Online tool helps genU cut its food waste

THE Barwon South West Waste and Resource Recovery Group is helping to drive better business recycling habits across the region through the implementation of its new waste self-assessment tool.

The free “Rethink Your Footprint” tool is a Leaders for Geelong initiative, designed to enable businesses to make significant improvements in their waste and resource recovery practices, and providing short-term and long-term positive impacts on both businesses and the environment.

Leading disability provider genU has been using the tool, and genU’s Business Enterprises are saving an estimated $5,000 annually.

Food services manager for genU Business Enterprises Peter Helyer said that when he came into the role 10 months ago, the organisation’s waste procedures needed improvement.

“One of our primary services is food preparation, and as a result, we produce considerable amounts of organic waste. Yes, we had a recycling bin, but everything else was going into one skip which was being emptied twice a week.”

The “Rethink Your Footprint” tool found that as much as 70 per cent of genU’s Business Enterprises total waste was flagged as organic waste going straight to landfill.

“The audit on our bins and processes was truly eye-opening,” Mr Helyer said.

“It defined our issues in specific kilo/weight statistics, which helps you understand how you are doing things, and how a few operational changes can have a massive impact.”

The audit identified 15 different waste streams, and led to recommendations to reduce costs and improve waste practices such as to have skips emptied less regularly, and replace large skips with smaller, more defined, waste bins.

“Day-to-day, nothing has changed except where our waste goes,” Me Heyler said.

“It’s great knowing that we are now doing the right thing, as well as improving how we operate.”

“Rethink Your Footprint” was presented at the Leaders for Geelong Project Presentation Breakfast, held last week at Novotel Geelong.

For more information on the tool, head to bswwrrg.vic.gov.au/business-and-industry.