Practical Approach to Waste Management
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The document provides an overview of waste management, detailing what constitutes waste, the various types (municipal, hazardous, business), and reasons for effective waste management, including legal compliance and environmental protection. It outlines responsibilities organizations have in handling waste, emphasizes the importance of the waste hierarchy, and offers practical strategies for waste reduction and recycling. Additionally, it highlights the necessity of measuring and monitoring waste practices to achieve efficient waste management goals.
Practical Approach to Waste Management
- 1. Practical Approach to Waste Management Vassia Paloumbi Energy Manager/Independent Consultant/Green Goddess Gemma Birley Director, Green Finch Environmental Consulting
- 2. What is waste? • Waste is unwanted or unusable materials. Waste is any substance which is discarded after primary use, or is worthless, defective and of no use • Examples include municipal solid waste (household rubbish), hazardous waste, wastewater (including sewage and surface runoff) and radioactive waste • Sometimes it is difficult to define • Business waste (trade, commercial or industrial waste) is any material disposed of by any organisation, whether for profit or not and whether public or private • Organisational waste is classed as controlled waste Examples of business waste materials include: • Used packaging • Discarded food • Discarded electrical equipment • Construction/ demolition waste
- 3. Why waste management makes sense • Legal compliance and reputation • Cost of waste disposal: usually 4-5% of turnover, sometimes as high as 10% • High/ increasing cost of new materials • Environmental protection: pollution, carbon reduction • Customer/ public interest • Circular Economy: waste as a resource
- 4. Legal responsibility As an organisation, you have a legal duty of care to ensure that you produce, store, transport and dispose of your organisation’s waste without harming the environment or human health This includes: Following the waste hierarchy Storing waste safely and securely to prevent pollution Keeping different types of waste separate Using registered waste carriers Checking environmental permits for waste sites Completing waste transfer and hazardous waste consignment notes Keeping records Specific requirements for packaging, WEEE and batteries
- 5. Waste collection Transfer waste to registered carriers https://environment.data.gov.uk/public-register/view/search-waste-carriers-brokers
- 7. Reduce and Reuse Building projects: refurbish/ reuse materials Catering: minimising disposables and surplus food Paper reduction: electronic processes, double-sided etc Supplier engagement e.g. reducing/ reusing packaging, consolidating shipments Reuse schemes e.g. Globechain, Warp It, Free Cycle, Ebay, Swapshops Local / chosen charities Office furniture (donate or redesign) Electrical equipment repair Stationery sharing/ reuse days
- 8. Setting up a working scheme: internal Identify your waste streams Different strategies for different areas (kitchens, back of house, offices, visitor areas, loading bays, engineering workshops) Start with minimum two bin system (general waste and recycling) Add further segregation for e.g. paper/ confidential waste, food
- 9. Match inside with outside Consider ad hoc waste e.g. electricals, batteries, hazardous wastes One size does not fit all: consider purpose and cost (number of bins and collections required) Consider: Different size bins Compactors Skips Balers Specialised containers Digesters!!! Setting up a working scheme: back of house and external
- 10. Going further with recycling Comingled vs separated: paper, card, aluminium, plastics Confidential waste!!! Coffee cups Food waste Coffee grounds Cardboard (free?) Pallets (free?) Textiles
- 11. Tips: Location & Practicalities Take away personal bins Create cluster of bins centrally, near to where waste is produced Use the same colour bags and bins Avoid black bags if possible Don't be pedantic! Don’t accept double-standards
- 12. Tips: Communications Always use informative signage, with pictures Train housekeeping staff and other teams involved with waste Use other media: intranet articles, funny videos, recycling awareness days Bust the myths: recycling does make a difference! Share and celebrate progress Competitions between teams Don’t underestimate the power of containers and signage! Assume everyone knows what to do Penalise/ name and shame Green wash
- 13. Tips: Measuring & monitoring Sad but true: you can’t manage what you can’t measure! Carry out regular audits and bin checks Identify bin monitors/ green champions Ask your waste collector for data Create a waste register Set realistic targets Waste reduction 60 - 70% recycling rate Zero to landfill Communicate results to encourage ongoing improvement Consider formalising through an Environmental Management System (EMS)
- 14. If you look you will find
- 15. Resources • Training: Waste Management Course EMA, Green Finch, CIWM • Awards: Green Apple, Clean City, MRW national recycling awards • Certification: Carbon Trust Standard – waste, zero to landfill
- 16. Thank you Vassia Paloumbi vpaloumbi@hotmail.com Gemma Birley Green Finch Environmental Consulting gemma@green-finch.co.uk
- 17. Waste collection Non-hazardous waste: Waste transfer note Keep records for two years Hazardous waste: Hazardous waste consignment note Consignee returns Keep records for three years https://portal.edoconline.co.uk/register
- 18. Storing waste Store waste safely and securely to prevent pollution: Secure containers – covered, waterproof, inaccessible to public Labelled with waste type On impermeable ground Away from drains/ watercourses Bunds/ barriers around liquid wastes to contain spills and leaks Regular checks for leaks, spills or other potential risks Separate storage for: Hazardous and non-hazardous waste Different types of hazardous waste