The world of waste management is evolving. For so long, manufacturers were happy for waste management companies to support a site by simply removing waste regularly enough to keep day-to-day processes ticking over. For many this is still the case.
The state of waste management
With the UK producing over 60million tonnes of waste each year, and manufacturers facing increase scrutiny over their environmental footprint, Health, Safety, Environment and Quality (HSEQ) and Insourcing Managers must find alternative ways to operate and reconsider their waste management strategy.
The untapped value of waste
While most manufacturing businesses understand that value can be derived from the waste they produce, there are thousands of businesses still not unlocking its true potential.
The maximise revenues from waste, some providers will store waste such as metals and wait until the market value is at its highest before selling. This requires the resource, processes and know-how ensuring contaminants are removed and streams properly segregated taking account different material grades. This is something a good total waste management company can provide.
Axil’s partnership with Birds Eye provided the food manufacturer with a £7,000 net positive return on their waste investment within a one-month period,
thanks to material rebates.
Birds Eye also received a £50,000 rebate from cooking oil, cardboard baling and recycling which had previously been costed to the business.
Waste Management Departments
Some large manufacturers are opting to use total waste management partners that will provide site operative and on-site management to effectively become their embedded waste management department – allowing them to concentrate on their core activities and production processes.
This allows the manufacturer to concentrate on their core activities in the knowledge that their waste management provider is working in their best interest without the need to increase staffing headcount.
With an embedded waste team on site, they can help educate staff to create a smooth transition to better waste handling.
It’s important to place waste as an essential part of your facilities management processes and see it through the same lens as operations like cleaning and security, which are typically outsources to expert companies to get the best results.
Waste can make you money. It is therefore vital it’s handled and disposed of by specialists to ensure maximise revenues, as well as avoiding unnecessary safety or environmental risks.
Is it time to audit your waste?
Many businesses use outdated waste management processes that, put simply, are no longer fit for purpose in today’s climate.
To improve processes, leading manufacturers are now considering waste management as an integrated part of their wider processes; because waste is a full-time operation that requires constant tweaks to ensure its effectiveness to the manufacturing output.
A comprehensive audit can identity if products can be produced with different raw materials while highlighting potential new ways of disposing of waste along the line.
It can also uncover additional opportunities for waste to be separated for reuse or recycling or stored ready to maximise trade value.
A waste management audit explores:
- Various waste streams on-site
- Recycling levels
- Waste to landfill
- Treatment of hazardous waste
- Waste container types
- Methods of segregation and handling
- Waste movements
- Rebate opportunities
- Reporting and benchmarking
Checking your waste health
To unlock the value within your waste and ensure your business is using industry-leaving waste management practices, it could be time to check your waste health.
Download your Waste Health Whitepaper here.
