As management guru Peter Drucker famously said, “If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.” And when it comes to business waste and helping clients measure and reduce it – Total Utilities has been achieving some impressive results.

Recent projects include a school we assisted in reducing their total annual waste cost by 68%, a national hospitality chain that achieved a 19% reduction, and a large retail operation that saved nearly $300k with a 17% reduction.

The stakes are high

Total Utilities Managing Director Jonathan Gardiner said, “Reducing waste has never been more critical for your business’ bottom line and the planet. And with Auckland alone producing 1.6 million tonnes of waste each year, we all need to do our part.”

Poor waste management contributes to climate change and air pollution and directly affects many ecosystems and species. Uncapped landfills release methane – a powerful greenhouse gas linked to climate change. 

“The stakes are high,” said Jonathan. “By auditing your waste, you can direct your efforts to where they will have the most impact, identify easy wins, and measure your success and the impact of initiatives to reduce waste – all critical to sustainable change.

“Recent results from waste reduction projects completed for our clients show at least 15% waste reduction results. But before you can start reducing, you need good data. So a detailed audit is a good place to start to get an accurate picture of what waste you are generating and where from.” 

Save your business a bomb!

Total Utilities Waste to Landfill Reduction Audits provide expert guidance to help you identify, evaluate and implement waste reduction methods. Our recommendations balance short-term savings with long-term goals to provide the greatest return on your investment.

Audits include analysis of how waste is currently handled in your organisation to determine exactly where wastage occurs, flagging staff training requirements to improve waste handling processes, auditing current contracted waste services, and ensuring you meet certification and ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) standards.

Cultural seachange 

Reducing waste also requires cultural change and buy-in from all levels of your business, which can be challenging. In many organisations, there is a misconception that reducing waste will lead to increased business costs when the opposite is usually the case. 

Jonathan explained, “Our comprehensive audits provide the perfect springboard for cultural change, with hard data backing up how waste costs your organisation a bomb!

“Improving processes will ultimately result in reduced costs and less waste – a win-win for your bottom line and the environment.”

Waste is not a necessary evil

Furthermore, it’s now abundantly clear that investors, customers and stakeholders will no longer tolerate businesses that aren’t actively finding ways to reduce waste, protect the environment and actively work towards a circular, low-carbon economy.

Companies without an environmental conscience are already seeing customers take their business elsewhere, and potential and current employees are voting with their feet.

“All too often, we hear about the cost to business of tackling issues like waste, climate change, sustainability and decarbonisation, but the real question is, what is the cost of not? Waste is not a necessary evil, and its cost to the environment and to business is astronomical,” added Jonathan.

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