause a small but significant rippling effect, which will have a positive impact on the environment.

5. Use real dishes in the office kitchen

Similarly, you can use real dishes in the office kitchen, either by providing some or encouraging staff to bring some. This tip is especially useful for workplace parties, when you would normally use disposable plates and cutlery.

Since disposable dishes get dirty with food, they’re harder (or sometimes impossible) to recycle. So rather than producing recycled waste, they’re likely to produce an abundance of general waste. Although a basic tip, it is sure to increase your businesses environmental awareness.

At Nationwide Waste Solutions, we provide recycling and general waste services, including office recycling bins and office rubbish removal. To enquire, call us on 1300 729 922 or contact us here.

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