By HELEN BENTHAM, National Accounts Manager at CSG
Most facilities managers I speak to don’t realise they could reduce their business’ overheads and boost their bottom line by four or even five-figures by engaging with a specialist waste company.
Often simple, overnight changes are all that are needed to make tangible differences.
One of the fundamental mistakes we often see is businesses treating their waste as household waste when, in reality, it needs to be viewed completely differently as it’s on an entirely different scale.
The first thing we will do when we visit a new customer is to conduct a thorough waste mapping exercise so we are able to determine where waste streams can be eliminated or, at worst, reduced.
We’ll then look to streamline the disposal of the remaining waste and examine whether some materials can be reused or recycled. The end-goal is to increase efficiency and put profit back on the bottom line. The savings can be very significant.
At the most basic level, it’s possible for a business to save thousands of pounds by making a simple change such as cutting the number of office bins around work areas.
We suggest removing all workstation bins, within reason of course, and encouraging employees to use communal waste stations located in central points.
This increases the amount of waste being properly segregated and also reduces costs, such as cleaning hours spent emptying bins and the amount spent on bin bags.
For one of our major customers, we discovered that there were 290 internal bins being emptied daily. We removed 79 of them, meaning a cost saving of over £2,000 annually in bin bags alone.
Another of our largest clients produces a significant amount of waste wood. Rather than sending the wood from site as waste, we implemented a change to make the wood into briquettes, which could be sold as fuel.
But engaging with a waste specialist has other benefits rather than just the bottom line, including obtaining accreditations, such as ISOs, and impressing customers when they visit site.
If customers come in and they see a site looking neat and tidy, or one clearly demonstrating recycling, that makes a huge difference.
Even something as simple as bin surrounds can influence how a potential customer views your business.
The modern facilities manager has a very wide remit so appointing professionals can help to ease the load.
CSG offers a total waste management solution that stretches well beyond collection and disposal.
Combining a range of waste management disciplines such as hazardous waste removal, industrial cleaning, emergency response and waste system maintenance, we minimise the amount of waste that ends up going to landfill.
We’re able to send expert consultants to sites to help facilities managers draw up a plan of action.
As an example, we have a long-standing partnership with Safran Landing Systems, the world’s leading manufacturer of aircraft landing systems. We’re responsible for the collection, recycling and disposal of all day-to-day waste generated on Safran’s 27-acre Gloucester site, including over 20 hazardous waste streams.
We have a dedicated team of four personnel based at the Gloucester site five days a week, 24 hours a day, advising on all issues relating to waste. The proportion of waste, including hazardous, being diverted from landfill is now 98.72%. Dry, non-hazardous waste is 100% zero-to-landfill.
Once a plan has been implemented, it is important to communicate changes with the workforce.
Facilities managers must lead from the top and get the rest of their team on board. They need to communicate the financial benefits of dealing with waste better and provide training in best practice.
Suppliers, contractors and clients should also be informed of the waste management objectives. There may well be opportunities to work with suppliers and clients on waste reduction and KPIs should be agreed with all new suppliers.
You are unlikely to be able to change everything overnight – so set timelines for specific tasks.
If we can help with your waste management needs, please visit www.csg.co.uk
