Waste in business can take many forms and comes from inefficient processes, activities, and lack of customer focus. The document defines waste as any activity or process that adds costs but no value. It discusses the seven main types of waste - transportation, inventory, motion, waiting, overprocessing, overproduction, and defects. These wastes were pioneered by Taiichi Ohno and can be remembered using the mnemonic "TIM WOOD". Eliminating waste from business processes improves efficiency and reduces costs.