Waste Minimisation: General Background

Last updated: (February 2005)

Introduction

Excessive waste is often due to the inefficient use of resources, and dealing with it has an impact on the environment. The production of waste needs to be addressed if both resources and the environment are to be sustained. This Reference Note examines some of the factors underlying the need to minimise waste at source.

How Much Waste is Produced in the UK?

About 145 million tonnes of solid waste are produced in the UK each year by households, commerce and industry, including construction and demolition. Landfill sites receive over 60% of this waste for disposal (approximately 20% of this is household waste, 40% industrial & commercial waste and 40% construction & demolition waste).

As well as the 145 million tonnes of solid waste, even larger amounts come from other sources such as agriculture, mining and quarrying, sewage sludge and dredged spoils. Altogether, approximately 400 million tonnes of waste are produced each year. Half of all waste recycled is in the form of aggregates for the construction industry.

About 84% of household waste goes to landfill, while only 7% is recycled. Landfill sites represent a finite resource, which is rapidly diminishing. Landfills can create problems with groundwater pollution and they are a source of carbon dioxide and methane emissions, both recognised as contributing to global warming. The need for waste minimisation is therefore clearly important to reduce the current demand for landfill and to ensure the future protection of the wider environment.

What is Waste Minimisation?

Waste minimisation, also known as waste prevention and source reduction, is the design, purchase, manufacture or use of products and materials which reduce the amount of waste generated. Waste prevention is not recycling, which is an effective way to manage waste materials once they have been generated. Waste minimisation actually reduces the amount of raw material used and therefore the amount of wasted resources discarded.

Avoiding the creation of waste is the most sustainable of waste management techniques. However, at present, per capita waste creation is still increasing. This growth needs to be arrested and reversed. In Germany and The Netherlands, for example, per capita waste generation has fallen as a result of policies introduced in the late 1980s. Effective strategies for waste minimisation are largely beyond local control; and therefore the Governments set mandatory targets rather than voluntary objectives.

Many businesses are still unaware of the cost of waste disposal. Yet with help from organisations such as the ETBPP and Business Environmental Associations, many companies could make substantial reductions in their waste, and therefore, disposal costs. It has been demonstrated that companies could save 1% of their turnover by implementing a systematic waste minimisation programme. Waste minimisation often results in substantial savings through reduced purchasing costs and more efficient practices. It also has wider environmental benefits such as reduced energy consumption and pollution, conservation of natural resources and extension of valuable landfill capacity.

How Do I Start Waste Minimisation in my Company?

Prevention is better than cure. Recycling and treatment carry higher costs and can lead to pollution, while dumping or discharge usually carries the highest cost of all. Follow the waste minimisation hierarchy for the best long-term benefits and look for solutions for your organisation which are as close as possible to the top of this hierarchy.

Use a Systematic Approach

A systematic approach begins with top level commitment and the formation of a team. The next step is to quantify and cost your wastes. The best options can then be ranked, costed and implemented. Reporting on successes provides feedback and maintains momentum, it also enables future targets to be set.

Steps in waste minimisation

Commitment

All successful waste minimisation programmes begin with senior management commitment. This ensures that all individuals within your organisation work together in a positive manner to gain maximum benefit from the initiative. One of the best ways of getting senior management commitment is to convince your board of the financial and wider benefits that can be achieved. Start by identifying one or two areas with immediate savings for your company. For example, look at the Environmental Technology Best Practice Programme case studies and ET30 Finding Hidden Profit - 200 Tips for Reducing Wastes to get easy cost saving ideas for your organisation.

Assessment

Most companies find it beneficial to appoint a team leader or company champion to co-ordinate and facilitate their waste minimisation programmes. Involving teams and champions helps to increase staff awareness at all levels and motivate individuals to take action and participate.

During the Assessment Phase, data on quantities and costs are collected and organised. Collecting baseline information is an extremely important phase of the systematic waste minimisation programme for two reasons. First, the baseline information should be a benchmark against which to measure future improvements and cost savings. Second, the information is crucial for identifying priority areas and setting achievable waste reduction targets.

Information should be collected in a systematic manner to ensure that as complete an initial assessment is made as possible. Begin a paper or electronic database of all information collected.

To start the assessment, use a process flowsheet (Figure 1) to map your company’s inputs and outputs. Start by looking at your company or site as a whole and identify the main raw materials and utilities used - and the wastes produced. Determine the cost of each input and output, the quantities of materials used and the costs associated with different forms of wastage. This will identify the areas of business producing most waste, and which therefore require priority attention in a waste minimisation review. Use information which is readily available or make best estimates initially.

Remember waste is not just discarded materials. It includes the cost of wasted raw materials, rework, lost production time, waste treatment costs, wasted labour, loss of materials to atmosphere and to the drain, as well as the excessive use of energy and water.

A waste survey helps to identify areas that may have been missed from process mapping. This is a valuable tool to produce a mass balance of the materials used by the company or site. Waste survey teams are most effective if they include representatives from process or site services, production and management. Use graphs, charts and simple diagrams to present findings.

The quantities of all raw materials, energy and wastes should be provided for an annual period. Note that the units should be consistent, for example for different solid materials, for energy consumption and for water/effluent - this allows them to be compared in a meaningful way today and in future years.

Rank Options

Identifying priority areas for waste reduction follows the data assessment phase. An assessment table can be used to summarise all the key data collected about your company’s inputs and outputs. This will allow you to identify priority actions and rank options which will provide the best cost savings through improved efficiency and waste reduction. Use a ranking

system to identify priority areas to tackle in terms of cost savings and also highlight obvious areas for waste reduction.

Prepare and Implement an Action Plan

Finally prepare an action plan to implement your step-by-step approach to waste minimisation. Make sure that the action plan includes realistic and achievable waste and reduction targets which have been agreed by top management. Involve all staff when implementing the action plan and provide regular feedback to them. Provide feedback to all your staff – this will help to keep momentum going for the waste minimisation programme and encourage staff to look for future waste minimisation ideas and initiatives. Review progress against targets at least once a year.

Future Developments in Waste Minimisation

In its consultation paper on Less Waste More Value,the Government states that it is considering how goals for waste minimisation might be set out how these long term ambitions might be translated into medium term targets. The proposed EU Landfill Directive will require progressive reductions in the landfill of bio-degradable municipal waste.

Ultimately, the prevention of waste at source, that is, eliminating waste before it is created, must be the way of the future. Educating organisations and the general public about waste minimisation is a priority.