Cut costs and reduce your environmental impact by making your business more sustainable this year. Read on for top energy, waste, and water tips for your business in 2025.
1. Deep dive into your waste to save
The first step towards smarter waste management is understanding what is coming into and leaving your business. A waste audit can help you to do this.
Regarding bins, companies usually charge businesses ‘by the collection’. That means, if you have one bin that is collected weekly, you get charged the same each week (one collection) no matter how full the bin is. So, the golden rule is to make sure your service frequency coincides with full bins. To do this, assess what you put in your bins and how much you place in them.
2. Understand your energy use with the energy calculator
Knowing what is adding to your electricity bill is key to lowering your energy costs. Compare your energy usage to the industry's average using Brisbane Sustainability Agency’s energy calculator.
The calculator gives useful tips on making free changes or smart investments. These can help you cut energy use and lower your bills.
3. Consider a solar system
Brisbane averages more than seven hours of sunshine each day, making it the perfect place to invest in a solar system for your business. Find tips from Brisbane Sustainable Agency on what to consider when buying a solar system.
4. Reduce your paper, reduce your costs
Moving processes online and sorting documents can help you reduce your paper and reduce your costs. As well as reducing costs, using less paper has numerous environmental benefits, including:
- cutting manufacturing emissions
- reducing transport emissions
- saving water.
5. Start a recycling program in your workplace
Paper, bottles, and boxes fill general waste bins quickly and service costs can be a significant business outlay. Implement a recycling program in your workplace to improve your sustainability, redirect waste from landfill, and lower costs.
Start with recycling cardboard, paper, glass, aluminium and plastic. You can recycle small glass and plastic bottles through container exchange programs to raise funds for your business or charity.
The Sustainable Business Hub has teamed up with Containers for Change. They are giving free Business Starter Kits to eligible businesses.
Whether you’re a small or a large organisation, the benefits of joining Containers for Change QLD are substantial.
6. Turn your trash into cash
Save money on bills by selling or giving away your unwanted items. Use ASPIRE, an online marketplace for Brisbane businesses.
You can sell, exchange, and trade waste materials easily. An ASPIRE registration is free for businesses of up to 100 employees within the Brisbane Local Government Area (LGA). Larger businesses are eligible for a discount.
Let your staff know what you are doing and why you are doing it. Keep educating your team throughout your recycling journey. Use our ready-made signage to inform your employees about what they can recycle.
To make this process easier, place recycling bins in common areas. This will encourage people to recycle.
7. Compost your food waste to reduce costs
Organic waste is the primary waste in Brisbane bins. This material comes from kitchens and gardens. This not only weighs a lot and fills your bins, but it also raises your waste collection costs. Sending this to a landfill creates harmful greenhouse gases.
Businesses can dispose of food and other organic waste by:
- educating staff about waste separation. Make it easy with colour-coded bins and signage.
- composting leftovers from lunchrooms
- adding a commercial compost bin to your waste contract.
8. Installing water-saving nozzles
Save water outdoors by using the right type of nozzle. Nozzles reduce the amount of water that flows through your taps and distribute water wider or increase the pressure.
Low-flow taps for hand basins save water by mixing air into the water flow. By installing low-flow taps or aerators, you can cut water use from 15-18 liters per minute to just 2 liters per minute.
For hospitality businesses, kitchen chisel spray nozzles can reduce your water usage by 70%. The nozzles use a strong spray designed to remove stains and food scraps so you use the tap for less time.
9. Repair leaks before they drain your profit
Water leaks from pipes, plumbing fixtures and fittings can occur in any property, at any time. They can occur in new homes, old homes, outside, inside, above or under the ground. Read Brisbane Sustainability Agency's article on repairing leaks before they leak your capital.
Target leaks in toilets. One audible leak could cost $158 per year. If your business has large bathroom facilities, a few leaks can significantly add to the costs. Read Brisbane Sustainability Agency's article - Toilet talk: reduce water and bills.
More tips and information
For more tips on sustainable business, visit the Brisbane Sustainability Agency's Sustainable Business Hub. You can see how other business owners saved money on their bills.
Related links
*This article was updated in January 2025.*