Waste sorting at iGRAIN: Creating value through simple solutions and involvement of employees

iGRAIN provides solutions for grain monitoring and has since 2014 been located at Marielundvej 32A in Herlev. As a participant in the Herlev Municipality project on waste sortering, iGRAIN has recieved professional guidance to meet new legal requirements on this matter.

On March 21st 2023 iGRAIN presented the results of the project to other local businesses.

Mapping waste
Experts from Econet made a thorough mapping of existing waste at iGRAIN. This showed which types of waste were present as well as where they originated.

”The mapping of our waste was very helpful. It gave us an idea about which types of containers and stations we needed. Furthermore, it gave us an opportunity to Side 2 af 3 rethink our existing waste handling, and see if there was anywhere we could optimize our handling. And there was! In the office area we removed the individual waste bins and established only one waste station. We had a constructive internal process in which all our employees were involved in the dialogue”, explains Mia Ritterband-Rosenbaum.

Involvement of employees
By engaging employees in the process, the individual and common needs were discovered. For instance, there was a difference between the production area and the office area. For employees in the production area, it would not be suitably if they had to walk to another room to dispose of their waste. Therefore, iGRAIN decided to purchase some small containers from IKEA which could easily be hooked on to the waste bin.

In the office area on the other hand, all the waste bins have been removed and instead one waste station has been established in the room. In the kitchen on each floor a waste station has been established with containers for different fractions. In the stock room there is a container for cardboard, paper as well as a container for waste that does not go in any of the other containers.

Old cardboard boxes becomes new waste bins
Instead of investing in new waste bins, iGRAIN used existing containers such as old cardboard boxes.

”Since we were in a proces, where we from the start didn’t know how much waste we would produce, it made perfect sense for us to use old cardboard boxes as waste bins. We didn’t want to invest in something large and expensive, just to find out later that it was not the best solution for us. Over time, we have gained knowledge about how large a waste bin we need for each of the fractions”, says Mia Ritterband-Rosenbaum.

In terms of the waste bins, it is also important for iGRAIN that these are not too big or unmanageable – especially when it comes to waste that in large quantum becomes very heavy such as paper.

iGRAIN has made a contract with a waste collector who can come by the facility whenever it is necessary. When iGRAIN knows more about the need for disposal, the plan is to make a contract that takes into account that the waste is collected in a fixed interval.

A good advice to other businesses that are about to work with waste sorting is have a practical mindset and involve employees in the process:

”We recommend others to take practical action. Establish only one waste station in the office area and involve employees in order to learn more about different needs. Inform employees about changes and follow up and evaluate these changes. Everyone is sorting at home, so it’s all about transferring these routines from home to the workplace”, says Mia Ritterband-Rosenbaum.

Source: Affaldssortering hos iGRAIN: Lavpraktiske løsninger og involvering af medarbejdere | Herlev Kommune