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Waste Management – Seven Facts You Never Knew
Waste management might not be something we think of on a daily basis. Especially when we’re at work. A business will generate more waste than an average household. Ten times over. Be it paper waste, water waste, technology waste or a lack of recycling bins- waste is happening, and it isn’t good. This is something that needs to change. As a business, you can actually help with waste management more than you think and there are financial and reputation based benefits in doing so. Many businesses have embraced a zero waste attitude and are helping the environment, and themselves in the process. Some waste management facts can be shocking to hear, but amongst them are equally shocking positives that come out of it. If you are a business that needs to update their recycling ethos, then these facts may help.- It’s unlikely a business doesn’t use a computer and maybe a few of them. In fact, it’s used so much that one day it will burn out and break down. Probably heading straight for a skip on its way to the landfill. But computers can be recycled, unfortunately we ignore this and dump around 50 million tons of electrical equipment every year. Ctrl-Alt-Delete.
- How many times have you had to file away paperwork? Shred it? Print it? Sign it? Chuck it? Enough times to cut down 4 million trees a year. Tonnes and tonnes of paper just heading to a landfill, when really recycled paper can be turned into something new in just seven days. Your weekly copy of metro you pick while travelling to work could be the same you picked up last week. The only new thing is the scandals.
- Companies can benefit from attempting a zero waste to landfill ethic. The avoidance of diverting company waste to a landfill and trying for a complete reuse of waste could save a company £500 a month in landfill tax. Maybe more. The office Christmas party just got a little bit fancier, just turn off the printer at the wall.
- A companies landfill efforts are vetted by third party verification parties. There are three categories a business can be fitted into. Zero Waste to Landfill:Products, facilities and/or organizations that have achieved a landfill waste diversion rate of 100 percent. Virtually Zero Waste to Landfill: Those that have achieved a landfill diversion rate of 98 percent or greater. Landfill Waste Diversion: For those that have achieved landfill waste diversion rates of 80 percent or greater. A lot of customers like the idea of using a company whose mind is also on the environment. Waste not want not.
- Water waste is something we forget needs management. In a business setting you have multiple people using the bathroom. People going in and out every day flushing toilets and leaving taps on. A leaky tap could waste around 5000 litres of water, what happens if someone leaves the tap fully on? Water rates don’t pay themselves and the planet doesn’t save itself.
- Lighting in offices is usually made up from those florescent tubes with one that always flickers in the corner of the room ominously. These are rarely disposed of in an environmentally friendly way. That’s leaves us with 80 million tubes and 4 tonnes of mercury scattered about in a landfill.
- By building healthy waste management habits, one small business can help the world. This can be hard work, but there are companies out there that specifically help business become more sustainable. A good investment for your business and the world your business lives in.
The History of Waste Management.
The history of waste management is a story of urban modernization as people moved to cities, and the industrial revolution that attracted them, as businesses and amenities made waste removal infrastructure necessary for environmental and sanitation reasons. It wasn’t until sanitation became so bad in UK urban areas, that a cholera outbreak led to a greater understanding of the need for waste management. The first outbreak in London 1832, was initially thought have been spread by a bad smell, but it wasn’t until the mid-19th century when Dr. John Snow hypothesized that the disease was water-borne. This not only led to a better understanding of the disease but also brought about London’s subterranean sewage system. The modern history of waste management can be traced back to the 1875 Public Health Act, which brought into law modern refuse collection – and demanded that household waste be put into transportable form. Since then, waste has been tackled in many ways. In the 1920’s, the first incinerator was produced and first used in Nottingham. While successful in reducing waste, the incinerator’s by-product was clouds of pollution over the city, and this method ultimately faced strong opposition. Landfill sites are still used to this day, and remain the most effective means of waste removal and management for a growing population with increasing consumption habits – but focus is now turning to reducing these waste mountains. However, waste management techniques have continued to evolve as the environment, and the issue of pollution gaining in increasing importance, and also the needs of business to safely dispose of waste. Recycling has become essential to reduce costs and to re-use expensive or finite resources, as issues of our effect on the planet becoming a pressing issue. Plastics account for 10% by weight and 26% by volume of all recycling in the UK; glass can be recycled indefinitely and is 100% recyclable. Metals, on the other hand, are much more difficult to recycle and can lead to further pollution and pollutants reaching water supplies and soil. Paper recycling is essential to minimize deforestation – and the bulk of this comes through commercial use – but the switch to a paperless society and working methods, mean that businesses are reducing the need for this type of recycling. The ideal in waste management is the concept of ‘Zero Waste to Landfill’ in which all waste can be broken down into its basic constituents and recycled effectively. Aside from the tangible economic benefits to businesses and firms, it is necessary for a world in which ‘carbon neutral’ objectives are becoming an imperative and a reality. The commitment for business to implement a zero waste to landfill strategy requires planning and commitment, but with these measures in place it could lead to organizations finding that they can reduce their outlay through the supply chain.Which hazardous wastes can be recycled?
Hazardous Wastes
Hazardous wastes are waste materials that is considered dangerous to to humans, animals or the environment, or if it contains a substance which is dangerous. Where possible we are encouraged to recycle or reuse these items to reduce the amount of waste produced to reduce the impact on the environment.
What is a hazardous waste?
Examples of hazardous waste include:
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Asbestos
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Chemicals eg. Brake fluid or printer toner
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Batteries – household and car batteries
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Solvents
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Pesticides
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Car Oil
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Fluorescent tubes
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Electrical items eg tvs and fridge freezers
What can be recycled?
Electrical appliances are the fastest growing waste stream in the UK at the moment, as these items are frequently replaced in the home. Fridges, freezers, tvs, computer monitors and large domestic appliances such as washing machines can all be recycled at your local waste management centre.
Items such as fluorescent tubes and smaller electrical goods such as kettles are recyclable, but they need to broken down and separated at the waste management centre before being recycled. Even energy saving lightbulbs can also be recycled along with fluorescent tubes!
These items can be taken to your local refuse centre at any time and should be disposed of in the designated areas.
What cannot be recycled?
Household or garden chemicals should not be washed down the drain as these can run into water systems and contaminate them. Instead you can try contacting a specialist waste facility for advice on how to dispose of these hazardous materials safely.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral which is found in many older homes, and it is often disposed of illegally as it is one material which cannot be taken to every waste management facility. If you have asbestos that you need to get rid of, speak to your local council to find out which centres are licensed to dispose of the material legally.
Construction and demolition waste generated from DIY or excavation, for example bricks, rubble, plasterboard and soil is not recyclable waste but it can be taken to your local waste management centre to be disposed of. Tradesmen can register to take more rubble and waste, so if you are doing a lot of work in your home then you can contact a private contractor to remove this for you. Normally nothing more than a car load of household waste will be accepted from non-licensed members of the public.
Seven Top Hidden Risks In The Waste Management Industry
Try as we might, we can’t ever avoid risk. Even when we’re trying to do something as positive as waste management. As business, you try to avoid risk at all costs. Depending on what kind of business you’re in, and if you’re in a waste management industry job, you probably fill out risk assessments on a weekly, if not daily basis. But what are the hidden risks? The ones that slip under the radar and catch you out at the last moment. Some are easily forgotten or not even thought about, but unfortunately, be it in law, personal injury or environmental damage, it won’t matter how hidden the risks are.- Legal Risks.
- Hazardous Waste
- Risk of Injection.
- Skin Contact
- Inhalation Risks
- Noise Risks
- Personal Hygiene- Or lack of.
