Waste management
and disposal:
A best practice business guide
An ebook produced by FCC Environment
01
Waste management and disposal: a strategy for success
Introduction
Your guide
to waste
management
02
FCC Environment have produced this guide
to help you manage your business waste
more effectively, understand what waste you
are producing and how best to reduce it,
monitor it and dispose of it in the most
sustainable and cost-effective way possible.
This 4-stage guide is designed to provide a
comprehensive overview of a professional
approach to business waste management.
Waste management and disposal: a strategy for success
Stage 1:
Know your
waste
Stage 2:
Apply the
Waste
Hierarchy
Stage 3:
Know your
legal
responsibilities
Stage 4:
Measure,
Manage and
Reduce
Introduction
Why is it
important
to manage
waste?
03
Waste isn’t just about what is thrown into a
rubbish bin under a desk or at home. 290
million tonnes of waste a year is generated
in the UK, and in 2010/2011 50% of this waste
went to landfill. The EU Landfill Directive has
an aim to reduce the amount of waste going to
landfill as much as possible, thereby reducing
the negative environmental impacts to soil,
groundwater, air and surface water.
Waste management and disposal: a strategy for success
The cost of waste is another factor, with most
companies unaware of how much waste is
costing them. It is not just the disposal costs that
should be taken into account, there are also
costs for raw materials that have been wasted,
energy and labour, costing as much as 4% of
your turnover. With the EU Landfill Directive
increasing the cost of sending waste to landfill
year-on-year from £64/tonne in 2012 to £72/
tonne in April 2013, the way we think about
the disposal of waste needs to change. In 2012,
Landfill tax collected was £1.1bn, a great deal
of which could be avoided through rigorous
waste management practices.
Stage 1:
Know your
waste
04
Firstly you need to understand what types of waste you produce.
It can come in many forms such as:
General
waste
Paper and
cardboard
Plastics
Glass
Metals
WEEE
Hazardous
and clinical
Food
Waste management and disposal: a strategy for success
Stage 1: Know your waste
You may have only a few of these waste
streams or most of them, depending on the size
and type of your business. However there are a
few simple steps you can take to identify what
your waste is and how it is being disposed of
around the site.
Brainstorm each area of the business
• List the types of materials being disposed of in each area
Where are they currently being disposed of?
• Are there separate bins for recycling?
• What is happening to any food waste?
• Is there a contingency for electrical items?
Create flow charts and maps of current processes to
help you identify gaps (if any) in your processes
CLICK HERE for more information
05
Waste management and disposal: a strategy for success
Stage 1: Know your waste
Figure 1
This should enable you to have a clear picture
of how your waste is being managed and
where you can start to make improvements.
For example, are recycling materials going
into the general waste bins – see figure 1
Contents of an
average bin
The non-recyclable material
* Residual is any material that DOES NOT
fall into the following…
Wood
• Paper and cardboard
• Newspapers
• Plastic films
• Plastic bottles
• Steel and aluminium cans
Residual Waste*
Kitchen waste, polystyrene, etc…
Glass
D.M.R.
Paper, cardboard, plastics, cans,
shrink wrap, newspapers
Including
• Glass
• Food or kitchen waste
• Polystyrene
• Wood
06
Waste management and disposal: a strategy for success
Removing your recycling
from your general waste
bin will ensure you see an
immediate saving in your
waste disposal costs.
The Waste
Hierarchy
Stage 2:
Apply the
Waste
Hierarchy
07
Good Practice starts
before recycling:
introducing the Waste
Hierarchy
As waste has become more and more of
a problem, and non-renewable resources
become harder to justify, a new model – based
upon the EU Waste Framework Directive
[2008/98/EC] – has emerged to improve the
approach businesses take to waste. The
nearer the top of this hierarchy, the better your
resource efficiency.
Waste management and disposal: a strategy for success
Prevention
Preparing
for reuse
Recycling
Other recovery
Disposal
Stage 2: Apply the Waste Hierarchy
In the first instance, more careful procurement
helps to prevent the creation of waste.
Applying the waste hierarchy when you
transfer waste, and adhering to the Duty of
Care will help to improve your environmental
profile and make best use of the waste
you create. A credible waste management
company should support you with this and
provide management reports to allow you to
monitor and create positive action.
08
Recycling and Recovery
Recycling viable materials
A credible waste management company will
further refine your waste to prevent as much
material being landfilled, reducing your costs
and in some instances generating electricity
and hot water.
Materials Recycling Facilities (MRFs) are used
to sort waste into specific categories, to bale
it and send it on to approved suppliers to be
made into new, recycled materials depending
on whether the sorted waste is plastic, metal,
materials or paper among others.
Waste management and disposal: a strategy for success
Stage 2: Apply the Waste Hierarchy
Composting green waste
Using the latest technology enables waste
management companies to extract the
maximum value from collected and processed
compostable waste. Compost plants use
different methods for different materials,
resulting in a range of products that can be
used to restore landfill sites, manufacture top
quality compost for the retail sector or for local
authority partners.
Composting methods
Windrow composting
Waste is shredded and heaped into long
windrows, with the composting process taking
up to 10 weeks.
Pod composting
A pod holds around 150 tonnes of material and
is fed a controlled air supply from external fans
to maintain composting conditions.
In-vessel systems
Kitchen waste has to be composted in an
enclosed environment. Systems that compost
in this way include vertical units, housed
windrows, clamps and tunnels.
09
Waste management and disposal: a strategy for success
Stage 2: Apply the Waste Hierarchy
Green energy
Much of today’s thinking is based on
generating green energy and the best
ways to achieve this include:
• Energy for waste plants that generate
electricity or heat
• Generating power via an alternative
fuel using energy crops
• Using wind to generate wind energy
with wind farms
CLICK HERE
to view FCC’s interactive energy
from waste presentation
010
Waste management and disposal: a strategy for success
Stage 3:
Know
your legal
responsibilities
Waste disposal
legislation
According to Defra, the UK generates around
290 million tonnes of waste a year. Because this
is unsustainable, the government continues to
put measures in place that support reductions
in this figure.
From perspectives including financial,
operational and reputational, the legislation is
involved and wide-ranging, the ultimate aim
being to move towards a zero waste economy.
011
Waste management and disposal: a strategy for success
There are different laws and requirements
for waste that can go to landfill, for the
treatment of hazardous waste, for liquid
and soil treatment and for clinical waste.
Guidance and interventions are available
from statutory and industry bodies to make it
easier for businesses like yours both to achieve
compliance, and to take the practical steps
necessary in reducing the production of waste.
See our guide to ‘Useful websites, papers and
other resources’ at the end of this document.
Many businesses have taken up the challenge,
and have taken steps to reduce their waste
and recycle more. Where others struggle,
government and stakeholders provide all the
support and advice needed to implement as
many measures as possible, and to provide
appropriate services and products.
Stage 3: Know your legal responsibilities
These range from the things you’d expect,
such as access to a wide choice of bin and
container sizes, to the things you wouldn’t
necessarily think of first, like planning for
waste collection trucks to take the most efficient
routes when they’re out and about.
Duty of Care is a legal responsibility that outlines
the need to take all reasonable steps to keep waste safe and to
prevent it causing pollution or harming anyone. You are also
required to ensure that anyone authorised to take it away can
transport, recycle or dispose of it safely. Every responsible business
owner needs to be aware of relevant legislation and compliance.
CLICK HERE to download the Duty of Care
012
Waste management and disposal: a strategy for success
Stage 4:
Measure,
Manage and
Reduce
Waste disposal and
added operational value
The actual cost of waste is more than just the
cost of the materials you discard and don’t use.
It takes in the inefficient use of raw materials,
the unnecessary use of energy, water and man
hours. A figure that is, on average, around 4–5%
of turnover can in reality be as high as 10%.
The Envirowise publication Measuring
to manage: the key to reducing waste
costs, outlines six practical steps you can
take to reduce the costs involved in waste
management and disposal.
013
Waste management and disposal: a strategy for success
A focused approach to managing your waste
output will begin by identifying both the types
and amount of waste you are producing as a
business, and cross-referencing these with the
relevant legislative requirements. This can only
really be achieved by making an inspection of
your site and by finding out who is responsible
for each waste management process and
where the waste goes.
Ideally, you will then be in a position to talk
to an objective third-party about a waste
management and disposal strategy that
begins to add business value rather than
taking costs from your bottom line. Once
you have a plan and appropriate partners
in place, you’ll start to see the benefits to
your business, your people and the wider
environment, reducing costs and enhancing
your brand reputation.
Stage 4: Measure, Manage and Reduce
A waste management strategy will incorporate
the flexibility to accommodate changes in
legislation, raw materials, price differentials
and customer demand. To achieve stakeholder
buy-in at the outset, your strategy will need to
demonstrate:
• How it is going to save money by reducing
material use and waste generation
• How it achieves compliance with all
relevant legislation
• Improve management of materials
and waste
• Compliance with Duty of Care
014
Clearly there are many variables to consider,
including the size and nature of your business,
statutory and local authority guidelines, and the
facilities and partners available in your region.
Asking for advice is the first step in a
process that will improve your sustainability
credentials, your bottom line and your
customers’ assessment of your business
products, services and goals. Support
agencies including Envirowise, NetRegs,
DEFRA and many others have invested
significantly in resources that you can access
that answer questions focused on your
individual requirements.
Waste management and disposal: a strategy for success
Stage 4: Measure, Manage and Reduce
The six steps to reducing waste costs
(Envirowise GG414)
Step 1
Step 2
Accounting for waste
Comparing your performance
The initial step is to identify how much
waste your company is generating and the
costs involved.
Use industry guides (such as the Benchmarking
guides from Envirowise), trade association
guidance and good practice examples to
compare your performance with others in
your sector. Look at the environmental reports
published by others in your sector (many are
online at www.corporateregister.com).
• Undertake a simple walk around waste audit
– looking at each key area and identifying
what wastes exist
• Examine your utility and other receipts to
estimate the costs of waste
• FCC Environment offer a free waste audit,
call 0844 736 9990 to book yours
015
Waste management and disposal: a strategy for success
Step 3
Identify waste minimisation
opportunities
Walk around the site looking for areas where
waste is being generated and talk to key
personnel, especially those who operate
each stage of the process. From this practical
information, develop a high level plan of ideas
to take to senior management.
Stage 4: Measure, Manage and Reduce
Step 4
Step 5
Commitment to action
Taking action to reduce waste
When you have made your high level
plan, you are ready to present your case to
senior management. Convince them of the
potential cost benefits of reducing waste and
obtain their commitment to providing the
necessary resources for implementing a waste
minimisation action plan. Start building a
team and holding brainstorming sessions with
staff to generate ideas for ways to improve
performance and competitiveness.
Take your high level plan and turn it into
an action plan. Start by identifying obvious
areas of waste reduction where immediate
and substantial savings can be achieved by
implementing no-cost and low-cost measures.
016
Also look for sector specific guides on
particular themes, e.g. water, packaging,
solvents, or specific concerns of your industry.
Use meters to obtain accurate data and ensure
that they are checked regularly. Implement
good housekeeping measures, including a
checklist, for every area.
Waste management and disposal: a strategy for success
Step 6
Recognising success and
maintaining momentum
Return to your original assessment and
consider your achievements. Feed these back
to staff and senior management. You now have
the basis for continuous improvement and can
review your progress at regular intervals.
CLICK HERE to view the
supporting documentation
Your waste
management
strategy:
putting
principles into
practice
017
Like all things, acknowledging that there
might be a different way of doing things is
the first step. With the right support, and from
financial, operational and environmental
perspectives, an effective waste management
strategy will more than repay the investment of
time and effort you put into it. An appropriate
strategy will incorporate the flexibility to
accommodate changes in legislation, raw
materials, price differentials and customer
expectations.
Waste management and disposal: a strategy for success
You’ll be able to demonstrate to the
stakeholders that your waste management
strategy will:
• Save money by reducing material use and
waste generation
• Meet compliance with all relevant legislation
• Improve your management of materials
and waste, and takes in duty of care
requirements
An annual waste audit will help you to report
back on achievements and keep track of your
waste management successes.
Waste stream
management
the FCC
Environment
way
018
An effective waste management and disposal
strategy will incorporate measures to deal
with every type of waste your business will
generate, whatever the industry sector.
Unlike many of our big competitors, our teams
and facilities are based locally, so we’re
always on hand to help. You’ll never find us
using national call centres.
At FCC Environment, we use the latest
technology, and operate a range of specialist
facilities to handle many types of waste. These
facilities include: Material Recycling Facilities,
Energy from Waste plants, Composting Centres,
Biological Waste Treatment units and our
Hazardous and Clinical Waste Treatment
plants. As well as scheduled collections, we
offer a comprehensive range of waste services
designed to save your business time and
money in the long run.
The information we’ve provided here can be
seen as a guideline for action. To put a more
formal plan together call us for a FREE waste
audit on 0844 736 9992, we’ll be more than
happy to answer your questions.
Waste management and disposal: a strategy for success
FAQs
How can I recycle more?
The first step is to know your waste, once you
understand what waste you produce then you
can separate the recyclable materials. You
may also have an unusual waste stream that
currently goes to landfill, but may be of use
to other companies in their processes. A good
quality waste management company will be
able to assist you in exploring all of your options.
What happens to my waste once
it is collected?
With good quality waste management
companies waste no longer goes direct to
landfill. Once your waste is collected it will be
sent to a Materials Recycling Facility (MRF)
to further recover materials. Any materials
that are not able to be recovered through this
process are converted into fuel for energy from
waste facilities. As a final resort once the
waste has been fully processed it will end up
in landfill.
019
Waste management and disposal: a strategy for success
How can I reduce my costs?
The most effective way to reduce your costs is to
recycle more and reduce the amount of waste
that you put into the general waste bin. Once
you understand the waste that you produce
you can start to ensure rigorous segregation,
through staff education and continuously
monitoring the waste you produce.
What is a Duty of Care, how long do I need
to keep it?
A Duty of Care document is a legal
responsibility that outlines the need to take
all reasonable steps to keep waste safe and
to prevent it causing pollution or harming
anyone. You are also required to ensure
that anyone authorised to take it away
can transport, recycle or dispose of it safely.
Every responsible business owner needs to be
aware of relevant legislation and compliance.
It should be held for a minimum of two years.
FAQs
What do all the acronyms mean?
As with all industries there is a great deal of
acronyms. FCC Environment have produced
a handy guide to all of the most common
acronyms used within the waste industry.
CLICK HERE
to download it now
How much is Landfill tax?
Landfill tax is currently £72 per tonne, it rose on
5th April 2013 from £64 per tonne and following
the landfill tax escalator the tax is set to rise to
£80 per tonne in April 2014. The government is
currently in consultation about any future rises
beyond these outlined.
What is the Waste Hierarchy?
The Waste Hierarchy is a framework created
to analyse your waste streams and provides
a number of filters which you can apply to
reduce your waste:
•Prevention: changing a manufacturing
process or product design to remove that
waste stream completely
•Preparing for Re-use: internally treating the
waste e.g. cleaning for internal re-use or use
by another party
•Recycling: taking the disposed material and
converting it back into a raw material
•Other Recovery: using the calorific value of
the waste to generate energy in Energy from
Waste Plants
•Disposal (using a legally compliant
contractor): some materials currently cannot
be processed by any of the methods above
(e.g. hazardous waste) and so disposal is the
only method available
020
Waste management and disposal: a strategy for success
What is a Waste Audit?
A waste audit provides an understanding
of the waste arising from every element of
your business operation. It should take the
form of review of all business processes and
understand (by business area): the waste
type, the volume and the final bin location.
The output should be a report that allows the
business to understand the waste created and
take action to reuse, reduce and recycle prior
to any collection.
What can I put in the recycling bin?
Most waste management companies define
recyclables as plastic bottles, plastic films,
newspapers, cardboard, paper, steel and
aluminium cans. These can be segregated
upon collection through materials
recycling facilities.
FAQs
Why should I recycle?
There are many reasons why recycling
is beneficial from a global sustainability
perspective, but for you as a business there
are strong economic reasons for recycling.
Due to the recycled value of many materials
waste companies are able to offset some
of their costs of collection against revenue
generated by selling the recyclable material,
meaning that a bin of recyclable material is
considerably cheaper than a general waste
bin. If you can improve your internal recycling
through reuse then your overall cost of raw
materials will reduce.
021
How do I switch suppliers?
First you will have to understand who your
current supplier is and your contractual
position, with respect to notice periods, is with
them. Once you have this information you will
be able to engage with a new supplier and
organise for a waste audit and then discuss
the new pricing structure.
What are EWC?
European Waste Code provides a standard
description of each waste stream allowing
the whole industry to understand the specific
waste arising from your operation and
determine relevant processing solutions.
Waste management and disposal: a strategy for success
Glass is 100%
recyclable and can
be endlessly recycled
with no loss in quality
Did you
know?
Carpets can
be recycled into
equestrian surfaces
for race tracks and
training areas
Cooking oil
from home can
be used to generate
electricity and sold back
to the National Grid to
power homes
022
On average,
every family in the UK
uses 330 glass bottle
and jars each year
Waste management and disposal: a strategy for success
The energy
saving from
recycling one glass
bottle will power a 100
watt light bulb for
almost an hour
It takes just
25 two litre pop
bottles to make
one adult size
fleece jacket
70% less
energy is required
to recycle paper
compared with
making it from raw
materials
Check list:
What to do now
Stage 1
Stage 3
And Finally
Complete an audit of the waste that
you produce
Check you understand your legal
responsibilities
Ensure all employees are aware of your
new waste management strategy
Check your current methods of disposal
Are you familiar with the basics of waste
legislation?
Check that employees have got involved
and feel part of the process
Make sure your business is aware of the
‘Duty of Care’
Find out if you need to implement any
training sessions
Understand if employees are carrying out
correct procedures
Stage 2
Have you understood the waste hierarchy?
Begin to implement the waste hierarchy for
your business and ensure employees are
aware of it
Understand how the waste hierarchy will
help your company’s environmental profile
023
Stage 4
Identify ways of improving your waste
disposal methods
Begin to put together a waste
management strategy
Understand how much money your
waste management strategy will save
your business
Waste management and disposal: a strategy for success
Remember to manage your waste strategy
on a regular basis and recognise where
improvements and savings can be made
Check list
Useful
websites,
papers and
other resources
www.fccenvironment.co.uk
www.gov.uk/government/policies/reducingand-managing-waste
www.wrap.org.uk
www.environment-agency.gov.uk
www.ciwm.co.uk
www.corporateregister.com
Supporting
documentation
The following resources are available if you
require further information on reducing your
waste costs:
WRAP – Applying the Waste Hierarchy
Zero Waste Scotland – Measuring to Manage
Resources & Waste
WRAP – Finding Cost Savings: Resource
Efficiency for SMEs
Find out more at
www.fccenvironment.co.uk
024
Waste management and disposal: a strategy for success
024
Waste management and disposal: a strategy for success