Are you wondering how to ensure your Black Friday stays green? Now is the time to check that your waste management systems are ready ahead of Christmas and Black Friday on November 25th.

People say Christmas seems to come earlier each year. From a waste management perspective Christmas does indeed arrive in November! And If you work in retail or logistics or its associated services you’ll know that preparations for Christmas began many months ago.

Household waste over Christmas

As a householder, it would be reasonable to assume the biggest time for waste collection is just after Christmas. Most of us are familiar with that twinge of guilt when we look at the piles of scrunched up wrapping paper on Christmas Day, or the empty bottles piled up after a good Festive season party.

Peak waste volumes for businesses before Christmas

However, as a specialist waste management provider to the retail and food industry, at Cawleys we know that peak waste recyclate quantity occurs in the fortnight before Christmas. This is the time when most office parties and work related celebrations take place, and also when retailers deliver the most goods ahead of Christmas Day.

Research commissioned from Harris Interactive* for Cawleys has proved that people feel better if they know that waste is being managed effectively.

An easy way to offer reassurance and perhaps boost sales or staff engagement is to highlight how well your organisation manages waste, even at the busiest times of year including Black Friday, which this year falls on Friday November 25th

Here’s a quick guide on how to prepare you waste management systems now to keep your Black Friday green!

Preparing for Christmas waste management check list:

       ✓   Waste streams reviewed by type and expected quantity

       ✓  Appropriate number of collection bins in place

       ✓  Compactors emptied

       ✓  Any internal waste picking or segregation systems prepared

      ✓  Signage and instructions prepared for seasonal staff

      ✓  Collection times checked against expected peak flow

Waste management specialist for the retail and food industry

We work for a wide range of household names, from the Leeds Trinity shopping centre in Yorkshire which includes 120 shops and food outlets,  to the entire 97 acre site Canary Wharf estate in London where 112,000 people work and there are over 300 cafés, shops, bars and restaurants.

Business waste management requirements

Our experience in this sector makes us exceptionally well placed to understand the requirements of businesses in the run up to Christmas, and of course well prepared to help manage the huge peak in waste volumes that this creates.

The circular economy at Christmas

Packaging plays vital part in reducing waste, by ensuring goods are not damaged in transit, and that food keeps fresh and lasts longer.

This is essential all year round, but at Christmas, when there is such a huge peak in volume, as well as in expectations of quality, it is especially important.

We will help ensure that any packaging you are responsible for is recycled and sent for second life uses, and that you continue to play a strong part in the circular economy.

Zero waste to landfill

No one wants to think that their celebrations or activities are damaging the environment, and businesses of course have a legal requirement to process waste, as well as strong financial incentives to reduce waste to landfill.

At Cawleys we aim to go ‘beyond zero waste to landfill’ which means we look for second life uses of waste streams, so that your waste is used in the most constructive possible way.  Legal compliance is of course a given; industry best practice our constant aim.

Our new, bespoke recycling consoles are a great example of this.  They are made from the cardboard we have collected on behalf of our clients – the perfect closed loop.

If you would like to ensure you are best prepared for Christmas or would just like to check that your waste management practices are operationally perfect, please contact our experienced sales team on 0845 509 620 or email sales@cawleys.co.uk

*Harris ‘Eco Eating Report’, Cawleys