FEATURE
“That’s why, if businesses are serious about reaching sustainability goals and hitting the targets set out at COP26, FMs must address the fate of all waste, including the residual non-recyclable waste –the forgotten waste, as we call it.”
The first step to reduce methane is to ensure that FMs and their organisations have a greater understanding of the waste supply chain as a whole so that they can take full accountability for every single decision made.
Dr Wise continues: “Reducing widespread use of landfill relies on there being other affordable, accessible alternative solutions and there have been great strides forward with improved practices and the use of innovative treatment technologies.”
Here, he outlines three actionable changes FMs can make to begin the journey to cutting methane, carbon and futureproofing operations in a changing world.
Sort and separate waste on site Sorting waste into three main streams – clean organic (food waste), residual (mixed waste) and segregated recyclates – at source helps FMs to better understand their waste and the disposal routes that are appropriate and available. This is far from innovative, but a surprising number of organisations still don’t do this. Moreover, FMs need to learn that if organic matter is present within the recyclates, they will not be recycled and are headed to landfill or incineration.
Treating some waste streams on site Taking waste off site comes with an additional environmental cost as lorries generate carbon emissions, so there are real benefits to treating waste at the source. Biotechnology has come into its own
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here, particularly with the residual waste that can’t be recycled because it comprises an organic fraction. Biotechnology makes it possible to reduce the mass of this waste stream by typically 50% on-site – which means fewer collections and less road-related carbon, as well as cost savings. Perhaps most significantly, it results in considerably less waste going to landfill or Energy for Waste (EfW) incineration plants.
Send separately collected food waste for anaerobic digestion This process can be used to treat completely organic waste streams and create green energy (electricity, gas or fuel) and considerable carbon savings. The circle is completed perfectly when organisations buy that green energy back.
Dr Wise concludes: “It can be easy to rely on outsourced partners to do the green thinking but FMs need to understand their different waste streams, how they are handled currently, how they can be handled and how all of this fits within the wider waste journey. This knowledge will help FMs to query waste handlers’ choices, dictate desired waste outcomes and chart a course for continual improvement.”
The pressure for FMs to think greener is ever increasing and as long as sustainability remains at the top of the global agenda, it’s here to stay. From achieving net zero to cutting methane, it can seem overwhelming but by championing waste management at the board level, educating business leaders about the waste journey and the technologies available and setting their own targets, FMs can quickly become ambassadors for positive change.
www.advetec.com TOMORROW’S FM | 43
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