5 Solutions Australian Businesses are Committing to for Maximized Waste Management

Effective waste management has stopped being a nice-to-boast achievement among Australian businesses – regardless of industry, Australian managers are legally required to ensure their business operates within the legal norms when it comes to how they handle trash and surpluses. Australia didn’t use to be famous for how it handles business waste, but in 2019, mainly, a disastrous event caused the government to step up these efforts. 19MN hectares were burnt during what’s known as the “Black Summer”, with mainly bushland and forest at loss. About 3,094 households were ruined, 33 lives were lost, and the damage count doesn’t end here – all of which raised serious concerns over how all entities approach carbon emission release and handling, to say the least.

Fast forward to today, and businesses are going the extra mile to improve their waste management, with many being offered customized action plans from local councils and positive examples from other good establishments in their niche. Wondering what you can start doing today to enter the ranks of the businesses that actually act on their promises of being greener? The following sections might offer you the needed inspo. So, let’s dive in.

Waste management apps

It’s easy to gaslight yourself into thinking that halving your enterprise’s, say, electric waste, can only result in energy and capital uselessly spent when 22 kg of e-waste per capita is spent each year by Australia, all the more since not even 20% of ASX 200 companies concern themselves with this reality. The power of the example could be stronger in this regard, indeed, but have you considered taking the lead and being one of the earliest to completely change this game of ignorance? Australian businesses generate millions of tons of industrial and commercial waste annually, despite the hefty fines and public backlash they risk incurring. For businesses like yours, efficient waste management should be as much about avoiding penalties as it is about streamlining operations, slashing disposal expenses, and demonstrating corporate and ethical responsibility.

Many companies are now integrating waste management solutions into their sustainability plans, recognizing that there are social and economic benefits to be gained. Many have turned to corporate waste management apps like Recycle Mate, which relies on AI to spot items and offer location-based disposal guidance, as well as other apps, such as Wasteinfo from Port Macquarie Hastings Council.

Good waste management improves your business’s environmental footprint and contributes to reducing GHG emissions, and venture-wise, it will help you resonate more with modern buyers, stakeholders, and employees, to name a few pros. First comes understanding, then the plan’s formulation; and finally, you take action.

Waste management software

You’ll need to conduct a waste audit to know where your business stands, assessing the volumes and types of generated waste, its origins, and how it has been dealt with so far. A waste audit, for instance, may reveal that a significant portion of your venture’s waste originates from items such as packages, paper, and boxes. Knowing this, you can reach out to specialists in cardboard and paper waste reduction, implement specific programs like paper reduction policies, and boost your recycling activity. How do you get to that specialist? By using waste management software, you can shed light on your business’s strong and weak points.

By understanding where waste originates, you can develop a plan. Paper is easier to get rid of, but what do you do if much of your waste is hard-to-pickup waste? An app with waste management software, such as the widespread Sustain Me and Recycle Smart may help you improve your success rates, offering pickup services for the items that are tougher to recycle, directly from your business door. This is another example of helpful action, but your plan should really focus on your business’s real needs – right after you discover what your audit reveals.

Waste balers and compactors

More and more Australian businesses are integrating waste balers and compactors such as those provided by Miltek Australia into their trash management strategies. In simple terms, a baler is a machine that compresses trash into bales, which can be more easily stored, recycled, or even sold, facilitating transportation and handling costs and freeing up a lot of warehouse space. They’re ideal for items like plastics, cardboard, textiles, and other recyclables, and fit for businesses in manufacturing, retail, delivery, and so on.

A waste compactor, on the other hand, is suitable for general waste, whether mixed or non-recyclable, such as general surplus or food-contaminated trash – one that’s to be compressed into smaller volumes compared to its counterpart’s results. It reduces volumes and waste collections alongside disposal costs, as the resulting bins or blocks are much easier to do away with.

Ask yourself what type of waste should be disposed of more easily and affordably, and whether recyclable or non-recyclable refuse makes up the larger part. Do you have both in significant volumes? You may want to consider using a baler for recyclables and a compactor for non-recyclables. Customer-devoted businesses won’t force their products onto you but will offer you the chance to test a baler or compactor once and know for a fact whether you want to commit financially or not.

Staff-oriented campaigns and training

Waste management is done right when employees are informed and engaged. Many Australian ventures are reaching out to specialists in awareness-raising campaigns, and benefit from workshops, incentivization programs, and other tailored services to motivate employees to adopt sustainable practices.

Consider offering training on proper recycling practices, along with practical tips to make waste handling easier and more sustainable. You can also organize competitions that reward the employees who get the most involved. When there’s a tangible incentive on the table, staff are far more likely to participate actively – helping you achieve your broader waste management goals. It only takes reaching out to the right professional.

Digital and tech tools

Technology is a godsend in waste management; Australian businesses are increasingly employing digital tools to monitor waste streams, recycling rates, and collection optimization schedules.

Your business might benefit from some smart bins, sensors, and data analytics programs, allowing you to spot and approach shortcomings and predict waste generation trends in the future. This is waste management turned proactive!

Many businesses establish internal sustainability targets, like zero-waste goals or completely recyclable product packages. Taking examples from Australia’s leading companies in terms of waste management will help you better align with the growing share of customers and stakeholders who care profoundly about the business’s impact, even more than the price of the service or product itself.