Reduce your business waste to save money

If you're a manufacturer, using raw materials more efficiently can bring significant cost savings and environmental benefits. To do this, you should look at all aspects of your production process, including transportation and warehousing.

Try to ensure you don't over-order materials for one-off or bespoke jobs. Check how you handle and store raw materials. Even failing to empty all bags and containers properly could lead to significant amounts of waste.

Look carefully at the waste you're disposing of. Could any of it be reprocessed and put back into the production process? Could it be reused for another purpose?

Reducing waste through design

Another important area to consider is product design. Are there ways of designing your product so that it uses fewer raw materials? Try to use raw materials that are easier to recycle.

One practical way of approaching product design is to dismantle your product and then consider how to redesign it to make it less harmful to the environment.

Issues such as raw material use, waste production, energy consumption and emissions to the atmosphere should be considered at each stage of the product lifecycle.