We can look at the negative aspect of waste from both an environmental and business perspective. In both cases waste is a mismanagement of resource and both have implications for sustainability.

A business that wastes manpower, energy and raw materials reduces its profit margin, which hinders its ability to operate, e.g. invest in new technology or new product development and will threaten the long-term prospects and future of the company.

On the other hand wasting the natural finite resources available to mankind, either squandering materials available in the earth's crust or damaging resources through pollution may end in disaster for us all.