Tips on How to Increase Waste Management Efficiency for a Small Business or Corporate Office

Every business creates waste. Even companies who plant trees create waste products in their efforts. Your average Toronto corporate office generally fixates on other priorities above management of their waste. That doesn’t mean it isn’t important.

A lot of offices in Toronto want ways to reduce waste, increase recycling, and manage the waste they have to create. As a waste disposal company, there are two pieces of advice we give on this – properly dispose of the waste you’re already creating and use alternatives to reduce the waste created.

Where are there opportunities to purpose and reuse your office business waste?

An office that wants to be smart about their waste needs relationships. A lot of larger multi-national corporations launch initiatives based off these relationships that focus on recycling and/or repurposing waste.

As a small business or independent business, the biggest opportunity there is to develop relationships that allow you to repurpose waste is by hiring a waste disposal company. Waste disposal, junk removal, dumpster, and mini bin rental companies all have partners in waste management and recycling facilities. They do this on a daily basis. They also know where to take things like electronics and furniture which can be donated.

How do I make a waste management strategy for my business?

Every corporate office, small business, or commercial establishment of any kind should have some sort of a waste disposal plan in place. A business can’t get by without it. If you want to control your office waste better, get to know the waste you’re creating and where it’s going.

A key component of a waste management plan is where you’re going to put the waste. Dumpster rentals and mini bin rentals can be advantageous for this reason. If you don’t have space for a dumpster, consider assigning a room to be your ‘waste room’ ensuring it doesn’t conflict with fire safety standards.

Throughout your office, you want to have the necessary garbage cans to collect and keep separate the waste and recycling as well.

What is the value of a waste disposal service for my business?

Core Mini Bins is a top Toronto waste disposal service with dumpsters, mini bins, junk removal, and other business-friendly services. There are several benefits to working with a waste management company like our own.

 Convenience.
 Find better ways to manage your waste.
 Reduce your impact on the environment and get the numbers to show it.
 Have a way to separate hazardous materials to ensure proper disposal.
 Have strategies to safely dispose of or recycle electronics, metals, and chemicals.
 Cost-effectiveness.
 Receive customized suggestions on a waste management plan that prioritizes landfill waste reduction.
 Get more space in your office to work with, after removing broken equipment and instituting a waste collection area.
 Ensure no fines relating to waste disposal are assigned to your business.

How can I maximize the affordability of a waste disposal plan for a business?

If you find that it’s going to cost you more to successfully manage waste through a dumpster rental, one strategy is to try and split these costs between other businesses. If you’re fortunate enough to have a business neighbour, ask to see if they want to share the expense with you.

Depending on the situation, you may need to ask a neighbour for their permission to install a dumpster on the premises anyways. If they do agree to split the costs with you, that’s instant savings on your wallet and without compromising the efficiency of your office waste management strategy.

Do I need junk removal for my Toronto business?

Increasing waste management efficiency can sometimes mean starting with a clean slate. Decluttering an office is a great way to get out the things you don’t need and start anew. Assuming there’s equipment you’re not using, computer or electronics waste that hasn’t yet been addressed, and other objects you want gone, schedule a small business Toronto junk removal.

A junk removal service will drop in and pick up everything you want to part with. Before scheduling the pick-up, give yourself the time to sort through everything in the office. Some office managers may want to allow themselves a weekend to do this. If you have office electronics, chemicals, hazardous materials, or other special items that require special consideration, mention this to the company.

What waste can be recycled in an office?

A lot of what offices produce in waste is recyclable but some waste understandably isn’t. Efforts to reduce waste in landfills from your office involve replacing non-recyclables with recyclable alternatives. Here is a quick list of office recyclables in Toronto.

 Paper products, including newspapers, cardboard, flyers, and shredded documents.
 Aluminum.
 Electronics such as televisions, computers, monitors, printers, tablets, and phones.
 Paints including most aerosols, varnishes, and stains.
 Batteries can be recycled through Home Depot or Staples.
 Fluorescent light tubes require special handling but can be recycled.

What are some strategies to use to increase office recycling?

The more you recycle, the less landfill waste you create – that’s the bottom line. If you want to own an eco-friendly, environmentally sustainable business, pro-recycling strategies should be a focus of your waste management plan. Here are our best tips on how to increase office recycling.

 Separate organics. If you have an office kitchen, have a separate trash can for food scraps, paper towels and napkins, coffee grinds and tea bags, and compostable plates and cutlery.

 Purchase inventory that is recyclable. Eliminate waste that isn’t. For example, single-use plastics relating to food packaging, straws, and plastic bags have alternatives. Be mindful of what you’re buying for the office. Ask if there’s a pro-recycling alternative that can replace it.

 Have systems in place to collect more recycling so that recyclables aren’t ending up in the trash because of there being no place to put them. Common recycling materials mistaken as waste in offices include electronics, light bulbs, batteries, printer and toner cartridges, cardboard, aluminum cans, and magazines.

 Stop buying disposable coffee cups. The average office worker in Canada uses 500 disposable cups a year. Instead of disposables, provide reusable coffee mugs and water bottles. This cuts out a huge amount of waste going into your waste stream on a daily basis.

 Encourage a paperless office environment. While few offices can go fully paperless, opt for digital communications whenever possible. Edit and proof any documents on the computer before printing. Try to print on both sides of the paper, when you do have to print. Try to switch all paperwork relating to purchasing and invoicing, memos, announcements, and internal communications to email.

Opportunities to increase office recycling exist. Are you ready to take your office waste management to the next level – call Core Mini Bins today.