According to the European Commission, the total waste generated in the EU by all economic activities and households amounted to 2.135 billion tonnes in 2020. Out of this, only 39.2% were recycled, while 32.2% ended up in landfills.[1]Waste statistics – Statistics Explained – Europa)
Also, the World Bank estimated around 2.24 billion metric tons of solid waste in 2020. This number is on the increase globally. Global waste is expected to grow to 3.40 billion metric tons by 2050, which is more than double population growth over the same period.[2]What a Waste 2.0: A Global Snapshot of Solid Waste Management to 2050 – World Bank Group
Recognizing the importance of zero-waste and the circular economy as part of sustainability, the waste reduction initiative is incorporated into SDG-12 (which emphasizes Responsible Consumption and Production)[3]Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – The Global Goals, as well as SDG-13 (Climate Action). The Zero Waste Challenge was developed and ran from March 2017 to February 2019.[4]Zero Waste Challenge. 12. Responsible Consumption and Production | Department of Economic and Social Affairs, UN) Also, the United Nations General Assembly formally proclaimed March 30 as the International Day of Zero Waste.[5]International Day of Zero Waste | United Nations
While the above statistics indicate the level of sustainability practices among both households and businesses, there is growing interest among businesses in adopting a zero-waste approach. According to the EEA, the circular material use rate has marginally increased since 2004 to 11.5% in 2022.[6]Circular economy – material flows – Statistics Explained Europa
Why Businesses Are Embracing Zero Waste & Sustainability
As you decide to join the train in achieving zero waste and sustainability in your business activities, you should be aware of the important reasons why a zero-waste culture is a must for every business. Here are some benefits of adopting zero waste/sustainability in your business.
- Zero-waste/sustainable business practices lead to cost savings through improved resource use and reduced waste disposal expenses.
- Increased resource management efficiency leads to increased profitability of your business.
- Improved waste management practices can streamline operations, enabling operations to be carried out without the need to look too far for materials and resources which also saves time.
- Zero waste practices also conserve environmental resources and prevent depletion.
- Reduces carbon emission which contributes to global warming and its sequelae.
Remember, going zero waste does not mean putting your business under pressure to produce no waste at all. Instead, it is ensuring that you commit your business to the plan of dealing seriously with waste and reducing waste to as low as practically possible.
According to the UN, a Zero-Waste approach entails responsible production, consumption, and disposal of products in a closed, circular system. This means that resources are reused or recovered as much as possible. And this is very achievable for all businesses, large and small.
Steps to Achieve Zero Waste in Your Business
To reduce waste and increase sustainability in your business, here are some important steps to consider for adoption,
1. Conduct a waste audit
Conducting a waste audit is a good place to start in achieving zero waste and sustainability in your business. This involves evaluating the situation to identify and examine your existing waste streams. It helps you know how your business is currently managing a particular waste or waste material, offering you an opportunity for possible improvement.
2. Categorize/sort waste streams to minimize incineration
Not all wastes are sent for incineration. Categorizing waste in your business will enable you to find opportunities to reuse or recycle waste produced in your organization. Diverting waste away from incineration starts with effective sorting of wastes.
Sorting waste efficiently can also create additional income streams, and more revenue, from the re-sale of waste materials.
3. Explore options for reuse
There may be internal re-usage opportunities for wastes generated within your production cycle that can fetch you a new income stream or be reused for re-production or manufacturing of a new product. Investigating alternative uses for your waste could therefore be a way to reduce waste and achieve zero waste in your business setting.
4. Adopt more sustainable packaging
Adopting more sustainable packaging materials can also help reduce waste and achieve sustainability/zero waste. For example, if you have products to ship out, you can consider adopting sustainable packing materials like mushroom packaging and bioplastic materials which can reduce global carbon footprint. Also, many of these materials are cheaper, potentially reducing your production cost and increasing your profits.
In addition, you may need to do some accelerated aging testing for those packaged products to ensure that they will not be compromised during shipping, irrespective of the type of sustainable packaging option you choose.
5. Diversify partnerships with recyclers
Recycling is another important aspect of the circular economy. It involves changing the form of a waste into another usable form.
Diversifying partnerships with recyclers and waste management companies can also improve your contract terms or get better pricing. Also, different recyclers might specialize in different types of waste. Thus, by diversifying your partnership with recyclers, you ensure improved efficiency in your recycling activity as a sign of commitment to zero waste and sustainability.
6. Revamp your energy sources
Supposing you have a large warehouse or an office building(s) in your business you need to power up. Relying fully on fossil fuel energy could hamper your sustainability goals. Thus, consider signing up for more eco-friendly energy plans like solar and geothermal energy as a more sustainable way to power up your business.
Also, if you use vehicles heavily in your business, looking into acquiring electric cars will save you money in the long run while also helping keep the environment cleaner and more sustainable.
7. Set up remote work
Setting up remote work options in your business can reduce carbon emissions to a very large extent. There is a reduced need for commuting which saves fuel and energy. Also, remote work reduces strain on your company’s energy resources as employees are allowed to work from their homes. There is also decreased paper use which enhances sustainability and also reduces costs.
8. Start employee initiative
Having set up an action plan for sustainability in your business, getting your employees involved is a great way to get better results. Employee initiative helps you drive the culture of sustainability into your employees to guarantee that your team/company is practicing sustainability at work or home.
One way to promote employee initiative is to re-emphasize sustainability in your company’s mission statement, and reward employees who align well with the goal of sustainability to further encourage them.
9. Encourage customers to get involved
Involving customers is also a great way to drive your sustainability initiatives to the general public. It makes them see your commitment to environmental sustainability and makes them love your brand even more.
This can be done by encouraging recycling and setting up initiatives that motivate and make it easier for your customers to recycle your products after use. This also saves you and your customers costs in the long run, in addition to saving the face of the planet.
Conclusion
Sustainability is a very important issue globally. Thus, building a zero-waste or sustainable brand can make a difference in how the world and people see your business.
There is an increasing trend of businesses embracing sustainability and zero waste. Building a zero-waste or sustainable business is very possible. And there are a lot of benefits to being sustainable in your business.
While it may not be all that easy, the above practices can help you get more sustainable in your business. Getting your team and customers involved is a great way to improve global sustainability as well as make the public know about your sustainability goals.
