Waste Reduction: a call to action for a more sustainable way of life

November is a month when we are invited to think about waste reduction. Usually held in the penultimate or last week of the month, the European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR) is Europe’s largest waste reduction awareness campaign and a key initiative to raise awareness of sustainable resource and waste management across Europe. It aims to mobilise individuals, businesses and governments to take concrete actions to reduce waste, reuse products, and recycle materials. EWWR actions are based on the 3Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – in that order.

At Christeyns we add another R at the top: Refuse and Rethink, because we believe this is one of the most powerful moments of consumption.

Taken together, these are the R’s that not only shape the way we consume as consumers, but also the way we design our products as manufacturers.

Christeyns waste hierarchy

It is not by chance that the 3R’s are at the top of the waste hierarchy, because that is how the waste hierarchy should drive personal (or organisational) decisions:

At a personal level

Reduce:

Reduction means refusing to create waste in the future and rethinking how we create our products, which together will lead to a reduction in waste. The most important question we should ask ourselves is whether we really need something before we buy it. This consideration should extend to the packaging that products come in; is it really necessary or could it be bought with less packaging?  We could also consider whether the items we need could be borrowed from a friend, repaired if broken, or shared with a neighbour.

Reuse:

A reuse mindset is an important step in becoming a conscientious consumer. Single-use items should be replaced with reusable ones in all areas of life. By acting in this way, we lead a movement within our group of friends and family, and influence others to change their behaviour and do the same.

Recycling:

Although better than landfill, recycling is not the preferred option as it means that waste has already been generated. If serious efforts are made to reuse and reduce, recycling should be a small part of the overall effort.

At a corporate level

But while each individual can make a difference, much more can be achieved if companies also commit to these practices. This is the case at Christeyns, where we are committed to reducing the amount of waste generated in our operations, with the aim of reducing waste by 5% per tonne produced each year.

Annual amount of waste per tonne at Christeyns

It’s a long way to go and we are relentless in our pursuit of continuous improvement. Here are some key actions we have been taken over the years:

Reduce:

Our R&D department is constantly working to develop new, more efficient and, where possible, more concentrated products. Our engineering department is working tirelessly to develop innovative equipment allowing allowing, for example, products to be dispensed via IBCs. We also prioritise bulk delivery, which eliminates the need for packaging.

Reuse:

Around 20% of our production output was delivered in reused packaging: we reused IBCs and 200 litre drums wherever possible.

Recycle:

We already supply a small proportion of our products in recycled packaging. We also strive to ensure that our packaging material is sent to a recycling facility whenever possible. However, due to the safety standards and regulations in our business, our options are limited, which is why we are focusing on the first step of the pyramid: rethink & reduce + reuse.

We are clearly on the right track and we want to achieve more each year. To know more about our efforts on sustainable practices, read our CSR report.

(*) Waste includes cardboard & paper, plastics, wood, and general waste.