Zero Waste Week: Making Better Use of Business Resources

Waste isn’t just what’s left in the bin. For businesses, it can be energy, money, water and valuable resources going to waste too.

Zero Waste Week (7-11 September) is a good opportunity to take a step back and look at how efficiently your business is using the resources it already has and where there may be opportunities to reduce costs and improve performance.

This is where sustainability and commercial efficiency come together.

What does waste look like for a business?

Waste can take many forms.

It could be unnecessary energy consumption, excessive water usage, inefficient processes, unused materials or simply a lack of visibility over what your business is using and paying for.

These inefficiencies can have two impacts: higher operating costs and a greater environmental footprint.

That’s why understanding where resources are being used is an important first step.

Start with what you already have

Businesses don’t always need to make major changes to make a difference.

Simple steps can include:

• Reviewing energy and water consumption
• Identifying inefficient processes or equipment
• Reducing unnecessary printing and packaging
• Looking for opportunities to reuse or recycle materials
• Reviewing purchasing to avoid unnecessary waste
• Using data to identify where resources are being overused

The key is to understand what’s happening before deciding what needs to change.

Sustainability that makes commercial sense

At GLEG, we believe sustainability and commercial performance should work together.

Reducing energy consumption can lower costs. Better water management can reduce unnecessary spend. More efficient processes can reduce resource use while improving operational performance.

Sometimes, the biggest opportunity isn’t finding something new, it’s making better use of what you already have.

Zero Waste Week may only last a week, but the changes businesses make can have a much longer-term impact.

If you’re looking at how your business can reduce costs, improve efficiency and become more sustainable, GLEG can help you understand where to start.

Get in touch with the GLEG team at hello@gleg.co.uk.