Waste management that is lean

Material handling procedures that don’t add value are reduced with the aid of a Lean approach to waste management. Businesses can save time, money, and space by using lean waste management techniques.

Ineffective methods of waste management

It is common practice in many businesses to place tiny containers around the building to collect waste or recyclables like cardboard and plastic. In the image on the right, these are denoted by tiny, blue dots.

The waste must then be picked up and taken outside, where it must be further sorted and processed by folding or cutting before being loaded into a container or compactor once more.

Workflow is hampered as a result, making it ineffective. Internal accidents and erroneous sorting are more likely to occur, especially when material is delivered by forklift truck (FLT).

Standard waste containers have several disadvantages

There are various drawbacks when businesses employ external waste containers for waste collection:

Significant time wastage in the movement of materials to the exterior container area and additional loading time
Uncompacted cardboard and EPS (Polystyrene) waste space, necessitating the use of additional containers or pricey collections
Constant collection costs: regardless of whether the container is full or not, it gets emptied
Wrong substance in the incorrect container! Inaccurate sorting results in extra costs
Large Carbon Footprint

The Lean methodology focuses on streamlining workflows by getting rid of pointless procedures, cutting down on internal and external travel, and making constant advancements.

Although they are common in industrial settings, lean methods have a lot to offer other industries.

Benefits of Lean Waste Management

Mil-Tek customizes waste solutions based on Lean concepts. As part of a Lean waste management strategy, our compressed air-driven waste compactors are placed as close to the unpacking area as possible, precisely where the garbage is generated, as can be seen in the image to the right.

This eliminates the need to fold the waste or “walk with it” it to a container and allows it to be handled instantly, straight into a cardboard baler or plastic baler. The garbage is 90% compressed in the baler. When it displays a full bale, it may be safely and quickly emptied. The compressed bales can be conveniently stored until being collected for recycling.

Lean waste management produces a far more effective work flow in which you may manage your garbage more quickly and efficiently while also spending less money on containers and collections.

Minimize Forklift Truck use by utilizing Lean Waste Management

Forklift truck driving-related workplace incidents happen often, and they can have devastating outcomes. If there is a mix of vehicle and pedestrian traffic, the danger of accidents increases. Clutter in the transport area makes the situation much worse.

By compacting waste at the source, a lean approach to waste management greatly decreases the requirement for forklift truck operation and raises safety standards.

Reduce trips by truck by 10:1
Your travels can move ten times as much stuff when you condense the material before moving it. This many fewer trips means fewer accidents, increased productivity, and cost savings.

Four crucial Lean principles

Here, you may learn about four fundamental Lean principles that Mil-tek largely applies while creating a custom waste solution for you.

Continuous improvement, or “Kaizen”
It’s about incorporating the entire team in ongoing improvements. ‘Kaizen boards’ are frequently used in businesses to track the development of new Kaizen concepts that increase productivity.

“8 types of waste”
TIMWOODS! A great way to remember the 8 sources of waste: Time, Inventory, Motion, Waiting time, Overproduction Over-processing, Defects, Skills.

“Value Stream Mapping”
Mapping production flows or other processes with a view to identifying areas that can be improved or made more efficient.

“5S” – a tool for creating system and order
Sort, Set in order, Systematic cleaning, Standardize, Self-discipline. By working with 5S you can achieve: Better ergonomics, improved working environment, higher quality, time saving, increased productivity, employee well-being, etc.

– A new ‘S’ has been added, the sixth: Safety: All of the aforementioned tasks must be completed in a secure working environment.