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2. Engage Stakeholders


The most common ‘mistake’ made is a failure to address


the all-important issue of hearts and minds. We must


recognise that simply changing the containers we use to


collect waste or altering the collection frequency does


little more than scratch the surface of what is possible.


Changing the way your employees think about waste is,


without doubt, a difficult thing to do but also very powerful.


One simple action that can be taken is to start to change


the language we use. If we can get people to think,


not about waste, but about resources that have both a


commercial and environmental value it can be a small


but effective first step.


3.Communicate Change


Our audience has changed, it is no longer limited to


‘Heads of Sustainability’ or ‘Environmental Managers’


but now includes stakeholders from a broad spectrum


of responsibility, including purchasing, business


development, account management, FM and supply chain.


This diversification clearly presents a challenge in terms of


communication, but this is far outweighed by a larger more


engaged audience who recognise the commercial and


environmental opportunity.


Tear up the Rule Book


After considering these steps the best way to implement


change is to start at the point of procurement. Naturally


it is a very digital discipline, focusing (quite rightly), on


pounds and pence. Often, when the time does come for


change, the process ends up being a cost saving exercise


based on a like-for-like service. The resultant focus on


price per lift and collection frequency makes it hard to


implement any of the company’s sustainability objectives.


Businesses prepared to tear up what has gone before and


start by defining what they want to achieve are without


doubt, the most successful in bringing about change.


This enables the creation of a more flexible, creative and


efficient service, which is output focused and aligned to the


corporate objectives.


Don’t be Afraid to Be Bold


Be open and transparent about your intention. This means


publishing a meaningful statement with targets and timescales,


not just a vague positioning statement designed to


satisfy shareholders. Businesses should not be scared to


publish goals, that is, after all, what they are. If they cannot


be met, be honest about why. If there were external factors


that could have enabled these goals to be reached or that


impeded progress, use this as a way to raise awareness


and to try and bring about change.


4. Incentivise Change


Aligned to the point above, the carrot for change must


not be exclusively for those with an environmental remit


to chase. By including sustainability objectives into every


role, we can increase awareness and change behaviour


to help us work towards a common goal. It will also help


the understanding that sustainability is, indeed, a cross


functional responsibility and should start to influence the


way decisions are made.


5. Measure it to Manage it


This is a difficult one. Value is measured in more than


pounds and pence. As a business, you can drive value for


all your stakeholders be they shareholders, customers,


suppliers, employees or local communities through


developing a more sustainable business. Building this


dimension to your brand fosters loyalty and goodwill


and can help a business find new and engaging ways to


differentiate and grow.


Email to request full Sustainability Business Guide, which


includes further steps, quick win achievement techniques and


success stories: nathan@helistrat.co.uk

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