This year’s Southern Highlands Outstanding Business Awards include a new ‘Waste Wise’ category recognising businesses that have contributed to the local environment through the appropriate minimisation of their waste.

While what businesses do with their waste is usually unnoticed by their customers and suppliers, we are all aware that sending potentially recyclable or reusable waste to landfill is an unnecessary environmental and financial cost to the community.

Recognition of the achievements of those businesses that have made the effort to reduce their waste will provide positive models for other businesses to follow, to the benefit of all.

Nominated businesses do not have to be large, they simply need to have enthusiastically embraced the creed of ‘avoid’ reuse and recycle’.

There are many things that businesses can do to minimise waste, save money and protect the local environment.

Some of these are:

• Refusing goods with excessive packaging

• Using recycled content materials (such as recycled paper products

• Reducing paper waste by printing on both sides of a piece of paper

• Sending unwanted boxes or pallets back to suppliers for reuse

• Using refillable ink and tone cartridges for printers and copiers

• Buying bulk concentrates of cleaning and other liquids and reusing large containers to store them in.

Recycling or reusing materials such as paper and cardboard, glass, oils, plastics, metals and organic/green wastes.

Take a little time to nominate businesses who have made the effort to appropriately minimise their wastes by asking them what happens to their waste, and do your own bit by refusing excess packaging and using a reusable shopping bag.

Finally, if you are a business that has initiated a waste reduction strategy, tell your customers and suppliers.

Much to do with waste minimisation goes on behind the scenes, and with consumers increasingly basing purchasing decisions on environmental criteria, it is important to communicate what you are doing and thus create a positive image about your business and a responsible member of the local community.