• Business
    • Case Studies
    • Companies
    • Growth
    • Strategy
  • Functional
    • Finance
    • HR
    • Marketing
    • Science & Tech
  • Leadership
    • Be a Leader
    • Books
    • LDR Show
    • Leadership Nuggets
    • Movie Wisdom
    • Soundbytes
    • Women & Leadership
  • Personal
    • Character
    • Values
    • Competence
  • Soundbytes
  • Free E-mag
  • Videos
  • About Us
Leaderonomics.com
Leaderonomics.com
  • Business
    • Case Studies
      Embracing Digital To Power Growth

      Embracing Digital To Power Growth

      Malaysia: Celebrating A Nation's History

      Malaysia: Celebrating A Nation's History

      Lessons from 3M: Why Investing In R&D Is Your Ticket To Success

      Lessons from 3M: Why Investing In R&D Is Your Ticket To Success

      Developing Support Systems For Occupational Stress: A Critical Need

      Developing Support Systems For Occupational Stress: A Critical Need

    • Companies
      Simple Mindset Changes To Evolve As A Leader

      Simple Mindset Changes To Evolve As A Leader

      6 Things Every Entrepreneur Should Be Grateful for in 2019

      6 Things Every Entrepreneur Should Be Grateful for in 2019

      Leading The 200-Year-Old Postal Service In The 21st Century

      Leading The 200-Year-Old Postal Service In The 21st Century

      Changing The Outlook of Learning

      Changing The Outlook of Learning

    • Growth
      Embracing Digital To Power Growth

      Embracing Digital To Power Growth

      Simple Mindset Changes To Evolve As A Leader

      Simple Mindset Changes To Evolve As A Leader

      Leadership Lessons From Madam Secretary

      Leadership Lessons From Madam Secretary

      The New World Of Work Workers & Workplaces

      The New World Of Work Workers & Workplaces

    • Strategy
      Embracing Change

      Embracing Change

      10 Communication Strategies For New Leaders

      10 Communication Strategies For New Leaders

      How To Build Winning Teams

      How To Build Winning Teams

      The 7 Critical Trends That Make Thought Leadership An Imperative For Any Business

      The 7 Critical Trends That Make Thought Leadership An Imperative For Any Business

  • Functional
    • Finance
      Investing, A Rather Boring Thing To Do

      Investing, A Rather Boring Thing To Do

      Financial Literacy: The Essentials Of A Leader

      Financial Literacy: The Essentials Of A Leader

      A Student's Dilemma: ACCA vs An Accounting Degree

      A Student's Dilemma: ACCA vs An Accounting Degree

      Finance A Must On The Path To CEO

      Finance A Must On The Path To CEO

    • HR
      When Should You Speak Up?

      When Should You Speak Up?

      Driving Value With Digital Transformation Initiatives

      Driving Value With Digital Transformation Initiatives

      10 Communication Strategies For New Leaders

      10 Communication Strategies For New Leaders

      Whistleblowing In Organisations

      Whistleblowing In Organisations

    • Marketing
    • Science & Tech
      How The Frog Virtual Learning Education Is Revolutionising Teaching And Learning

      How The Frog Virtual Learning Education Is Revolutionising Teaching And Learning

      The Latest Developments in the ICT Subsector in Malaysia

      The Latest Developments in the ICT Subsector in Malaysia

      Electrical And Electronics On The Next Level

      Electrical And Electronics On The Next Level

      Going Green Does Have Tangible Benefits

      Going Green Does Have Tangible Benefits

  • Leadership
    • Be a Leader
      The Importance of Getting People to Understand the ‘Why’

      The Importance of Getting People to Understand the ‘Why’

      Defining the Role of Senior Leadership

      Defining the Role of Senior Leadership

      Leadership Lessons from Ludwig van Beethoven

      Leadership Lessons from Ludwig van Beethoven

      Meaningful Communication: The Key To Solving Workplace Problems

      Meaningful Communication: The Key To Solving Workplace Problems

    • Books
      Why You Should Assess A Leader’s Capacity For Critical Thinking And Judgment

      Why You Should Assess A Leader’s Capacity For Critical Thinking And Judgment

      5 Skills You Need To Be A Great CEO

      5 Skills You Need To Be A Great CEO

      Be A Giver And A Taker

      Be A Giver And A Taker

      Are You Afraid Of Being An Original In A World Full Of Conformists?

      Are You Afraid Of Being An Original In A World Full Of Conformists?

    • LDR Show
      "You can be competitive without sacrificing your price", Says Datuk Sulaiman Mohd Tahir

      "You can be competitive without sacrificing your price", Says Datuk Sulaiman Mohd Tahir

      “I didn’t learn anything in the books about leadership or management", Says Tan Sri Azman Hashim

      “I didn’t learn anything in the books about leadership or management", Says Tan Sri Azman Hashim

      Attracting And Retaining Talent: Insights from Kimberlyn Lu

      Attracting And Retaining Talent: Insights from Kimberlyn Lu

      The Necessity of Change: Nuggets of Wisdom from Rejie Samuel

      The Necessity of Change: Nuggets of Wisdom from Rejie Samuel

    • Leadership Nuggets
      Leadership in Four Dimensions: Jonas Prising on Human Resources, Malaysia and Leadership

      Leadership in Four Dimensions: Jonas Prising on Human Resources, Malaysia and Leadership

      "Have Intentionality In Your Daily Life", says Kim Underhill

      "Have Intentionality In Your Daily Life", says Kim Underhill

      "Explorers Are Map Makers", Says Jana Stanfield

      "Explorers Are Map Makers", Says Jana Stanfield

      Leadership Nuggets: Worry Not When We Fail

      Leadership Nuggets: Worry Not When We Fail

    • Movie Wisdom
      Lessons From Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

      Lessons From Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

      Leadership Lessons From Madam Secretary

      Leadership Lessons From Madam Secretary

      Lessons From A 68-Year-Old Classic That Changed The Face Of Visual Storytelling

      Lessons From A 68-Year-Old Classic That Changed The Face Of Visual Storytelling

      Life Lessons From <i>Goodbye Christopher Robin</i>

      Life Lessons From Goodbye Christopher Robin

    • Soundbytes
      Developing A Vision For An Organisation

      Developing A Vision For An Organisation

      How Does Developing Our “Self” Lead To Purpose?

      How Does Developing Our “Self” Lead To Purpose?

      Finishing Our Race Well

      Finishing Our Race Well

      RYG: Leadership Lessons from Joan of Arc

      RYG: Leadership Lessons from Joan of Arc

    • Women & Leadership
      5 Lessons from the Life of Chetna Sinha

      5 Lessons from the Life of Chetna Sinha

      Lessons We Can Learn From Oprah Winfrey

      Lessons We Can Learn From Oprah Winfrey

      RYG: Leadership Lessons from Joan of Arc

      RYG: Leadership Lessons from Joan of Arc

      Leadership Lessons From Joan of Arc

      Leadership Lessons From Joan of Arc

  • Personal
    • Character
      How Hunger For Praise Hinders Success

      How Hunger For Praise Hinders Success

      The Difference Between Gifts And Bribes

      The Difference Between Gifts And Bribes

      Lessons From Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

      Lessons From Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

      Balancing Your Weekdays And Weekends

      Balancing Your Weekdays And Weekends

    • Values
      How Hunger For Praise Hinders Success

      How Hunger For Praise Hinders Success

      Defining the Role of Senior Leadership

      Defining the Role of Senior Leadership

      The Difference Between Gifts And Bribes

      The Difference Between Gifts And Bribes

      Living Out The Leaderonomics Core Values

      Living Out The Leaderonomics Core Values

    • Competence
      Balancing Your Weekdays And Weekends

      Balancing Your Weekdays And Weekends

      The Power of Storytelling in Achieving Authentic Leadership

      The Power of Storytelling in Achieving Authentic Leadership

      How To Create A Sense Of Agency In Your Young Ones

      How To Create A Sense Of Agency In Your Young Ones

      The Shocking Truth About Success

      The Shocking Truth About Success

  • Soundbytes
  • Free E-mag
  • Videos
  • About Us
  • Follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Linkedin
    • Youtube
    • Instagram
Home
Business
Companies

Zero-Waste Office: The Why And The How

October 12th, 2018 Business, Companies, Functional

Share this article

Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest
Zero-Waste Office: The Why And The HowBusiness

By LOUISA DEVADASON

 

Solid waste is one of the three major environmental problems in Malaysia. This puts a great amount of strain on our ecosystem and our own well-being.

At present, over 23,000 tonnes of waste is produced in Malaysia every day. We are also the 8th worst producers of plastic waste in the world.

The amount of waste generated continues to increase due to the increasing population and development – and only less than 5% of the waste is being recycled. 

Co-founder of Zero Waste Malaysia, Khor Sue Yee and members Tina Yap and Yeong Sze Ern shared their organisational waste management strategies.

Zero Waste Malaysia is a non-profit organisation that began in 2016 with the vision of furthering the Zero Waste Movement in Malaysia.

They provide a platform for Malaysians to share and learn how to generate less waste and organise Zero Waste events.

One of the key ways to tackle this issue on the ground is to simply reduce our own output of waste.

The first step is finding out exactly how much of it is created, where the waste is coming from, and how the waste is being generated.

However, this can be tricky in an office setting because offices use significantly more resources than homes.

A typical office, for example, may contribute up to two pounds of waste paper, per employee.

Khor says it can also be industry dependent, “For instance, paper is a major waste source created in corporate environments while packaging waste is likely to occur in a manufacturing company.

“I personally believe that all organisations should evaluate and identify their major waste source and find ways to reduce it.”

“Recyclable waste produced in offices is mostly paper, and some packaging that office supplies and tools come in. The most common non-recyclable waste individuals at work produce comes from the use of disposable coffee cups, tissues, and snack packaging – including takeaway food and beverages.” adds Yeong.

It is necessary and important for organisations to take charge of their waste habits as it has a ripple effect on the larger community.

Yeong shares, “the change that is required to reverse the negative impact we’ve had on the environment has to be collective – as a community – which requires systemic change and this of course, involves organisations.”     

Yap adds, “Reducing waste from going into landfills is essentially a form of social justice. Land degradation and climate change severely impacts rural communities and those living in poverty.

“They are defenceless as rural areas lack mitigation strategies and basic facilities. An accountable organisation should constantly seek opportunities to encourage and empower employees to mobilise for positive change.”

 

Organisational initiative: Integrating policies 

“Refuse what you do not need; reduce what you do need; reuse what you consume; recycle what you cannot refuse, reduce, or reuse; and rot (compost) the rest.” – Bea Johnson, Zero Waste Home

 

Khor says that actions speak louder than words and that is why Zero Waste lives by the principles of the 5Rs’ (Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rot) in order to create a sustainable workplace.

The feasibility of each depends on the organisation.

However, implementing a waste management plan is essential to any zero-waste office program.

Products such as paper, plastic, and even leftover food can be put towards recycling or composting programs.

“If the practice of refusing is hard, setting up a waste segregation area works best as an alternative. For door-step collection at the workplace, the employer can utilise companies like Recircle, a mobile recycling application that makes recycling more convenient,” advised Yap.

Yeong shared that her organisation has formed a Go Green committee made up of a group of employees who look for ways to reduce waste and advocate green initiatives across the organisation.

They recently launched a Tapao Corner where unused containers and recyclables are kept and are eventually donated to i-Cycle – a waste separation and recycling solution provider.

“Employers and leaders need to share their commitment with the whole organisation and display their efforts in reducing their waste publicly.

“This can range from initiatives at the top level like including green initiatives as part of the organisation’s policies, to the basic act of practising what you preach and encouraging employees to get involved,” she shared.

What can you do? 

These are some of the actions Khor, Yeong, and Yap shared that you and your company can take today:

  • Educate yourself on the big sources of waste in Malaysia and its impact.
  • Evaluate your sources of waste and discuss as a team, how to reduce it.
  • Incorporate a zero-waste culture into your work climate as the organisation’s commitment through intentional office practice, campaign, or policy. Instil the idea of the refusing and reducing lifestyle. 
  • Simple actions make a real difference. Organisations, corporate and others, can start with the small things such as replacing all single-use items with reusable ones. Encourage employees to keep things as digital as possible to reduce paper usage.

Civic responsibility 

“Leadership requires the courage to make decisions that will benefit the next generation.” ‒ Alan Autry

 

Beyond our corporate social responsibility, communities and nations succeed when everyone has a sense of civic duty and responsibility to one another.

In the case of the environment, this is especially true as our actions do not exist in a vacuum but instead, impact the wellbeing of others and ourselves.

With a worldwide call to “Go Green,” sustainable business practices should consider not only the use of resources in production, but also the assurance that those resources can be replenished for future use.

 

Prefer an e-mag reading experience? This article is also available in our 13th October, 2018 digital issue. Access our digital issues here.

 

Louisa Devadason

Louisa is currently pursuing a Masters of Development Practice overseas, majoring in community development. She is an editorial associate and freelance writer with Leaderonomics. An extrovert who loves the outdoors; she thinks change is exciting and should be embraced. Chat with her by emailing louisa.allycyn@leaderonomics.com.

Share this :

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Tags
  • Go Green
  • GREEN OFFICE
  • KHOR SUE YEE
  • Tina Yap
  • Yeong Sze Ern
  • ZERO WASTE
Next article Millennials Don’t Want Fun; They Want You To Lead Better
Previous article Solar Energy: The Future Of Energy Consumption In Malaysia

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Bahasa Malaysia | English

Pick of The Week

Feb 4th 7:54 PM
Business

When Should You Speak Up?

Jan 31st 9:00 AM
Business

Embracing Digital To Power Growth

Jan 29th 9:00 AM
Functional

Driving Value With Digital Transformation Initiatives

NEW – On The Leaderonomics Show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXY0Z5dJVSI
  • Business
  • Functional
  • Leadership
  • Personal
  • Soundbytes
  • Free E-Mag
  • Videos
  • About Us
  • Back to top

About Leaderonomics.com

Leaderonomics.com is a leadership portal owned by Leaderonomics, a social enterprise passionate about transforming nations through leadership development. Leaderonomics.com features leadership insights, trends, CEOs, thought leaders, HR leaders and inspiring real-life stories for your personal and professional development.

Contact Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy      
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed on this website are those of the writers or the people they quoted and not necessarily those of Leaderonomics.
[Sitemap | RSS]
Copyright © 2010-2019 Leaderonomics Media Sdn Bhd. All rights reserved