You’d be forgiven for thinking that when your bag of rubbish leaves the office, it’s no longer your problem. After all, waste isn’t exactly the most glamorous of your business operations.

Only, that might not be true. As well as being a critical way to reduce your carbon footprint and overall impact on the planet, properly managing your waste can also help you reap a whole host of benefits.

And these benefits have never been so critical. The UK’s waste is having a hugely detrimental effect on the planet, with the latest figures showing we generate 222.2 million tonnes of total waste a year.

Most of that waste (including 55% of all waste from households) is not recycled, meaning it finds its way into polluting landfills or clogs our skies through incineration, putting strain on our environment and our infrastructure.

What does that mean for businesses? Well, business waste encompasses a wide variety of categories, from food and organic waste to packaging, paper, and hazardous materials. So the challenge is understanding where your waste comes from, and how to ensure you’re disposing of it in the most effective way.

And that’s where the benefits come in, such as meaningful action to deliver against your ESG goals, and rebates for materials such as cardboard and paper.

After all, they say one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. Let’s take a look at how you can make that treasure your own.

 

The pressure to reduce waste

As we look to 2024, there is plenty for businesses to keep track of when it comes to waste. For example, any business producing packaging will now need to collect and report data on the amount and type of packaging that they place on the market in England, according to the new Packaging Waste (Data Reporting) (England) Regulations 2023.

So what does that mean for you as a business? It means it's time to take action. 

One way to do that is through working with a waste management partner. These are experts in waste disposal and can help you find better ways to sort and manage your waste. For example, implementing segregation schemes to ensure recyclables and valuable metals don’t make their way to landfill.

But this can also be done yourself. Investment in clearly signposted and separate recycling bins, or waste compactors that can turn your cardboard waste into more manageable bales, can make incremental improvements to how you process you waste.

The key is making sure you’re equipped with the best tools to make the most of your waste, and that you can do it with financing that works for you.

 

Your trash, your treasure

The key words on every business-owners’ mind in 2024 will be maximizing cash flow. In such uncertain economic times, it’s crucial to shore up your bottom line with cost savings and efficiencies.

Waste can provide those savings, when treated right. So it makes sense to explore the options available to you to maximise the potential of your waste.

At GRENKE, we have over 30 years’ experience matching businesses to the latest equipment they need. Through Leasing, you can invest in the tools to understand, collect, separate, and dispose of your waste in a more efficient way.

And this doesn’t involve upfront costs. Asset financing means you can spread the cost of this over monthly instalments, helping you make the most of more sustainable waste management without damaging your bottom line.

In fact, it can even boost the UK economy. From our new ‘Lease of Life’ report, we found that Leasing boosts Gross Value Added (GVA*) to the economy by an estimated £949 million per annum.

Manage your waste correctly, and you can also unlock the benefits of recycling rebates. These valuable boosts to your business’ cash flow are programs where customers get money back from waste management companies for providing recyclable rubbish. They depend on materials being correctly sorted and cleaned, which is why businesses often rely on third-parties to help.

The experts use equipment such as compliant hazardous waste disposal pods, balers, and compactors to ensure you get the most of your waste. And by talking to someone like us, you’ll be able to make the most of that expert equipment with financing you can manage.

 

The future of waste management

From smart bins with infrared sensors to detect and automatically sort your waste to 3D printing and pyrolysis that converts plastic into fuel, new innovations are helping businesses across all sectors to do more with their waste.

But prevention is also crucial. New policies are encouraging businesses to go to the source of their waste, and do more to understand how they make more sustainable choices to reduce their impact.

It’s not surprising if this all sounds a little overwhelming. After all, you’re focused on helping your business grow, not on what it disposes of.

We can help you take the pressure off, providing you with the equipment that will improve your waste streams so you’re free to focus on your ambitions. It all starts with getting the expert advice, to take the right steps.

So what are you waiting for? Learn more about how GRENKE can help take the pressure off by exploring our website today.