The 7 Principles of Humanocracy

Reducing Waste Increases Profit. #SpaWasteNotChallenge By Lucy Brialey- The Sustainable Spa Association

Facility management teams are keen to identify the most effective business models. For some, increasing revenue is at the top of the list while others are looking to cut costs or providing a safe and healthy environment. A good waste audit can be the best catalyst in supporting all of the above. When a business takes a closer look at waste they can make qualified decisions that create profitable and environmental change. It’s easy to overlook the enormous return on investment (ROI) for waste audits, because they don’t exactly have a glamorous reputation. However, waste audits can be pivotal in helping you reduce costs while generating revenue.

A good waste audit can help with purchasing decisions and create a more lean business model. If you understand the number of recyclable materials that are going out the back door, you can re-evaluate what you purchase on the front end. The resulting savings can make a huge difference to the financial bottomline.

Not only can a waste audit help spa businesses see how they can make positive changes, it can help them see a way forward to building a brand founded on sustzinzbility. In this era of climate change and increased awareness surrounding environmental issues, a reputation for corporate responsibility can really boost a company’s brand, create loyal customers and attract new like-minded customers. This kind of goodwill starts at the local level with residents who appreciate efforts to divert waste from the neighbourhood landfill. When you’re dealing with a larger company that operates across the country, small local changes have a huge benefit when they’re rolled into a national program.

Given their potential ROI, it’s important to know what goes into an effective waste audit. At the most basic level, a waste audit provides a snapshot of business waste at a specific moment in time. The process begins by dividing waste into substrates — plastic, paper, metal, etc. Once you know what you’ve got, your auditors will weigh everything and calculate the total volume. From there, the audit can separate waste into recyclable commodities, hazardous wastes, and organic or compostable waste. The audit will also track where everything is going and identify any areas of non-compliance.

Auditing is at its most effective at regular intervals so that you can measure any changes in waste production, evaluate whether training and recycling programs are effective, and make any necessary changes.

Data gathering and analytics are the key and something you can be proud to share with teams and guests to promote staff commitment to recycling programs, and develop an effective training programs going forward. conduct in-house audits. This does involve giving responsibility to the appropriate team members to gather and analyse data, track waste and monitor.

Stats on hospitality waste reduction:

The SSA Accreditation pays attention to spa waste that is calculated and reduced year on year. The important things to remember are: 1. To maximise ROI, organisations should perform audits regularly, 2. Track the results of any changes that are made, qnd modify the progrqm as needed. 3) The resulting value in terms of cost savings, increased revenue can be measured 4. Tell everyone your results! Increase the positivity of your Brand awareness.

The most cost effective and sustainable method for dealing with general waste is to treat it at Energy from Waste (EfW) facilities. This allows you to boost your environmental goals by diverting waste away from landfill, and also reduces disposal costs because you avoid incurring rising Landfill Tax fees. One of our members, Whatley Manor, who is currently in the process of taking The SSA Accreditation, contributes to a circular waste model by collaborating with Energy-From-Waste (EfW) system.