What can my organisation do?

Like everything else in business, a systematic approach is the best way to see results. Setting and achieving objectives can reduce waste. Waste is measurable so straight forward targets can be set. The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs produce guidelines on estimating your waste.

Once you have a good idea of the quantity of waste you produce and in what areas you can assess your waste flow and make judgements on where improvements can be most effective to the environment and to the business. You can use this information to produce an action plan which stipulates the following information:

• How you are going to reduce the waste you produce
• By what level
• Who is responsible
• And by when

And like everything else it is important to get top level buy in. Put your action plan into the board or senior management team and make sure they understand why this action is being undertaken and the potential benefits it could see.