by LaurenL | Sep 23, 2016
Waste. It’s something every business creates, but few know how to reduce. For many manufacturers, a surprising source of waste is found in the supply chain. For others, it’s found in a number of different places. No matter the cause of your waste, it is important to understand where it’s coming from. Why? Because understanding where your business produces the most waste is the first step to finding ways to reduce it.
Do you ever get the feeling that your business might be spending more time, energy, or money on waste management than it should be? If so, let us help you find a solution to your waste management concerns. To start, we recommend evaluating your supply chain. It’s filled with surprising sources of waste.
1. Raw Materials
You should evaluate your processes from the very beginning, before you every start production on a supply chain. Why? Because your raw materials might be a source of waste. One way to reduce waste in the supply chain is to take a second look at your raw materials. Do your raw materials have excess packaging or unusable components? Can you use a less wasteful alternative? How do you use excess raw materials? If they’re thrown out, what can you do to reduce that amount? Every production process should work to minimize the waste associated with raw materials. Whether you reduce, reuse, or recycle materials, there are ways to minimize your supply chain waste by evaluating your raw materials.
2. Inventory Control
Just like managing the input of raw materials into your supply chain can reduce waste, evaluating the output of your supply chain can, too. Overproduction in your supply chain produces excess waste. This is especially true if extra products are abandoned, unused on a shelf in a warehouse. Overproduction has the potential to cause wasted materials and final products. But, it also wastes money and resources that are required to store, maintain, or get rid of unnecessary inventory. Having too much inventory on hand often ties up valuable resources and creates wasteful processing tasks.
3. Defects and Quality Control
It goes without saying that one goal for manufacturers is watching the perfect product roll off the assembly line every time. In reality, however, this is rarely the case. Defective products that don’t pass quality control inspections happen. But, don’t overlook defective products. They are an oft-forgotten source of waste in the supply chain. Ensure that you keep the goal of minimizing defective products on your supply chain in mind. Improved quality control will reduce waste every time.
KenBay Can Help You Manage Supply Chain Was
We know waste management can be a burden. But, it doesn’t have to be! With our help you can evaluate your supply chain for hidden sources of waste and implement technology to reduce it. Because our trash compactors will reduce the weight and size of your waste, they are a great way to cut down your waste removal costs and improve the efficiency of waste management.
Trash compactors like KenBay’s RotoPac are ideal for industrial settings, and allow companies to reduce the volume of their trash at a ratio of six to one. The RotoPac can handle all kinds of waste from food to recyclables, and even solid hazardous waste.
Don’t let something like a waste get in the way of your business operations. If you’re interested in trash compactors or finding a committed consultant to help you reduce your waste, call KenBay. We can tell you more about our services, no matter what industry you’re in, or how much waste you create!
Photo credit: Getty Images / Paul Bradbury
by LaurenL | Sep 9, 2016
There’s one question that every business asks when it considers becoming a zero waste organization: how will this affect our bottom line? For many skeptics, the assumption is that “going green” costs money. We are here to tell you that these assumptions are wrong. Zero waste companies, ones that implement measures to keep their waste out of landfills, often find that saving money and being environmentally friendly can go hand in hand. To help you understand how you can implement zero waste programs into your business and save money, here are a few of our best tips:
Ensure Your Equipment is Reliable and Safe
It goes without saying that unsafe working conditions lead to a number of problems. But, it’s often worth repeating. When you begin a zero waste initiative, you will likely look for new tools and equipment to help you in your pursuit. Whether you implement new equipment or continue to use your existing tools, ensure that your equipment is reliable and safe. Addressing safety concerns and expensive maintenance and repairs will cost you money and will hurt your bottom line. To avoid this problem, be sure that the machinery and equipment your zero waste business uses is the most reliable on the market. The less time, energy, and resources spent on repairs and updates, the more cost efficient you will be in your pursuit of zero waste.
Evaluate the Efficiency of Your Tools
If we’ve said it once, we’ll say it again, ineffective tools will cost you money. How does this tip differ from what we’ve already mentioned? Glad you asked. Evaluating the efficiency of your tools is much more than just being aware of their reliability and safety. Even if the machinery you use, or may implement in zero waste initiatives, is reliable, safe, and low maintenance, ask yourself this: Is it also efficient? If you were building your processes today, would you choose this the machinery? Does your equipment get the job done quickly? Are there other options on the market that do the job better and faster? Plain and simple, wasting time wastes money. When you pursue zero waste initiatives, seek out the time and money saving options available to you. Stay vigilant and do your research to make sure that the tools you use are the most efficient ones on the market.
Consider Labor Costs
When you reduce the time it takes to get a job done, you also reduce your labor costs associated with the task. For many businesses, this reduction in transportation and labor costs is the easiest way to save money in the pursuit of zero waste. From the first step of your operation to the last, evaluate your procedures and always be on the lookout for ways to minimize your labor costs. Can a task be performed faster? Is there a tool on the market that will make labor easier to complete in a timely fashion? Being mindful of these questions will help your business save money that might be spent unnecessarily on labor costs. This is another strategy for saving money that you can implement in your business when you pursue a zero waste initiative.
Let Us Help You Save Money in Your Pursuit of Zero Waste
With KenBay, you can minimize costs and save money at the beginning of waste management. KeyBay’s commercial trash compactor models offer a safe, reliable, easy to use option for compacting waste before transport, thus saving you money in your pursuit of zero waste. Our RotoPack trash compactors address all the money saving tips we’ve suggested for you.
1. Reliability and Safety
The RotoPac trash compactor by KenBay is easy to use, made of quality construction, and implements several key safety measures. Because of this, you will save money on the safety and maintenance costs associated with trash compacting.
2. Efficiency
The RotoPac is small enough to place directly at the source of your waste. Instead of transporting waste elsewhere, you can compact it right away, saving you time, energy, and ultimately money. In addition, the RotoPac allows for more efficient, continuous trash compacting. Never again will production halt because of waiting time at the trash compactor.
3. Reduced Labor Costs
Although the RotoPac is smaller than traditional trash compactors, it compacts trash at such a rate that you don’t need to empty the compactor as often. In addition, trash is compacted more tightly in a RotoPac than in a traditional compactor. This tight compaction means you can fit more waste into a single bag and make fewer trips to dispose of waste. A trash compactor like the RotoPac that allows you to spend less time collection and transporting waste will reduce your labor costs and raise your cost efficiency.
KenBay produces innovative equipment that maximizes safety and sustainability and minimizes the financial and global impact of solid industrial waste removal. Heavy hitters like the U.S. Navy, Purolator, and Boeing use our cost and work efficient tools daily. We’ve helped these organizations improve their efficiency and save money. Now, we can help your business do the same. Contact us today!
by charlotte | Aug 17, 2016
If you are producing multiple tons of waste a week, logistics costs can start to pile up quickly. Landfills are filling up and many of them are even closing, leading to even higher logistics costs associated with waste because companies are left to ship it farther distances. When you are already paying for other streams of shipping throughout your business processes, it makes sense to spend less on your waste than you do, say, on shipping products to your customers. If you have yet to consider how much you are actually paying in logistics costs when it comes to waste management, it’s time to crunch some numbers and get those costs down.
Waste Management
When it comes to lowering company-wide logistics costs, waste management is a great place to start. Many new business owners don’t consider that waste management is a thing to take seriously until they get that first waste removal bill. There are various streams of waste to consider when doing a waste management audit, and not just those associated with trash. You can also consider other areas of sustainability like energy and water use. Are there other valuable resources that are not being monitored and therefore producing waste besides the actual materials you are sending to the landfill?
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Corporate responsibility necessitates that you manage your waste wisely by recycling and disposing of things like hazardous waste properly. There are many ways to reduce waste coming from your facility, and they all start with a proper audit of all your processes and the waste they produce. By auditing your waste consistently for a designated period you will discover where there are unnecessary or avoidable waste streams and can figure out where to move from there to reduce them. One waste stream you can almost always reduce is packaging. Consider your purchasing practices and how you might order things in a way that cuts down on packaging waste. Packaging can come in many forms from cardboard to shrink wrap and ends up as both trash and recycling.
Furthermore, there are many things that are determined waste that can be useful as opposed to discarded. Things like manilla envelopes and plastic containers can be easily stored for second use. There are also many options to sell used goods to other companies who can use or recycle them, creating a passive income stream where you would have been dishing out in logistics costs.
Invest in a Commercial Trash Compactor
Are you looking to improve the sustainability of your business, as well as the safety of your workplace? Commercial trash compactors are the absolute best bet for achieving both of these goals. With many different sizes and specialities, there are commercial trash compactors for every purpose waiting to prove their return on investment. Not only can you improve the sustainability of your own company, but a commercial trash compactor will help you reduce the volume of waste that you are sending to your local landfill.
For more information about how the manage your waste in such a way that you will reduce logistics costs throughout your company, call KenBay.
by charlotte | Jul 30, 2016
Taking care of your trash and recycling is not only a big job when running a business, but can also be a costly one. There are countless ways to reduce the costs associated with the trash and recycling handling, while simultaneously building a more sustainable business. Whether your main waste streams are in packaging or food waste there are simple ways to alleviate your removal costs.
5 Ways to Reduce Carrying Costs of Trash and Recycling
- Educate Your Employees
The process of reducing the costs surrounding your waste management and trash and recycling hauling specifically begins with education or re-education. Once you have been caught up on all the latest policies, technologies and methodologies, begin to make a plan and spread the information throughout your company. Host informational meetings and find the people in your employ who are passionate about the cause. Use signs to help people remember what they’ve learned about your new waste management direction.
- Reduce Waste
There are many ways to reduce waste coming from your facility, and they all start with a proper audit of all your processes and the waste they produce. By auditing your waste consistently for a designated period you will discover where there are unnecessary or avoidable waste streams and know where to move from there in your goals to make less waste.
- Reduce Packaged Inventory
One waste stream you can almost always reduce no matter your industry is in packaging. Consider your purchasing practices and how you might cut down on the amount of packaging waste you produce. Packaging can come in many forms from cardboard to shrink wrap and ends up as both trash and recycling.
- Reuse Whatever You Can
There are many things that are determined waste that can be useful as opposed to discarded. Things like manilla envelopes and plastic containers can be easily stored for second use. There are also many options to sell used goods to other companies who can use or recycle them, creating yet another passive income for your company.
- Invest in a Commercial Trash Compactor
Are you looking to improve the sustainability of your business, as well as the safety of your workplace? Commercial trash compactors are the absolute best bet for achieving both of these goals for your company, as well as many more when you choose the one that is most suitable for you. With many different sizes and specialities, there are commercial trash compactors for every purpose waiting to prove their worth in investment. Not only can you improve the sustainability of your own company, but a commercial trash compactor will help you reduce the volume of waste that you are sending to your local landfill.
When companies put time, energy and money into considering how they can implement better practices for their trash and recycling handling, they are not only improving their business operations but are giving back to their community and oftentimes they’ll save money doing it. While the immediate costs and initial investments might not seem worth it, the long-term savings and improved public relations are undeniable.
If you are looking for a waste management consultant, be sure to call KenBay to learn more about our expertise.
by charlotte | Jul 22, 2016
Shrink wrap is a prevalent material used across many industries. You’ll find in your grocery stores, and wrapping entire pallets full of shipments. Unfortunately, most of this stretchy, filmy, sticky plastic that can be somewhat of a nuisance ends up going straight into the trash – 95% of it to be precise. That’s a lot of plastic going to our landfills, and in certain industries it gets to be a voluminous waste stream accounting for tens of cubic yards a week, meaning multiple dumpsters full of the stuff. Without making a concerted effort to separate shrink wrap out from the rest of your waste, it’s a loss as opposed to something that could be an added revenue stream for your business.
3 Things About Shrink Wrap
- It’s Recyclable
It doesn’t occur to many people that shrink wrap is actually recyclable since it doesn’t have the token recycle tag on it that has trained us to know what goes in the blue bin. The fact is that there are many businesses that will gladly buy your shrink wrap and recycle it. Any amount of shrink wrap is worth recycling if just to make more space in your waste cans, and reduce your hauling costs even by a little. If you want to learn more about how you might actually save money by recycling your shrink wrap here are some measurements that will make it easier:1 gaylord = 40 cubic feet = 1.5 cubic yards
40 gaylords = 1600 cubic feet = 60 cubic yards
60 cubic yards = 6 ten-yard dumpsters
Perform an audit to figure out what your weekly totals of shrink wrap waste are and then subtract that from your hauling bill and you will determine how much you could be saving by recycling it as opposed to sending to the landfill.
- Keep it Clean and Separate
In order to recycle shrink wrap, you need to keep it separate from the rest of your waste. Since most shrink wrap waste is created in unpacking, be sure that those employees have separate bins for it. Most recycling firms want shrink wrap to be both clean and have all the labels removed in order for them to buy it back from you. Once removed from packaging the shrink wrap should be immediately placed in a waste bin to reduce the chance of its picking up dust, which will happen quickly as it is a sticky plastic.
- You Don’t Need a New Baler for Shrink Wrap
If you already use a baler for something like cardboard and have enough shrink wrap waste to bale, the good news is that you don’t need to buy a new baler to start recycling this as well. If you generate between 2,000 and 4,000 pounds per month a 42-yard compactor will do the job you need to be done. It will take about 20 gaylords of shrink wrap to fill it up the compactor to make one bale.
If you are creating tons of shrink wrap waste a month it is definitely worth contacting a company like KenBay to learn more about what kind of baler you need to start recycling your shrink wrap. We can also help you get connected with the right people who will gladly recycle this waste product for you.
by charlotte | Jun 27, 2016
Balers aren’t just farm tools used for hay, but they are used throughout other industries for things like paper, cardboard, plastic and even textiles. They are one of the most common backroom tools in a retail setting, and keep stock rooms free from the clutter of empty boxes, while helping clothing donation centers efficiently store and ship clothes. If you are looking for a way to better manage waste in your facility, be it boxes or otherwise, balers come in a number of sizes with various purposes and are an affordable solution to help you get more organized and lower your waste removal costs.
Balers aren’t Too Big for Your Backroom
Many people avoid investing in equipment like balers because they assume they will take up far too much room. While some balers can be as large as 12 square feet at their base, there are many smaller models that you will easily be able to make room for, especially considering the fact that they will reduce the size of your waste at a ratio of six to one. Balers aren’t space consuming, they are space creating. Don’t fall for this common misconception and be held back from an investment that will end up showing returns in what can happen in just a matter of months.
Balers for Everything
Whether you’re in a retail store with thousands of boxes that pile up each week, or a food and beverage setting with plastic recyclables or food waste that needs compacting, balers are the perfect solution. A self-contained compactor is perfect for any setting in which wet waste is unavoidable and a plastic bag is available instead of using wire for tying bales. Leakage will always be controlled, and you can even buy biodegradable bags to contribute to your zero landfill initiative should that be your goal. Even if you have waste that is large and awkwardly sized like furniture, you will be able to find balers strong enough for the job. Don’t let your waste cans overflow with unruly items piling them up far sooner than they ought. Make use of balers to do this awkward, time-consuming and often messy waste management job.
Save Money with Balers
Compacting and baling your waste is one of the easiest ways to save money on your waste management costs. More compact waste means you can have it removed from your premises less frequently, saving you money on transportation. Furthermore if you’re recycling a significant amount of plastic, metals or paper and cardboard, you can actually make money selling sorted bales back to the recycling company. This can end up being quite a lucrative stream of income for your business if you’re producing enough waste.
Investing in equipment like balers is one of the best steps to take in rethinking your waste management practices. Ideally you will take time to consider each step in your process to see how you can minimize waste and maximize efficiency, and maybe even partner with a waste management expert to see you through the process and recommend the best equipment for the task. Call KenBay to learn more about how we can help take this step in improving your business!
by charlotte | Jun 16, 2016
Are you looking to start or improve upon a zero landfill initiative to do your part for the conservation of our beautiful world? You’re in luck because at KenBay we are experts in helping companies achieve their zero landfill initiative goals and have all the tools you need to see it through. A zero landfill initiative does more than simply divert waste from the landfill, it will actually end up saving your company money on waste transportation, as well as improve the overall safety in your manufacturing facility.
What is a Zero Landfill Initiative?
As opposed to a zero waste initiative, which constitutes absolutely no waste or recycling, a zero landfill initiative is defined by diverting the majority of waste from the landfill in favor of producing only recyclable waste. There are three degrees of landfill initiatives to strive for, the most ambitious of which is the zero landfill initiative which constitutes that 100 percent of waste is diverted from the landfill. Then there is the virtually zero landfill initiative with diversion rates of 98 percent or higher. Finally the landfill waste diversion initiative is for companies aiming to divert at least 80 percent of their waste from the landfill. Figure out which goal is the most attainable for your company and begin taking steps towards achieving it! Reducing your landfill waste is often a process that will improve over several years so don’t try to fix it all in one month and then never think about it again. It’s a long term commitment!
5 Ways to Make Progress on Your Zero Landfill Initiative
- Work With a Waste Management Company
Waste management companies like KenBay are experts in helping organizations of all kinds reduce their waste. We can help you do everything from company-wide waste audits to find more efficient and safer production practices, as well as provide new equipment that will help you reduce the volume of your waste.
- Perform Consistent Waste Audits
There is no way of knowing how to reduce your waste if you don’t know where it’s coming from and what kind of waste it is. You need to track your waste throughout every aspect of your business in order to make a targeted plan to both reduce and eliminate certain waste streams.
- Think Both Short and Long Term
The necessity of having both a short and long term plan for achieving your zero landfill initiative is absolutely crucial to seeing results. You won’t be able to make huge amounts of progress right away, so make sure you have actionable small goals through which you can measure progress to keep yourself and the rest of the company motivated towards the long term goals. Honda has been working towards their zero landfill initiative for over a decade!
- Buy a Trash Compactor
Trash compactors have the ability to reduce your waste volume at a rate of six to one meaning that, if you are still producing landfill waste, you can significantly reduce the space it will take up in the landfill as well as your own hauling costs. The same trash compactors can also be used for recycling, achieving the same ends for recycling centers.
- Use Biodegradable Bags
A great way to work towards your zero landfill initiative is to use biodegradable bags that will disintegrate over time, leaving one less plastic bag in the recycling center or landfill. This is a small and easy measure to take towards achieving your goals.
A zero landfill initiative is a worthwhile goal for your organization, no matter what industry you are in. If you want to know more about how a waste management company can help you achieve a zero landfill initiative, give KenBay a call!
by charlotte | Jun 10, 2016
Waste removal is something business owners don’t often consider since they aren’t responsible for doing it. Oftentimes when paying for a service, especially from the city, it’s easy to forget that, and the end of the day, we have a stake both financially and in terms of safety in our waste removal. By seeking ways to reduce waste you will necessarily find ways to improve safety in your workplace, as well as save money not only in removal, but also in countless other ways you may not even realize are opportunities.
Start With a Waste Removal Audit
Whether you’re doing it in-house or working with a company like KenBay to perform a waste removal audit, this is the first step in finding ways to improve safety and reduce waste removal costs. Commit to assessing every part of your processes and operations that produce waste and consider how you might be able to cut back on waste in those circumstances. There are often things that can be recycled that are going into the waste can. Another common oversight is the opportunity to reuse things yourself, or find someone in your community who would consider something that is waste to you a valuable resource for them. Turn to your community to find partnerships like this and you just may save money in buying things you could get at discounted prices, on trade, or completely free
A waste removal audit will also give you an opportunity to take a good hard look at how much waste you are actually producing over all. What does your huge trash bin look like at the end of the week? Is it overflowing, or could it go another week without being picked up. Find solutions either way that will help you reduce waste removal costs. Trash compactors are always a great option, whether you’re on one extreme or the other, allowing you to reduce the size of your waste, and therefore the costs associated with removing it.
The Overflow of Audits
The nice thing about performing a waste removal audit is that you will look at waste collection and removal as a whole system throughout your business. You will start to consider how you can streamline this process that before may not have seemed a significant part of anything at all. When you start to reason about where your waste cans are placed, and whether they are in the most strategic and best places, the safety and cleanliness of your workplace will undoubtedly improve. Trash compactors are a helpful addition, allowing you to ensure that your waste is never unruly and unconfined. Waste cans are overlooked hazards by either being constantly overflowing, or placed too close to vents and heat sources. The safety of your employees will increase while your liability decreases when you start to consider your waste removal.
You will never know if there are improvements that can be made if you don’t take that first step in performing a waste removal audit. Get started and don’t hesitate to call in the KenBay troops for some expert advice and help in approving upon your waste removal practices.
