Waste isn't waste until we waste!

 

Waste reduction challenges

Every business in the world produces tons of waste each year. It will amount to nearly a billion tons per year if they are combined. This sum rises year after year. The increase is due to population growth, lifestyle changes, an increase in fast and convenient food consumption, new packaging materials, and technology. Waste disposal has a significant environmental impact and can cause serious problems. Some of the challenges to waste reduction include: a lack of proper waste management infrastructure.

Collection and transportation systems that are inefficient, lack of public awareness and education, Financial and economic limitations, insufficient legislation and enforcement, limited Access to recycling technologies, Industry opposition to reducing packaging waste, etc.

 

What can we do? 

The best place to begin making a difference in waste reduction is right at home. Begin by educating yourself on how to reduce, reuse, and recycle materials to reduce household waste.

5 Steps you can take to help reduce waste.

1. Reduce food waste by meal planning and buying only what you need. On average, meal planning can help you save $1,600 on groceries per year. Meal planning allows you to save time cooking by preparing meals for multiple days in a row.
2. Reuse items like cloth bags and containers instead of disposable ones.
3. Recycle paper, plastic, glass, and metal. The average yearly cost savings vary depending on how much waste your business generates, but it's not unusual to see savings of $3,000-$4000 per year simply by recycling cardboard and paper.
4. Compost fruit and vegetable scraps. Composting can save businesses and households a lot of money. New Seasons Market, a small grocery chain in the Pacific Southwest, began diverting food waste from landfills in 2006 and has since saved $25,000. The Mariners Safeco Field in Seattle saved $91,000 in landfill costs in 2011 by diverting 90% of its compostable waste from landfills.
5. Donate usable items instead of throwing them away. “In 2018, over 82 million pounds of clothing, textiles, and household items were diverted from local landfills by Salvation Army thrift stores in 2018”. (SalvationArmy.ca, 2019)

 

My Commitment  

Growing up in Nigeria, my family composted, and we returned everything compostable to our mini farm/garden. I also have a catering business in Nigeria where I cater to individuals and organisations. I have always believed in growing my own herbs and cooking the food in season because that is what I have been used to since childhood. I will continue to demonstrate to those around me that implementing waste reduction techniques in my business benefits not only the environment but also the bottom line as I have been able to reduce costs by at least 50% nearly every year.

What is Your Commitment? 

Waste reduction is critical for a more sustainable future. How would you demonstrate your dedication to this? Please leave your responses in the comments section.

Learn More 

Below are some links that would educate you more on the reduction of waste. 

17 surprising composting statistics to know (2022). Cooped Up Life. (2022, January 23). Retrieved January 29, 2023, from https://coopeduplife.com/composting-statistics/

Baroun, M. (2022, March 17). How meal planning can save money. Warhawk Fitness GetUFit BLOG. Retrieved January 29, 2023, from https://blogs.uww.edu/warhawkfitness/2022/03/17/how-meal-planning-can-save-money/

Eight ways to reduce waste. The Nature Conservancy. (2018, September 11). Retrieved January 29, 2023, from https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/delaware/stories-in-delaware/delaware-eight-ways-to-reduce-waste/

SalvationArmy.ca. (2019, June 4). The environmental impact of thrifting. The Salvation Army in Canada. Retrieved January 28, 2023, from https://salvationarmy.ca/blog/the-environmental-impact-of-thrifting/

Save, D. (2021, May 20). Does recycling save a business money? why it can be a key to success. CleanRiver. Retrieved January 29, 2023, from https://cleanriver.com/blog-does-recycling-save-a-business-money/

Sellers, J. (2022, December 16). What are the challenges of reducing solid waste? HowStuffWorks Science. Retrieved January 29, 2023, from https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/reducing-solid-waste.htm

Stephenson, D. (2021, February 9). What challenges do businesses face in the transition to zero carbon? SAS Oil Waste Treatment. Retrieved January 29, 2023, from https://www.sasenvironment.com/blog/what-challenges-do-businesses-face-in-the-transition-to-zero-carbon