At Pink Bins, we care about maintaining a clean, green New Zealand. But we’re also business owners, and we know that savvy business owners are always on the lookout to cut business costs where possible, and practical.
Running a profitable business and doing right by the planet are two separate things, but we believe don’t have to be mutually exclusive. We’d go so far as to say that good business sense and environmentally friendly business practices go hand and hand if you want to run a successful business and live a greener life. Not convinced? Let us explain!
Green Business Tips: How to Save Costs by Reducing Waste
It’s been a bit doom and gloom lately, hasn’t it? If your business is looking for ways to minimise expenditure, and you’d prefer to do so without harming our natural ecosystem, we’ve got some ideas!
You might think of Pink Bins as that company with the bright pink skip bins all over Auckland, but our business, and our values, are much greener than you might think! If you’ve been an avid reader of our blog, you may have noticed that we talk a lot about reducing, reusing, and recycling waste – it’s the green thing to do, and your wallet will thank you too!
We often talk about how we can reduce waste at home, but there’s plenty you can do within a business to keep things clean and green as well.
Around the office
Just like at home, there are plenty of small changes you can make to be a greener business. Minimising energy use, reducing waste where possible, and recycling are all small steps that, together, can make a big impact.
- Remind Joe from accounts to turn the lights out before he locks up – no point leaving the office lights on when no one is around.
- Ask yourself if you really need that physical copy of the file you have on your laptop before you print it out and, if you do need a hard copy, print it double sided, if you can, and pop it in the recycling bin when you’re sure you’re finished with it.
- Talk to your purchasing officer about how your business could invest in greener supplies. In some cases, there might be an alternative you can switch to without issue, and you’ll have the comfort of knowing that it’s kinder to the planet.
- If your business has the space, and a team member with a green thumb, you may be able to compost your green waste, or you may be able to find another business or family that would love to get their hands on your organic waste to use as a soil conditioner, or even to feed chickens, pigs, or cows.
- Educate your coworkers so that they can be tidy Kiwis too. Many people may be unaware of the waste that is best suited to each bin, we often find that people haven’t been told what can be recycled. If you already have a visual guide around the office, to show people which bin the basics such as paper, organic matter, and milk bottles go – that’s a great start! Sending waste to the best place, and ensuring waste that could have another life is sorted out of general refuse, is good for our planet. If you’re using Pink Bins, we offer general waste collection bins, which we can sort through for you, and we also have bin options if you only have one kind of waste to remove, or you’ve sorted your waste yourself – this option could save you some dosh too!
Manufacturing
If you are a manufacturing business, is there a way you could run more efficiently? Lean manufacturing can be great for your bottom line, and the environment.
- Eliminate any waste in your manufacturing process – whether it’s from overproduction, inefficiencies, defects, or something else, taking the time to investigate could save your business money, and help to be a lean, green business machine!
- On that note, can you utilise machines to improve efficiency? Automation, robotics and data analysis technology has never been better! So why not utilise it to assist your team?
- Keep working on it. Lean manufacturing isn’t something that can be achieved overnight, it’s an ongoing process. Revisit your manufacturing regularly and consider it objectively, or enlist the help of another company that specialises in helping businesses run leaner. Tell them your goal is to be a green business and see what they come up with!
Bonus green business tips
If your business is ready to take things up a notch, there are some other green business initiatives you could consider.
- Investing in a solar power system at your premises could have long-term financial benefits, and reduce your reliance on any unsustainably captured energy.
- Partnering with a company that can offset your carbon production is also worth looking into. Us Kiwis care about the environment, and we’re more likely to support an organisation that is making an effort to reduce their impact over one that isn’t. While you may not see direct cost-cutting around your business from carbon offsetting, with the right marketing, you could see increased sales.
- Support local green businesses! Whether it’s a local supplier with the same values as you that your business could buy from, or maybe it’s an organisation that’s out there taking practical steps to better our planet. Your business may want to commit to supporting financially, or dedicating a day to taking your team out to plant trees or pick up litter – this may work double duty as a green business action, and a team building event!
- Encourage suggestions! You can’t be expected to have all of the answers, but your team might have ideas to reduce waste around your business, or they might be privy to green business initiatives you haven’t heard of yet.
Living sustainably, and setting up a green business is an ongoing and collaborative challenge, but we think it’s worth the effort, not just for the earth, but for our finances. If we all commit to these green business steps, and try to be tidy Kiwis when we can, we can help make our businesses greener, and live more sustainably.
If your business needs help with waste removal, waste sorting, recycling, or disposal of green waste or hazardous materials, we’re here to help! Why not give us a call to discuss your waste disposal needs, and your green business goals, and we’ll help you think pink and live green.