This is a job that nobody likes for obvious reasons! But watching your bins means you will start to understand what waste is produced at your business and you can set actions to abolish some of it and reduce the rest of it. So check your bins regularly and really pay attention as to what is in them, check them at different times of the day, maybe 2 or three times a day for one week. Make a list of those items you see the most per waste type. Assign the same job to all your heads of department, ask them to monitor their own departmental waste on the same week, before is brought to your waste disposal area. Ask them to let you know by the end of the week which 2 items they dispose of the most. The results might shock you! At the end of the week, with all that information on hand, you can make an informed decision as to which items are your top waste challenges. Can you actually abolish that top item per department? What is it exactly? Is it absolutely necessary to run your business and make money? Remember you are most likely paying to buy this item, and then paying to dispose of it. The decision weather this is a total necessity or not is down to you. I'll give you an example that I have come across while implementing this programme at a hotel in Ireland.

Case Study 

A hotel I mentored recently offered complimentary disposable sleepers in all rooms. After one week watching the housekeeping bins it was clear that sleepers were the most disposed item. While it is difficult to tell with clarity how much they were used, as soon as a packet was left open in a room the sleepers would be put in the bin after check out. Some guest might have made really good use of the sleepers, while some guest may have only wear them for an hour. While offering bathrobes and sleepers was a “perk” given to all guests, the general manager understood that the cost of this little extra did not justify the cost of buying the item and then paying to take it away. Further more, sleepers are not a recyclable item and were filling the landfill bin rapidly. A decision was made to take away all sleepers from the guest bedroom, while still offering the service. A branded card was made and placed in all rooms stating “We are trying to reduce our landfill waste, and therefore we have removed the complimentary sleepers from your bedroom, however, your comfort is our most concern, if you wish to get a pair of complimentary sleepers simply ring the front desk and we will promptly bring them to you”. A month after implementing this action, only two guests had requested sleepers, while 13 other guests had commented what a great initiative it was to reduce landfill waste. Result!

So get working on your waste, ask your heads of department to watch their bins and in turn watch the waste bin area yourself for one week.