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Why you need a waste gap analysis

By Bertie Lourens 26th July 2019 Cost Efficiency

Working towards getting to zero waste to landfill is a goal which will change our country for the better, and as a business you can be a part of this change. But to do that you need to understand your waste stream - and that’s where a waste gap analysis comes in. 

A waste gap analysis  can be a fantastic way to take stock of your current operations, to make the critical adjustments, and to scope the future accordingly. But what exactly does a gap analysis entail, and how do I know it will be worth my while? Glad you asked.

A waste gap analysis is a process we use to review relevant data to determine if there are gaps between your currently adopted waste processes, and your potential, or desired performance levels in terms of your company’s strategic goals.  Through a combined approach of collective data analysis and hands-on engagement, the Gap Analysis focuses on three essential elements to waste management:

1: How you handle your waste

Do you have a designated waste area? Do you have a separation process between waste and recyclables? Do you have data available on your request? These are some of the questions we ask to kickstart a conversation around the table concerning your company’s current waste practices.

 

2: How you move your waste

Once we have an idea of how much waste is being generated, where it’s coming from and what it consists of, we look at how it is moved and managed. How does it get from where it is now, to where it needs to be? Is there a cleaner who comes around once a day? Are there separate bins to transport the waste to the designated area? These questions and others guide our next discussion with you.

 

3: How you dispose of your waste

Here we’re looking for value generation opportunities that can reduce waste and maximise recycling to save money and nurture sustainability. We want to find those commodities that are currently being thrown away when they could be making your company money. 

Once we’ve walked through these stages of the process sufficiently, WastePlan will collate our findings on the analysis and draw up a proposal for a better, more efficient, more green way forward or else we will set up a meeting to conduct a full waste audit if it is in-fact required. 

 

So why a Gap Analysis? 

Our analysis will give you an excellent sense of where you stand as a company and industry player within the waste management arena. Even if you’re contracted to another waste provider at the moment, a WastePlan gap analysis will assist your decision making process and highlight possible changes or improvements to your currently adopted process. Maybe you are not fully informed by your current provider, or maybe there are options you have never considered or even known about. An analysis helps educate and empower you to make better decisions now or next time around. 

WastePlan is passionate about training, whether it be our own staff and or that of the client. If you work at the source - if you’re hands on with people and literally show them what is recyclable… if you get into the trenches with people and teach them how to separate and sort at the source, you intervene at a key stage of the process. And that leads to true change and bottom - line results. 

In fact, the optimisation of recycling at the source has proven to significantly reduce your waste costs! These savings are of course coupled with the rebate you will earn monthly - not to mention the drop in maintenance, transport, and staffing costs since less waste needs to be handled and disposed of on site.

 

Waste analysis vs audit: what’s the difference?

WastePlan can offer clients a more comprehensive process to navigate these transitions within your waste strategy. So how does it work? Once the gap analysis has been concluded, a waste audit may be arranged.  

After the contents of your waste have been categorised and sorted, WastePlan will report back on its findings, using engaging formats and tools to help build an overall picture of how and where your company generates waste. The report will lay out recommendations for alternative  and more efficient work habits. (For example, your plastic inlaid coffee cups could be swapped out for biodegradable ones, or your staff is printing too much and wasting paper.) 

And then the best part: in certain cases we are willing to offer a free trial to implement the new plan. Over 7 days a WastePlan specialist stays on site, training your people at the source on how to optimise recycling and putting the new strategy in action. We don’t ask anything for  this trial- the costs you save in recycling will technically flip the bill. 

Sounds too good to be true? Looking for the catch, perhaps? We promise there isn’t one. Our team just truly believes that winning can, and should, be mutual in business. When you benefit, so do we - and in fact, so does everyone in a world of increasing scarcity and population pressure.


Interested to know how you can benefit from your own waste audit? Contact us here for more information.

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Bertie Lourens

Author Bertie Lourens

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