Recycling business waste is beneficial not only to the environment but also to your business.
Reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills is a necessity for homeowners, businesses and commercial organisations alike, across South Africa, and around the globe, to preserve and protect our environment over the long term. Recycling your waste does not only have environmental benefits but also has benefits to your own business, as well.
What is recycling?
It may seem like a silly question to have to answer, albeit, very necessary for everyone to know, and the first step towards businesses becoming more green in their carbon footprint. Essentially, recycling is a method of reusing materials in order to make or manufacture new products. By recycling materials, you reduce the amount of waste that sits in the ground at landfill sites. Some waste is not recyclable, such as hazardous waste, but most materials are.
What is recyclable material?
There are a variety of different materials that can be recycled. Some of these materials include:
- Paper
- Cardboard
- Plastic
- Glass
- A variety of metals
- Building materials such as concrete and bricks
- A variety of foods which can be reused for composting purposes
Many of these materials are found on a daily basis in business environments and are often just dumped in the rubbish disposal bin.
What are the benefits to your business to recycle?
- Being an eco-friendly business can improve your chances of landing new business
By choosing to recycle your waste instead of just dumping it, you are taking a step towards becoming an eco-friendly business. If you start here, you can implement a variety of other changes in your business that will give you the opportunity to certify as a Green Business which can be beneficial when doing business as businesses are increasingly looking to partner with businesses who care for people and the environment which could give you an edge over your competitors.
- Recycling waste comes at a lower cost than just dumping
Dumping your waste at the landfill is costly, and as a rule of thumb, recycling is considered the more affordable option which means your business can preserve and protect the environment and reduce your expenditures at the same time. What a great benefit to have. If you take care of Mother Earth, she will take care of you.
- Becoming green-friendly can have positive tax implications and other financial benefits
Internationally, businesses are receiving tax benefits and incentives for being green-friendly through recycling and the use of renewable energy. In South Africa, there is already a carbon-tax that has been implemented on businesses since June 2019 and it can only be assumed that South Africa too will start incentivising businesses for taking initiative in ensuring they are helping to preserve our environment. Some of the incentives already exist as it relates to renewable energy sources.
As a business, it is important to take keen consideration to protecting the environment, but the fact that there are benefits to your business makes it that much more worthwhile. If that does not give you the motivation, think about it this way: If you don’t preserve this planet, what will you be leaving your future generations, children and grandchildren; so make a change and make a difference – start with recycling!