Some simple waste saving tips for business

When we were in lockdown this time last year, I was determined to do the biggest home clean out I’ve ever done, but it didn’t happen. I was disappointed in myself too. But here we are in lockdown number three (a serious one), and well, I’m not going to miss this opportunity again. My family loves it — not!

Anyhoo, I’ve moved countries eight times, give or take, and there are boxes that keep coming with me, because I just never seem to find the time to sort it out. No more, I am sorting it out and do you know what I keep finding? Electrical cables for every piece of technology I’ve ever owned, kept just in case we needed them! Well we don’t. No one does.

So for businesses, a couple of take-aways and easy-to-do changes in the supply chain

• Paper manuals in multiple languages should be a thing of the past — go fully digital and save trees
• Electrical cables. Rather than putting every variation possible in the box, why don’t you put country specific plugs in? You can make the others available as a separate purchase. I appreciate this makes it easier for your business, but our landfills are testament to the crisis being created. NO UNECESSARY EXCESS ANYMORE PLEASE
• CDs are useless, THEY have been for a long time and should not be packed in any tech anymore. If you have some country markets where they are still relevant, sure, no problem. But a country with high digital penetration is not using CDs
• Excess packaging in the boxes, such as plastic, plastic bags of air, cardboard, styrofoam, and more, should all be part of history. Look into mushroom packaging and other sustainable options please
• The overall excess packaging of products needs to be addressed, and if you’re shipping products with a whole lot of air in the boxes — air typically stuffed with plastic like bubble wrap — well time for new designs. Let’s cut out waste across every area of our businesses

All of the above would save trees, reduce plastic consumption, and help with the amount of e-waste in the world. We have to get conscious of zero excess in everything sold today. Consumer tech can do a lot to help, and it requires a transformation of how you do the packaging.

A final point for business. It was time for end of year books these last couple of weeks too — always fun! So here’s a simple request. Please make all of your receipts printable as one page? So many companies have two or more pages printing out, and a receipt can always fit on one page.

Yes I still have to print receipts, and I’d be very happy if all of my vendors gave me a single page.

We have so many easy opportunities to jump on. If we work for a business, let’s make sure we do it! No excess! Let’s get it out of the supply chain.

Cheers

Andrea

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