With natural resources becoming ever more scarce, and sustainability moving up the agenda of many businesses, the ability of individuals and organisations to improve their waste management processes will become ever more important for a business’s reputation.

1. Paper to digital:

This perhaps the most obvious change, and you can see examples of it wherever you look. For example, a cursory look across the pond to the United States of America, President Obama has recently signed into law which requires the Environmental Protection Agency to move to a completely digital system of records by 2015. This would, in turn have the effect of making it easier for businesses to report their data on waste management to the EPA through a handy “e-submissions” system. Similarly, the rise and rise of e-mail, coupled with the leaps being made by the tablet, means that it will become more effective for businesses to rely more and more on digital systems in their daily operations.

2. 3-D printing:

3-D printing is set to drastically revolutionise manufacturing, from commercial use and mass production, from personal use, to public construction. The process of 3-D manufacturing will actually, one could argue, allow us to create more waste; yet the promise of 3-D manufacturing for waste management purposes can’t be underestimated. 3-D printing could, after all, be powered using recycled plastics. Indeed, the environmental impact of 3-d printing is thought to be more positive if designers and manufacturers could make more use of recycled plastics.

3. Energy from recycling organic waste:

Another American innovation has seen techies in California push the boundaries of eco-technology. One innovation is the development of the conversion of waste into a form of sustainable energy. A facilitity in Sacramento, California, known as the “biodigester”, is one such example.

4. A heightening of corporate responsibility:

The PR role of companies and big international conglomerates is more important than ever in the fight to create a more sustainable world. With their consumers more environmentally conscious than ever, and in a 24/7 news cycle, companies cannot, quite literally, afford not to be environmentally friendly, as their customers will continue to demand that they become ever more. Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that more sustainable businesses will themselves become more efficient as a result of introducing more sustainable practices.

5. Bans on plastic:

Plastics take ages to photo-degrade, and can be dangerous to local eco-systems and wildlife, with some companies and cities now beginning to ban plastic products such as food packaging made out of polystyrene packaging. Whether governments and companies will be able to fully phase out plastics in a bid to revolutionise waste management, remains to be seen.

Contributed by Hein Bassom, writing on behalf of A Plus Skip Hire