Landfill has nearly had its fill

As society continues to take the attitude of “why repair it when you can buy a new one,” our landfills are reaching capacity at an increasing rate. At some point, there will be no more room to bury our waste.

As the supply of landfill space decreases, the cost of sending our general rubbish there will accordingly increase. Everything that your business puts in the general rubbish bin is a financial, as well as environmental, cost. It is worthwhile putting into place some strategies now to reduce your waste stream.

It is currently estimated that by 2016, all of Sydney’s landfill will be full and that the two million tonnes of waste produced annually by the city will have to be transported via train for 250 kilometres to be dumped.

Whist regional areas may have more capacity to take this waste, it is inevitable that space will decrease and disposal costs will increase in these regions too. Ideas to help reduce your waste stream, save money and avoid filling our landfills are:

Separating recyclables

To reduce your waste, make sure you take out all the things that could be separated and recycled. Have separate bins for paper and cardboard, metals, oily rags, oil filters and bumper bars. You will have to pay to have your paper and cardboard taken away, but you should be able to be paid by a scrap metal company to have those materials picked up.

For contact details of companies that will provide removal and recycling services for some or all of these wastes, visit the Green Stamp website www.greenstamp.mtansw.com.au and click on “Product and Service Directory”.

Any old printer cartridges can easily be recycled through the Planet Ark cartridge collection. The cartridges are sorted and dismantled so that every component is reused or recycled, meaning zero waste is created. There are drop off points at Dick Smith Electronics, Harvey Norman, Office Works, Australia Post and Tandy. It couldn’t be easier. If your workplace uses more than three inkjet or toner cartridges or toner bottles each month, then it could be eligible to have a collection box onsite. Check www.planetark.com.au for details.

Compost food scraps

Starting a compost bin is another good way to reduce your general waste. It might seem like more trouble than it’s worth, but all of the food waste that is put into your general waste and collected by a waste disposal company costs you money. Especially if you have a lot of staff and you have the room, this is something that could really be of benefit.

Also, the compost that you make could be used for any garden areas you have out the front, or you could bag it and give it to staff to take home for their gardens. You don’t even have to buy a compost bin – use some old tyres in a stack to do the same job.

Dispose of e-waste properly

Computers, phones, printers and other electrical goods are quickly being updated and replaced. When this occurs, there are some better options than just throwing them in the bin. Not only do these items add a lot of bulk to your general waste, but they often contain toxins that shouldn’t be put into landfill.

Any large electronic waste (e-waste) items should be disposed of either through the local council (if the council offers a recycling service) or through an e-waste company (there are many advertised on the internet). Small items, such as mobile phones, can be dropped off for recycling through Mobile Muster at many locations, visit www.mobilemuster.com.au to find a drop off point near you. 4.48 million handsets and batteries have been processed by Mobile Muster since it started.

Reduce your garbage

Creating less waste in the first place will mean you have less to throw out. Logical enough, but hard to put into practice. It means making sure we print double-sided, email instead of fax or post, using reusable instead of plastic cups and finding ways to reuse items that might otherwise be thrown out. There are a million ways to achieve this, and a great way to figure out these ways is to dedicate some time in your next toolbox meeting or staff meeting and ask for input.

All of these ideas are cost-free, easy ways to reduce the amount of waste that your business produces. Set a goal and see if you can reduce the frequency that your bin is full and needs to be picked up by the waste company. With the dual benefit of saving money and reducing the environmental impact of your business, taking a careful look at your waste is really worthwhile.

Contributed by Sophie Luttrell

Environmental Manager, Motor Traders’ Association of NSW.