FEATURE
GREEN BUSINESS
Greener, cleaner and leaner
-managing your waste sustainably
Donald Ward (pictured), Head of Recycling and Technical at
ward.com, discusses ways businesses can improve their green credentials - and bottom lines - by recycling waste.
MINIMISING WASTE TO LANDFILL Annually, Ward removes enough mixed business waste from across the UK to fill Wembley Stadium. With efficient sorting and recycling, this could be significantly reduced. Passionate about sustainability, Ward aims to divert over
90% of waste it received from landfill. Most businesses can recover and recycle almost all of their redundant materials, from single stream materials such as paper, glass, cardboard and food through to mixed waste, redundant electrical equipment, construction and office waste.
FAR FROM A PAPERLESS OFFICE Research estimates that the average UK office worker uses 10,000 sheets of paper in a single year. This is equivalent to 20 standard reams of paper, of which it is thought that almost 70% ends up in the bin. As well as high grade printer paper, offices create other piles of paper waste which can be recycled, including leaflets, envelopes, magazines, newspapers and cardboard - all of which is 100% recyclable. Installing recycling points can positively increase recycling within the office.
CONFIDENTIAL SHREDDING One of the biggest security threats in modern business is unauthorised use of private data. New GDPR regulations will come into force in May, with large penalties for companies that fail to comply and protect data. Ward offers bespoke offsite confidential shredding solutions to securely destroy and recycle all documents, giving you peace of mind ethically and environmentally, while satisfying these new legal requirements.
PAPER IS JUST THE START So many items can be recycled or reused to prevent them going to landfill. From printer cartridges to electrical equipment, there is always a recycling option that can increase your sustainability and reduce your landfill tax bill.
AUDIT YOUR WASTE A good place to start is with an audit of your current waste streams. This is to establish types of waste, quantities and collection requirements that exactly fit your needs. Ward works with all sizes of businesses, from a contract with a single container all the way through to large-scale national contracts for various mixed wastes.
48 business network April 2018
PRACTICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT PLANNING A waste management plan makes business and financial sense – long term it can save you money, contribute to improving profitability and reduce your landfill tax obligations. Regular waste and recycling collections also help meet
health and safety requirements, reduces required storage space and improves your environmental credentials.
REALISTIC WAYS TO INCREASE RECYCLING Reducing waste to landfill could be as simple as segregating waste into different materials on site, or as complicated as finding a bespoke solution to recycling a new material. Materials such as cardboard, metals and some plastics have positive values, so you could get paid for recycling.
WASTE MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES The EU target to recycle 50% of our waste by 2020 is unlikely, but it is everyone’s corporate, social and environmental responsibility to try. Regulations and legislation such as the Landfill Directive
Pre-treatment Regulations and the Landfill Tax require waste producers to sort waste before sending it off to landfill. Another legal consideration for businesses to consider is the waste hierarchy, which states that reasonable measures must be taken by organisations that produce or handle waste to prevent waste and improve reuse. If you have specialist waste to remove, such as
hazardous chemicals, asbestos, confidential materials or electrical equipment, there are also specific licenses and regulations that must be obtained and adhered to in disposing of these types of wastes correctly.
KEY CONSIDERATIONS Companies don’t always give enough consideration to their long term waste management strategies. The cheapest quote is not always the most cost effective, legal or sustainable option. It is important to work with a reputable, local, accredited
partner which can ensure all environmental responsibilities are met and is focused on minimising waste to landfill. This will reap financial and environmental benefits long term for businesses.
Recycling points are a great way to encourage recycling
‘Most businesses can recover and recycle almost all of their redundant materials’
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