Business waste and recycling

Waste management for businesses

Resource efficiency is not just an environmental initiative, it is also an important business process that could potentially save your organisation a lot of money.

All businesses generate waste and have to store, handle and recover or dispose of it and there are legal requirements for managing your waste efficiently. Waste costs money, typically up to 4% of business turnover, and by finding ways to reduce waste, your company could become more profitable.

Waste minimisation and the waste hierarchy
To make savings in your waste costs and reduce the impact on the environment, following the waste hierarchy, reduce, reuse, recycle, disposal, it helps to identify different options by ranking them in order of environmental impact. Start at the top of the hierarchy to eliminate all waste where possible.

Start thinking about how you can reduce the amount of waste you generate in the first place, maybe through procuring products and goods that come with less packaging, double sided printing or paper free office environment. Where possible reuse materials to prolong their life before recycling or disposal.  Recycle common materials such as cardboard, plastics, paper, glass etc.  There are a number of private waste collection contractors that will be happy to discuss recycling arrangements.

Waste Legislation

Laws specific to waste are designed to prevent the environment from being polluted by business waste and to encourage more sustainable management of waste. Some legislation applies to all business waste, whilst some deals with particular types.
Visit Net Regs for more detailed information on waste legislation and regulation.  You are responsible for complying with legislation related to storing, handling and recovering or disposing of waste. INet Regs explains the specific rules that apply to specialist types of waste including hazardous waste, packaging waste, and electrical and electronic waste. And it outlines the rules that apply to transporting waste.

Date Updated: 12/01/10

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