Waste Reduction Tips for your Business

It doesn’t matter what kind of business you have, you will be generating waste. The type of waste you generate will differ according to your activities, but the approaches towards waste reduction and improving your bottom line are the same. 

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Why reduce waste to landfill? 

  • Save money: Recycling bins usually cost less than landfill bins.
  • Attract customers: People prefer businesses that care about the planet.
  • Protect the environment: Reducing waste helps ensure a liveable climate for future generations.

Understand your waste

You don’t need a scale—just know what’s going into your bins and roughly how much.  When reviewing your waste, ask yourself:

  • How much is going to landfill?
  • Can anything be recycled instead?

  • Would additional services suit your needs?

Trim Your Bin program

We're offering this free program to local businesses again in 2025! Sign up for a waste audit, tailored waste reduction tips, and connections to specialty waste providers. Hear from businesses that joined in 2024 and register your interest at this webpage

Trim Your Bin program

Review your waste services

Are your current waste services cost-effective and meeting your needs? Could you downsize a landfill bin and boost recycling? Talk to your waste contractor about available services and pricing. Common business waste streams include:

  • Co-mingled Recycling: Includes steel cans, glass, plastic containers, and paper.

  • Cardboard & Paper: Ideal for recycling delivery boxes—also the most affordable option.

  • Container Deposit Scheme (CDS): Collect eligible containers for 10c refunds. See our Container Deposit Scheme page for depot locations. Large volumes? Arrange a pickup service through Recollect Vic.

  • Organics: A key area for climate action. If you produce a lot of food or organic waste, contact us at waste@mornpen.vic.gov.au to explore local service options.

  • Soft Plastics: Public collection is paused, but clean business plastics like pallet wrap still have recycling options. Contact us at waste@mornpen.vic.gov.au for details.

  • Hard to recycle items - Not sure how to dispose of certain materials? Check our Waste and Recycling Guide for help.

  • E- waste - Anything with a cord or battery. Drop it off for free at our Resource Recovery Centres.

  • Other materials - Explore Planet Ark’s Business Recycling Guide for more business recycling options.

     

Inspiring and training your staff

Set your team up for success to put the right thing in the right bin.  Systems, systems, systems!  If you change your bin setup outside, then your internal bins need to match.

Signage is critical, download this set of business signage- E-waste poster.pdf(PDF, 2MB); Compostables poster.pdf(PDF, 1MB); Paper and cardboard poster.pdf(PDF, 2MB); General rubbish poster.pdf(PDF, 3MB); 10c container poster.pdf(PDF, 6MB)

You can find some good internal bins at:TrimYourBin_Kollab_WEB-15.jpg

Reduce the waste generation in your business

Consider everything that you bring into your business – equipment, raw materials, food, packaging, consumables – and ask yourself, is there a way to do this with less packaging.  Often a conversation with the supplier can be a good starting point.

Plastic Free Mornington Peninsula provides helpful advice for businesses in responding to the current and upcoming single-use plastic bans from the State Government, including waste reduction ideas and support for reusables.

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