The corporate world is now more competitive than ever before. That means that companies all over the planet are continually searching for ways to reduce costs. One way major ways to accomplish this is by reducing as much waste as possible.
Reducing waste is a quick and efficient way to lower overhead, and it's something that your company can start doing immediately without spending hours in meetings or forming committees.
What can you reduce to start saving money while also helping the environment? Keep reading to discover 10 top insight into how to make your workplace less wasteful.
1. Offer Incentives for Carpooling
The commute to and from work is one of the biggest wastes of energy on the planet. After all, millions of cars on the road wastes more gas than necessary, pumps tons of toxic exhaust fumes into the air. Commuting also results in incredible wear and tear on highways in every community.
Carpooling is the perfect way to remedy much of this waste of precious resources. It might feel like an annoyance and inconvenience at first, but carpooling is actually a great way to build relationships with peers from work.
Employees might not seem enthusiastic about this idea, thus the need to implement incentives that will show them the benefits of riding together rather than driving separate vehicles.
2. Go Paperless
It's no secret that businesses have always consumed a huge amount of paper products. From copy paper to note pads to computer print outs, most companies waste tons of paper in a wide range of forms.
Fortunately, technology has made it possible to greatly reduce paper consumption. Most communication, reports and other documentation can be used electronically rather than in print.
Mobile devices have made the communication of important data incredibly fast, efficient, and easy, without the need for cutting down trees.
A paperless office is especially important when you consider the fact that most paper documents are only used for less than a day before being discarded or recycled.
3. Go Solar
The vast majority of energy consumption is a waste. From lights to computers and other types of electronic devices, and even heating sources, an incredible amount of resources are required to keep businesses up and running.
Many companies have begun to make the transition from traditional energy sources to green sources such as solar and wind.
Green energy holds many benefits for companies willing to embrace alternative means of keeping the lights on. For example, significant tax breaks are offered by the federal government for making the switch to energy sources that help reduce wear and tear on the environment.
Solar and wind also reduce energy costs, which is another major fiscal benefit that should appeal to managers looking for ways to lower operating expenses.
4. Reduce Packaging Waste
Another way to reduce waste is to eliminate as much unnecessary packing material as possible.
This can seem like a challenge, but it's a challenge worth confronting. After all, packaging is a short-term use of paper and plastic resources that will immediately be recycled or tossed in the trash.
Reducing the amount of materials used for packaging not only reduces waste, but it also cuts down on production costs. Again, this is a very attractive approach to creating a more healthy bottom line.
5. Bring Lunch From Home
Lunch is often a very wasteful hour of the day. For starters, individual productivity drops because people are typically away from their desks. And fuel is wasted as employees find a place to eat. This also creates additional traffic congestion.
Bringing lunch from home is an ideal solution for saving time, money, stress, while also helping to reduce traffic issues in the community.
Keep in mind that many employees view the lunch hour as a time to find much-need reprieve from their work environment. Because of this, it's important to create a breakroom that gives employees a place to relax and unplug from the job for a few minutes without having to waste most of the lunch hour slogging through traffic.
6. Video Conference
Video conferencing is another way to save both time and money. Meeting with clients and industry partners is a necessary part of business, and yet video conferencing eliminates the need for travel, saving everyone involved wasted hours on the road as well as the expense of airfare and lodging.
Technology has made it super easy and efficient to conduct business, any hour of the day or night, without having to leave the office.
7. Make Supplies Last Longer
Most companies generate more waste than is needed. This is a simple reality of business. Supplies are used because they are available. The solution to unnecessary waste is to create an environment where wasting supplies is discouraged.
Keep in mind that this philosophy works best when it flows from the top down. Thus it's important for managers to lead by example.
8. Use Only Recyclable Supplies
And when it comes to the types of supplies your office consumes, there are plenty of recyclable options, and often for much cheaper. This provides the chance to save money while remaining environmentally friendly. It's a simple matter of making recycling a top priority for your company.
9. Replace Paper Notes with Dry-Erase Boards
Companies go through a ton of sticky notes each year. This is totally unnecessary. Dry-erase boards are the perfect solution because they are endlessly reusable and can dramatically reduce paper consumption.
10. Focus on Creating a Green Company Culture
You'll be most successful at reducing waste when it becomes the philosophy that is cultivated at your company. After all, waste is lazy, expensive, and totally unnecessary.
If you get your employees on board, your workplace waste will be rapidly reduced
What Can You Reduce to Eliminate Waste in Your Company?
Both the environment and your budget suffer when you waste resources.
What waste can you reduce in your company? Now that you have some waste reduction ideas, it's time to figure out the best ways to apply them.
Keep scrolling through a few more of our blog posts to discover more great tips and advice for small businesses. We have plenty of articles on business sustainability tips, going paperless, and being eco-friendly in the workplace.
What Can You Reduce to Eliminate Waste in Your Company?
Both the environment and your budget suffer when you waste resources.
What waste can you reduce in your company? Now that you have some waste reduction ideas, it's time to figure out the best ways to apply them.
Keep scrolling through a few more of our blog posts to discover more great tips and advice for small businesses. We have plenty of articles on business sustainability tips, going paperless, and being eco-friendly in the workplace.
