Why Technology is Key to ESG Reporting to Improve Enterprise ESG Compliance

ESG compliance is increasingly important for companies. Yet, ESG reporting isn’t always easy, especially when it comes to reporting your waste management and recycling efforts.

Why have companies struggled with reporting their recycling and waste management data? Because ESG reporting requires verifiable metrics and data—and in most cases, when it comes to recycling, that sort of information is difficult to obtain. Companies often partner with a recycling company, but they can’t even count their efforts toward their ESG scores because there’s no data to back up those initiatives. That’s where technology comes into play.

At CheckSammy, we use our proprietary technology to provide detailed data to our customers, which they can use to help ensure ESG compliance. Let’s look at the benefits of using technology for your ESG reporting.

5 Benefits of Using Technology for ESG Reporting

Here are five reasons why it pays to use technology for your company’s ESG reporting.

1.Verifiable and Unalterable Data

This is the most important benefit, because data is power. When you have verifiable data to back up your recycling and sustainability efforts, there’s a lot more available to you. For example, you can use those numbers for ESG reporting, marketing, or public relations.

However, as we discussed, it’s nearly impossible to get this sort of data without technology. Technology gives you the information you need to empower all your sustainability initiatives.

2. The Ability to Track and Improve

Without data, it’s impossible to know what you’re doing right and where you’re falling short with your sustainability initiatives. As a result, you could be wasting money, time, and effort on initiatives that aren’t making an impact.

Alternatively, you could be missing a major area for improvement. Again, technology gives you the data you need to see the picture clearly. For example, if your university’s cafeteria is throwing out tons of expired food or wilted produce, this knowledge will enable you to adjust inventory practices to cut back on waste.

3. Avoid Greenwashing

There are many recycling and sustainability companies that offer sustainability solutions. However, without data, there’s no real way to ensure your waste is actually being handled responsibly.

For instance, look at TerraCycle, the recycling company facing a major lawsuit because they can’t prove that they’ve actually recycled any of the items companies are paying them to recycle. As a result, both TerraCycle and the companies that hired them are being accused of “greenwashing.”

Greenwashing is the practice of providing misleading information or a false impression that your organization’s processes or products are more sustainable or environmentally sound than they actually are. It’s a PR and compliance nightmare and something you definitely want to avoid.

4. Market Your Goods With Ease

When you use technology to generate data, it’s easy to showcase your efforts to your investors, customers, and the public. For example, with CheckSammy, you receive detailed reports full of useful information like how much waste was diverted away from landfills.

How beneficial would it be to tell your community that you diverted 75% of your waste away from landfills? Using technology means having access to hard numbers like these to support PR and marketing initiatives.

5. Simplified ESG Compliance

One of the biggest reasons to incorporate technology and data into your recycling and sustainability is compliance. Whether we’re talking ESG compliance or city, state, and federal compliance, having quantifiable data is the best way to protect yourself from compliance issues and hefty fines.

Use Technology to Improve Your ESG Compliance and Reporting

With all these benefits, it’s clear why we think technology is critical to ESG reporting to help improve enterprise ESG compliance.

At CheckSammy, we use next-generation sustainability technology to provide in-depth recycling data and reports. And all our data is EnergyStar, GRESB, and LEED verifiable. We can even customize the data to your specific needs.

If you’re ready to use data and technology to empower your sustainability initiatives, contact us today.