Waste Management

All organizations consume large quantities of materials of all kinds: paper, paint and cleaning products and many more. Most of these products generate waste, much of which ends up at a landfill site or sorting centre. To avoid the profusion of separate initiatives with no overall vision, it is suggested that you adopt a waste management policy and/or waste management plan.

First, find out what types of waste collection services are available in your community: recycling, composting and so on. Then consider the following before launching any new initiatives:

• Keep track of how many bags of garbage your organization generates per week. Are there any opportunities to reduce this quantity? Set a target and work towards it
• Assess how much of your trash could be diverted through recycling or composting
• How much of your waste is connected to purchasing decisions? It may be time to reevaluate and order less¹
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1. Waste characterization

2. Reduce, reuse, recycle and reclaim (4Rs)

A. Reduce at the source
B. Reuse
C. Recycle
D. Reclaim

3. Electronic components and devices

4. Construction materials

5. Restaurant waste

6. References and tools

¹Green your Business: Toolkit for Tourism Operators, p57