Clean Business Challenge Case Studies

Allport's Hostel offers its guests facilities for the collection of food scraps which are composted on site. Guests are also encouraged to recycle all beverage and food containers, and these are collected once a week by a local contractor. All paper and cardboard is collected once a fortnight for recycling.

Applejack Resort Motel has five rooms which all share in a recycling program. Recyclable food and beverage containers, paper and cardboard are collected in separate bins, and when full, are dropped of at the nearest recycling centre by the owner. Food scraps are composted on site.

Australian Laser Charge, a small re-manufacturer of laser cartridges has secured its own markets for shredded plastic components that can no longer be re-used.

Badger Makes Badges buys all stock in bulk where possible to reduce excess packaging. Empty cotton cones, along with scrap material, are made available to a local kindergarten for craft use. The majority of furniture used on site was purchased second hand. All used paper and cardboard is collected by a local recycling contractor.

Barilla Bay has a waste management policy in place and conducts periodic audits and as a result is well aware of the wastes being generated on site. All beverage containers collected from the restaurant are stored in 240L MGB's and collected once a fortnight. Cardboard boxes are flattened and stored in a cage, which is collected once every 3 weeks. Spent oyster shells are crushed and then reused as road base on the numerous roads owned by the company. The company also tries to source products that are delivered in cardboard as opposed to plastic.

Battery World Hobart collects all types of used batteries as part of a service to its customers. These spent batteries are then sent interstate for reprocessing under the MRI Sealed Battery Recycling Program. All cardboard packaging is collected in a trailer, which when full, is dropped off at the local recycling depot. The remainder of waste (which is not recyclable) is collected in a small MGB and emptied every 3 weeks.

The Body Shop is part of a world-wide cosmetics retail chain that is strongly committed to the environment, and encourages customers to return empty containers to the store for refilling or recycling.

Bridges Bros flat packs used cardboard cartons in a private trailer, dropping it off to the local recycling depot when full. Staff make note pads from junk mail printed on one side. While some pallets used for the delivery of stock are collected by the supplier, pine pallets are not returned. These are broken up and offered to the community as firewood.

Cadbury Schweppes reduced its waste to landfill by one-third between 2001 and 2002, by introducing a comprehensive cardboard recycling program at its Claremont plant.

Caltex Macquarie Street realised that it could save money regarding the collection of its cardboard packaging. Where once they were paying for the cardboard to be collected, they have since purchased a cage trailer for $400 and drop off the cardboard at the local recycling centre when full. It took only 6 months for the trailer to pay for itself. The service station has also ceased selling pre packaged oil, and instead purchases bulk oil in 206L Drums which it decants into pouring bottles.

Cartridge World Moonah segregates all office and workshop waste in a labelled bin system. Those materials that are recoverable are being collected by local contractors, while others (toner) are being stockpiled for future application. Remanufactured cartridges are packaged in paper bags for resale.

Cascade Brewery's general rubbish disposal has been forced down by Cleaner Production techniques by 65% over five years, whilst its production has increased by a third.

Central Café Bar uses a series of labelled bins to separate its recyclables from the general waste stream, which are then collected once a week by a local contractor, along with paper and cardboard. The kitchen also reuses plastic containers where possible to store excess food.

EFI Automotive Electronics recycles all cardboard through the local recycling depot. All other wastes are separated into labelled drums, and where possible, collection is organised through local recycling contractors. The business charges an environmental levy to customers, where applicable to help cover some of the collection/disposal costs.

The Heat Pump Shop was spending $200-$250 per week in disposal charges (cost included the paying of two employees). However after setting up a number of resource recovery initiatives the Heat Pump Shop has been able to reduce its waste disposal charges to around $45 per week in peak season, which is a saving of over $10,000 a year. Cardboard is dropped off to Collex's MRF at no cost. All waste paper is taken next door to Cool or Cosy for reprocessing into insulation. All metal waste from stripped air conditioners is collected by metal recyclers.

House of Herbs engages the services of a recycling contractor to collect scrap paper (once it has been used on both sides) and cardboard. Other packaging waste, such as polystyrene and cornstarch insulation, is collected and used when re-packing stock for shipment. General garbage and beverage containers are dropped of at the local Waste Management centre for disposal and recycling.

Jefferson's Teas reuses cardboard boxes for packaging their own goods. Each box is relabelled with their own label. Newspaper and plastic bubble wrap are used as packing material, while plastic bags are reused as bin liners. All food wastes are composted on site.

Juicy Isle has a comprehensive reuse and recycling program, with colour-coded bins to assist in segregating waste throughout its manufacturing, packaging and office operations.

Knopwoods Retreat has for a long time been proactive with recycling on site. All beverage containers and cardboard are collected weekly by a recycling contractor. Milk crates used to transport milk to the premises are taken back by the supplier. Smokers now have a number of receptacles to place their cigarette butts. Until now, staff collected butts at the end of the night using a blower vac.

Macquarie Pharmacy and Salamanca Pharmacy Plus recycle paper waste and other recyclables where possible. A number of wholesalers take back cartons for reuse, and out-of-date drugs are collected from the general public as part of a drug take back scheme, for correct disposal.

Midcity Cameraworld has installed a de-silvering unit to remove around 1kg of silver a month through its photo processing service. Plastic film canisters are reused by schools and through the local council's butt litter program. Cardboard is also collected for recycling.

The Murdunna Store collects all food and beverage containers, plus paper and cardboard and drops these off at the local transfer station. Food scraps, which include day old salad rolls, are given to the locals as feed for their chickens.

Norske Skog Boyer has a range of programs including a demolition reuse and recycling program that recovers 27% of its costs.

PAC gas recycles materials such as copper and brass, generated through the plumbing side of the business, to metal recyclers, once suitable quantities have been gathered

Printertech works closely with the local community by supplying schools with booklets of scrap paper and spent printers and computers. A local potter and glassware manufacturer reuse their cardboard boxes and packaging waste for packaging their wares.

Shalom B & B composts its food and green waste on site and puts it back into the garden, while cardboard is dropped off at the local recycling centre

Sufi's shop and café gives glass jars to the Op Shop for use by local jam makers. All food scraps are composted on site and used in the garden, along with office paper, which is first shredded. Further to this, Sufi's collects boxes from the local hardware store to lay under the woodchips on the garden to stop the propogation of weeds.

Tasmanian Medical Supplies shreds all office paper for reuse as packaging material. Cardboard boxes are also repacked and sent on to clients around the state. Labels are used to ensure that the correct materials are placed in each recycling bin.

Tasmanian Unique Crafts manufactures replicas of the first weight operated clocks from the 15th century, using Tasmanian timbers. All timber off-cuts are stockpiled for future application, while sawdust is used in the garden and chicken pen.

The Taste of Asia collects all food and beverage containers in labelled drums, which are then recycled once full. All food is purchased in bulk where possible and some suppliers offer a take back scheme with regard to cardboard boxes. A grease trap was also installed to trap all waste grease from the kitchen.