Bundle Waste
Retail waste decisions start at the receiving area and returns desk. Separate packaging generated by normal deliveries from stock that needs a product, safety or brand decision. Then compare the collection setup against what the store actually produces.
Sort the stockroom workload
- Delivery packaging: record cardboard, wrapping, foam and reusable transit packaging separately.
- Returns: identify resale, repair, supplier-return and waste decisions before items reach a disposal area.
- Recalled stock: keep it under the recall owner's instructions rather than treating it as a routine clearance.
- Shopfloor waste: check what customers actually discard and provide clear accepted-item signage.
ACCC guidance assigns recall responsibilities across the supply chain. Donation or clearance sale is not a substitute for the prescribed recall action. ACCC Product Safety: Be prepared to recall.
Work with suppliers
Ask whether deliveries can use returnable packaging, fewer layers or a confirmed take-back arrangement. Trial changes with a specific product line and check breakage, staff handling and transport impacts before expanding. A reduction in packaging is useful only if the goods remain protected.
Check whether a baler is worthwhile
| Input | Record |
|---|---|
| Material | Accepted cardboard grade and measured or clearly estimated volume. |
| Current service | Actual container and collection costs. |
| Equipment | Purchase/lease, installation, servicing, consumables and staff time. |
| Operating constraints | Safe space, training, loading and collection format. |
| Recycling offer | Receiver acceptance, transport charges and any firm rebate. |
Calculate a payback only from those inputs. There is no verified universal purchase price, compression ratio or payback period in this guide.
Coordinate multiple stores
Use a common service register while preserving shopping-centre rules, loading windows and each site's contract deadlines. Compare total annual cost with all fees included, then test the new arrangement at a manageable site before expanding.
NSW EPA's business resources include assessment tools for measuring waste and identifying actions. Use data from your own store rather than an assumed waste-per-store figure. NSW Environment Protection Authority: Business and government waste reduction and recovery.
See multi-site collection planning and product destruction specifications for decisions that need a separate brief.
Sources
- ACCC Product Safety — Be prepared to recall. Checked 18 September 2026; Start the recall; Identify suppliers; Activate your recall plan.
- NSW Environment Protection Authority — Business and government waste reduction and recovery. Checked 18 September 2026; Business recycling; Bin Trim.