Steps toward a waste-management strategy

• Start thinking of your waste as a potentially valuable resource, not as a valueless nuisance.

• Audit your waste. It is essential that accommodation operators know what type and volume of waste is being produced. From this, the cost of waste can be calculated and the economies of better waste management can be argued with some force.

• Involve your staff. Keep them informed about what you intend to do and listen to their suggestions and ideas.

• Start small. Introduce trial schemes to sort and sift waste. Aim for things you know you can do-it all adds up in the end.

• Order only re-useable or natural materials. Encourage your suppliers to come up with suitable alternatives. Re-use food containers; use cloth or canvas bags for laundry; use the thriving second-hand market to dispose of unwanted furnishings.

• Keep a register of all hazardous chemicals and teach staff how to dispose of them safely. Better still, try and replace these materials with less hazardous or non-toxic materials.

• Explore the intangible benefits of better waste management. What marketing value might it have for the establishment? How can it give staff a new sense of involvement? What links could be created with the local community?

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