Recycling is important, but what if we never produced the waste in the first place? It’s time to rethink our relationship with trash. Toss-and-replace habits have consequences, and facility managers are in a unique position to make a difference.
Facility waste streams are complex. From office supplies to construction debris, it’s easy to fall into a “dispose-and-forget” mentality. While recycling is valuable, it’s not a cure-all. Landfills are still filling up, and the resources used to create those items in the first place are wasted.
This guide explores creative strategies to prevent waste from the start. By rethinking how we purchase, operate, and dispose, we can reduce our landfill contributions, save resources, and often save money too!
While recycling is valuable, it’s not a cure-all
Waste Reduction Strategies
1. Purchasing Power: Make Waste Reduction a Priority
Your facility’s waste stream starts before anything even arrives on-site. Here’s how to use your purchasing influence for good:
- Choose Durability: Whenever possible, opt for long-lasting, repairable products instead of flimsy, disposable ones. Think quality over quantity.
- Minimize Packaging: Negotiate with suppliers to reduce excessive packaging. Embrace bulk purchasing with minimal individual wrapping when feasible.
- Reusable Alternatives: Where practical, switch to reusable options. This could include reusable dishware in break rooms, refillable cleaning supplies, or even reusable shipping containers.
Your facility’s waste stream starts before anything even arrives on-site
Tip: Don’t just think about the item itself; think about its whole lifecycle. Will it end up in the landfill quickly, or can it be used, repaired, and repurposed for years to come?
Your Turn: What’s one wasteful product you could replace with a durable or reusable alternative?
2. Operational Shifts: Small Changes, Big Impact
Sometimes reducing waste is about tweaking your facility’s day-to-day operations. Here are a few high-impact strategies:
- Paperless Practices: Digitize as much as possible—documents, forms, invoices, and newsletters. Use cloud storage, e-signatures, and digital workflows whenever feasible.
- Double-Sided Printing: Make it the default on all printers and copiers. It’s a shockingly easy way to halve paper waste!
- Optimize Food Service: Plan menus carefully to reduce overproduction, donate unserved food to those in need (check local regulations), and compost all appropriate food scraps.
- Centralized Supply Area: Prevent overstocking and hoarding of office supplies, cleaning products, etc. A well-organized supply area allows for better usage tracking and avoids unnecessary purchases.
Tip: Involve your staff! Encourage them to suggest ways to streamline processes and reduce waste in their day-to-day tasks.
3. Repair and Repurpose: Waste Not, Want Not
Before something becomes trash, consider if it can be given a new purpose. Here’s how:
- Maintenance Mindset: Emphasize repair over replacement. A broken chair leg or a faulty light fixture can often be fixed, extending the lifespan of the item and saving money.
- Creative Upcycling: Think outside the (recycling) box! Can outdated furniture be refinished? Could old pallets be transformed into shelving or planters? Get inspired with online resources for creative upcycling projects.
- Donation Network: What you no longer need may be valuable to someone else. Connect with local schools, nonprofits, or materials exchange programs that accept gently used furniture, office supplies, or building materials.
Before something becomes trash, consider if it can be given a new purpose
Tip: Host a facility-wide “upcycling challenge”! Teams can compete to transform discarded items into something useful and beautiful.
4. Upstream Engagement: Creating a Ripple Effect
Waste reduction doesn’t happen in a silo. Engage key players for greater impact.
- Tenant Education: Provide tenants with clear guidelines on recycling, composting, and waste reduction best practices. Incentivize those who go the extra mile!
- Supplier Collaboration: Work with suppliers to establish take-back programs for packaging materials, used toner cartridges, or end-of-life electronics. Explore reusable packaging options.
- Advocate for Change: Support policies that incentivize waste reduction, promote producer responsibility, or expand recycling infrastructure. Your voice as an FM matters!
Tip: Look for local or industry-specific sustainable business networks. These groups can connect you with like-minded suppliers and advocacy opportunities.
Reducing your facility’s waste isn’t about perfection, it’s about progress. By implementing these strategies—smarter purchasing, operational changes, repair, and creative collaboration—you’re making a real difference. It isn’t just good for the environment. It saves money, conserves precious resources, and demonstrates your facility’s commitment to sustainability leadership. It’s an ongoing process. Stay curious, explore new solutions, and celebrate your wins along the way.
Ready to take the next step?
- Conduct a waste audit to pinpoint your biggest waste reduction opportunities
- Share your best “trash to treasure” upcycling project in the comments below!
Let’s keep the conversation going!
