Owners of small businesses have many challenges that leaders of large companies rarely have to worry about. Larger companies already have waste management policies in place and possibly even dedicated staff to deal with it. As a small business owner, this is another critical issue that needs to be dealt with sooner rather than later. Here are some of the challenges small company owners face concerning waste management.
No Policies in Place for Waste Management
Many small businesses don’t have waste management policies because they have not needed them in the past. But as small companies grow, the amount of waste they generate increases. Whether this is because of adding new employees to the company or increasing demand for the company’s product, waste is a by-product of this growth.
It is your responsibility to establish policies that address how the company manages waste, and dictate how employees should handle it. This policy should include details about recycling, reducing unnecessary waste creation, and guidelines for proper disposal.
No Defined Waste Management Plan
The company should have a clearly defined waste management plan about how they manage the company’s waste. This should include plans for the following:
- Recycling–Identifies what can and cannot be recycled. Provides details about how to manage confidential or sensitive documents—typically through shredding services. This should include plans for recycling in production processes as well.
- Technology–Provides details about what to do with old or obsolete technology assets such as computers, printers, servers, copiers, etc. Other fixed assets such as office furniture, production equipment, etc.
- Vendors & Services Needed–This should include a list of what waste management services you need, how often you need them, who is in charge of managing them, and what preferred vendors the company uses for various waste management services.
- Communication & Training–Defines how waste management plans and policies are communicated to employees and staff and what kind of training might be necessary for the team to handle waste management needs.
No Awareness of Available Waste Management Services
Waste management is not just hiring a company to haul away the occasional full dumpster from your business. Depending on the size, scope, and goods you produce may require a lot of services, including roll-off dumpster rentals, waste compactor or baler installation, recycling services, document shredding services, and much more. Once you understand your waste management needs, you need to find the vendors that provide the best service at a reasonable price.
Waste Management Expense
Waste management services can be expensive, especially if it requires frequent roll-off dumpster pickup, installing a compactor or baler, or the cost of managers and employees’ time away from activities that generate revenue for the company. But waste must be dealt with. Failure to deal with it can involve fines and fees created by not following local laws and ordinances surrounding waste or violating OSHA or EPA laws and requirements. You should always include line items in your budget for waste management.
Need Advice on Waste Management for Your Small Business?
Get in touch with us here at Circle J Roll-Offs. We have been serving Mobile and Montgomery, Alabama, and the surrounding areas since 1969. We provide waste management services for commercial and industrial businesses, as well as full-service dumpster rentals. We provide different sizes and types of dumpsters to meet your specific waste management needs. Give us a call at (215) 661-0001 or fill out our online form to get the process started today.
