Business Recycling Guide
Your options for business waste
The RECAP Your options for business waste provides a quick reference guide to your options for business waste. The purpose of this leaflet is to:
- Provide businesses with knowledge to improve their waste management practices
- Help businesses reduce costs and increase competitiveness, through reducing, reusing and recycling their waste
This resource was developed by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Waste Partnership, with the support of the Business Resource Efficiency and Waste Programme funding.
RECAP guide to managing business waste
The RECAP guide to managing business waste provides a self-auditing guide for your business waste. The purpose of this guide is to:
- Provide practical knowledge and examples to help Small Medium Enterprises improve their waste management practices
- Help businesses reduce costs and increase competitiveness, while improving their environmental performance
This resource was developed by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Waste Partnership, with support of the Business Resource Efficiency and Waste Programme funding.
The waste hierarchy
Waste costs money, typically up to 4% of business turnover, and by finding ways to reduce waste, your company could become more profitable. Following the waste hierarchy helps to identify different options by ranking them in order of environmental impact. Start at the top of the hierarchy to eliminate all waste where possible.
1. Eliminate
Eliminating waste entirely may not always be possible, but by not creating it in the first place it reduces the cost of raw materials.
2. Reduce
Reducing the amount of waste you produce can be achieved in a number of ways, including the amount of packing used, reducing off-cuts and rejects, sending information electronically, purchasing material in bulk and using returnable containers.
3. Re-use
To limit the extra spend of buying items in, many can be re-used to reduce waste. For example:
- Packaging - boxes can be re-used many times
- Printer toner cartridges - choose a supplier that has a returns policy so that they can be re-filled and used again
- Paper - re-use paper from misprints and drafts as scrap paper
- Drums - many raw materials are delivered in drums that can be washed and returned to the supplier, or re-used on site as waste containers
- Furniture and textiles - waste furniture and textiles may be of use to charities or to waste exchange groups
4. Recycle
Recycling is an increasing requirement through legislation in order to reduce the impact on the environment. Many items can now be recycled, speak to your local authority business waste recycling service provider or local waste management contractors to find out what services are provided.
5. Disposal
Disposal is the last resort when the other hierarchy options have been exhausted. There are legal obligations that all producers and handlers of waste need to comply with.
