Around the world, waste presents an enormous challenge to every single country. At work and at home, there is a constant battle to reduce waste and find the best ways to deal with existing rubbish and junk. However, if we look at waste from a different perspective, there is plenty of opportunity for business and sustainability programs to take place.
Initiatives that aim to create new opportunities from waste are varied, and target a number of different benefits. Some make money for a business, while others recover valuable and useful resources. In the end, all of these initiatives are great for the environment, and the business or organisation taking advantage of this opportunity.
Let’s take a look at a few examples below.
Selling secondhand items
The garage sale and the op-shop are cornerstones of Australian society. We all love to grab a second hand bargain, and we all feel better when we buy second hand. It’s great for the environment and it’s great for our bank balance! And when this happens on a much larger scale, it’s even better.
Office junk and furniture are waste types that we deal with on a daily basis. It’s essential that we always deal with these items sustainably, to lessen our impact on the environment. The good news for businesses (and the environment) is that there is plenty of opportunity to sell second hand office furniture.
A number of companies and businesses are taking steps to ensure that furniture does not reach landfill. Instead, they remove this furniture from offices that wish to dispose of their chairs, desks, tables, and other items. They then offer a platform for re-selling these items. This has three main benefits: it prevents the furniture from ending up in landfills, it provides compensation for the original owner, and it provides affordable furniture for the buyer.
There’s a lot of money to go around. In fact, used furniture is a $16.6 billion dollar business!
Landfill mining
Landfill mining is becoming increasingly common. This process involves tapping into older landfills and using equipment and machinery to remove materials that may be valuable or still useable. A prime example of this is older electronic equipment, particularly computers.
Before e-waste facilities were established, most old computers from homes and businesses were simply dumped in landfills. Computers contain specific metals, plastics, and other materials that can be removed and reintegrated into the manufacturing process. This is called ‘closing the circle’, and eliminates the need to extract further virgin resources from the Earth.
Another layer to this system is pollution prevention. Many of the heavy metals and chemicals found in computers can seep into soil and waterways, poisoning wildlife and plants. They may also contaminate drinking water. Therefore, the sooner old electronics are removed from landfills, particularly unsealed landfills, the better.
Organic waste
Organic waste offers tremendous opportunities for innovation and further business. These days, there are a number of facilities that process organic waste and turn it into compost and fertiliser. This is then purchased either wholesale or retail, such as from your local Bunnings Warehouse.
This system is the perfect win-win scenario, because it offers a way to reduce and reuse organic matter and waste, while providing financial incentives to do so. It then also provides quality fertiliser and compost for those who need it. That includes on farms, in the backyard, in the city park or somewhere else.
Organic waste includes food waste, garden waste and any other organic matter.
Are you looking for great Sydney rubbish removal?
At Sydney City Rubbish, we’re the best in the business when it comes to rubbish removal in Sydney. Our people are highly trained in safe practices, so when you hire us, you can rest easy knowing that you’re in good hands. Some of the services we offer include:
– Office junk removal
– E-waste removal
– Construction and demolition rubbish removal
– Deceased estate cleanup
– Strata rubbish removal.
… and much more!
If you’re looking for rubbish removal in Sydney, get in touch with us today. We’d love to hear from you!
