Waste reviews, policies and action plans

Managing your waste effectively will benefit your business directly by cutting your waste and costs.

The benefits you can expect from implementing a successful waste management policy and action plan include:

• Saving money on what you buy. Using raw materials, packaging and equipment more efficiently means you won't have to buy as much.
• Cutting your waste disposal costs. Efficient waste management will reduce the amount of waste your business produces - meaning less to get rid of.
• Meeting your environmental obligations. Having effective policies and procedures in place should make it cheaper and easier for your business to comply with waste regulations.
• Finding new sources of revenue. You may find that some of your waste products can even be sold to other businesses for them to reuse or recycle.

Make your business' senior management aware of these benefits - as you'll need their support to implement effective waste management policies and procedures.

If you incorporate your waste management policy into an environmental management system (EMS), every area of your business will benefit. This includes:

• reduced environmental liability for your business
• a boost to your business' image for being environmentally aware
• raised staff morale and environmental awareness
• systematic control of your individual waste issues
• increased business opportunities - many large companies and government organisations won't work with a business that doesn't have an EMS in place

The first step towards managing waste effectively is to carry out a waste review in your business. Consider the following:

• Major sources of waste - can you reduce the amount of raw materials you use? For example, use less paper, chemicals or water.
• Packaging - could you use less packaging on your products, or ask suppliers to reduce or collect their packaging? Could you work with your suppliers to use reusable or returnable packaging?
• Premises - walk around and estimate the quantities and direct costs of your visible waste processes.
• Processes and activities - examine these closely with the help of your staff. For example, ask each employee about how much paper they use - you may find letters are sent automatically when email could be used instead.
• Defects and rework - are products going to waste or having to be reworked? This is a waste of energy, time and process capacity - invest in solving the issues.
• Waste storage - have you got enough space to store waste inside your building or an enclosed outside area? You're legally responsible for ensuring your waste doesn't become litter or cause pollution.

If possible, work out the savings you stand to gain from the best ideas - this should include energy, time and any lost capacity or opportunities. Weigh these up against the potential costs and timescales of implementing the necessary changes.

Making sure that you comply with waste legislation is a key part of your waste review.

You could include your waste review as part of a wider environmental review of your business.

A waste policy will determine how your business deals with waste, from staff operations to overall strategy.

Before you create a waste policy make sure that your business' senior management will support it. You will find it hard to implement the policy without this support.

What should a waste policy include?

A typical waste policy should include commitments to:

• comply with waste legislation
• change business practices or processes to minimise your waste
• use waste management options higher up the waste hierarchy
• reuse and recycle waste - or find someone else who can
• separate different types of waste and label your waste containers
• ensure storage facilities are suitable for the types of waste you produce
• train staff who handle different types of waste on good waste management
• make sure all staff understand your waste management policy

You should base the contents of your waste policy on the findings of your waste review.

Once your policy is in place, you should carry out regular reviews to ensure your approach to waste remains effective.

Environmental management systems and policies

Your waste management policy should be part of your business' environmental management system (EMS). If you have an EMS, you don't need to create a separate waste policy because it should already contain enough information.

If your business has an environmental policy, you may want to include waste issues as part of this rather than having a standalone waste policy.

Once you have carried out a waste review and created a waste policy, you can develop an action plan.

How to create a waste action plan

Start with waste reduction measures that are inexpensive and easy to implement. For example, if you are in an office-based business you could change computer settings so that printing automatically makes use of both sides of paper and encourage staff to use scrap paper as notepads.

Next, consider the information your waste review produced. Take these key steps:

• Identify the areas where there are the highest net costs - for example in the shape of waste disposal costs, energy consumption, packaging waste and raw material wastage.
• Involve employees - talk to staff involved in the activities that produce this waste. Ask them what they think the key problems are and ask for their suggestions for ways to reduce waste.
• Create a shortlist of key ideas.

Once you have decided on a plan, set out targets, objectives, key actions and deadlines for achieving them. Identify who is responsible for implementing each part of the policy. Choose an employee with access to management or a senior member of staff to co-ordinate your waste reduction programme. Make sure you review progress regularly and look for further improvements.

Environmental management systems

If you have an environmental management system, it should have plans, targets and objectives that help you to improve your waste management.

Construction waste management

If you are planning construction or refurbishment work, a site waste management plan (SWMP) can help you forecast what waste you will produce and how you will prevent, reuse, recycle or dispose of it.

In Northern Ireland, SWMPs are not a legal requirement, but clients or funders may still ask for one, and it can support good practice and duty of care checks on carriers and destinations.

Your SWMP should set out who is responsible for waste management, the types of waste you expect, how you will manage them in line with the waste hierarchy, and how you will keep records of waste movements – find out more about SWMP benefits.

Instead of handling all aspects of waste management within your business, there can be benefits to outsourcing certain waste operations.

Features of a reliable waste contractor

Typically, a good waste contractor will:

• understand the complexities of waste management and be able to offer advice on any queries you have
• offer you various options for your wastes at different rates
• offer different collection times and frequencies to meet your needs
• be registered with the appropriate regulator
• have a system in place for handling waste transfer notes for controlled waste and consignment notes for hazardous wastes
• transport wastes only to a licensed site
• be certified to a standard such as ISO 14001 for environmental management and ISO 9001 for quality management
• already work for other businesses in your area - speak to existing clients to get feedback on the quality of service

When you use a waste management contractor to transport and deal with your waste, you are still legally obliged to make sure that the waste is disposed of responsibly.

How to work with a waste contractor

Working closely with your waste contractor will help make your waste management more efficient and save you more money. Here are some simple steps you could take:

• Discuss your waste types and quantities. The contractor may have useful contacts, tips or advice that can help save you money.
• Separate your waste. This makes it easier to reuse and recycle wastes such as paper, plastic, metal and glass. Store the separated waste at a central point on site to make it easier for the contractor to collect.
• Shop around to find a contractor that best meets your needs - waste removal costs can vary significantly between contractors. Some contractors offer waste minimisation services - find out what these services include.
• Get the right sized container for your waste. You may be able to save money by hiring a smaller skip or you may benefit from hiring a larger skip that needs collecting less often.
• Find out if baling or compaction is sensible for your types of waste. Compacting waste will reduce the number of collections needed and may make storing waste on site easier.
• Make sure you are being charged for the weight of waste and not the number of collections.
• Ask about market fluctuations for certain waste types and the contractor's policy when prices fall. If possible, agree a period over which the contractor will guarantee the price.