Engaging with specialist waste companies can help businesses reduce their overheads and increase profitability according to Helen Bentham, National Accounts Manager for privately owned UK waste management company, Cleansing Service Group (CSG).
Bentham tells FM Industry: “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.”
She believes it is possible for a business to save thousands of pounds by making a simple change such as cutting the number of office bins, explaining: “When we first visit a business, we suggest removing all workstation bins, within reason of course, and encouraging employees to use communal waste stations located in central points.
“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.”
“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 CSG’s largest clients produces a significant amount of waste wood. Rather than sending the wood from site as waste, The waste contractor implemented a change to make the wood into briquettes, which could be sold as fuel.
Bentham also says engaging with a waste specialist offers non-financial benefits too, including assistance with gaining ISO Environmental Management Systems accreditation, and even impressing customers when they visit a site.
“The modern facilities manager has a very wide remit so appointing professionals can help to ease the load.”
“If customers come in and they see a site looking neat and tidy, or one clearly demonstrating recycling, that makes a huge difference,” she explains. “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 minimises the amount of waste that ends up going to landfill.
Bentham cites the example of a long-standing partnership with aviation component manufacturer, Safran Landing Systems, for whom CSG provides collection, recycling and disposal of all day-to-day waste generated on a 27-acre site in Gloucester that includes over 20 hazardous waste streams.
CSG has 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”, says Bentham, “it is important to communicate changes with the workforce and facilities managers must lead from the top and get the rest of their team on board with any completed audit by communicating the financial benefits of dealing with waste better and providing training in best practice”.
Bentham also says suppliers, contractors and clients should also be informed of the waste management objectives as there may well be opportunities to work with suppliers and clients on waste reduction and KPIs can be agreed with all new suppliers.
“You are unlikely to be able to change everything overnight so set timelines for specific tasks”, she finishes.
