There is more to the cost of waste than just the cost of the material being thrown out, the costs must take into account inefficient raw material usage, a waste of energy and water, the disposal of waste by-products, the treatment of waste and wasted labour. The numbers are quite staggering, it is estimated that the real cost of waste to UK companies is in the area of 5-10% of turnover. That is a huge amount and definitely a target for management to home in on to increase overall efficiency and profitability.
Commercial waste disposal in Exeter and other parts of Britain handle a total of some 335 million tonnes of waste annually. The biggest majority of this waste, 220 million tonnes comes from controlled sources; homes, commerce and industry. Those industries that contribute most to the waste disposal and management problem are mining, quarrying, construction and demolition.
When one considers the staggering numbers the suggestion that the solution lies in not allowing for waste in the initial stages in the first place. Where it is practical, waste should be put back into the production cycle, a perfect example of this is the plastics industry where the waste is used to augment virgin material, therefore eliminating the waste at the point of manufacture.
Very few companies continue their reliance on waste collection as provided by the local authorities. They rely more and more on companies that focus on commercial waste disposal in Exeter. As British and EEC authorities are legislating waste reduction and waste management guidelines it is incumbent on companies to identify specialists who are capable of disposing of their waste in accordance with the law.
A primary focal point in waste management and waste disposal is the prevention of the production of waste in the first place and the re-use of waste by active recycling. This concept has an effect on the entire organization from procurement, material specification, process redesign and product redesign.
Before a company can genuinely make massive contributions in the reduction of waste it first has to fully understand what constitutes waste. Waste includes scrap material, effluent and unwanted material that requires disposal. The reasons for generating waste can be obsolescence, contamination, wear or spoilage. Waste is also defined as something that cannot be reused until further processing has been completed. An example is a returnable beverage bottle; that is not waste however a glass container that is subsequently added to virgin materials and reused, that is waste.
The British authorities have identified four waste categories:
* Worn but still functional after repair
* Objects that is immediately usable, such as flyash which can be used in building materials
* Objects that are usable only by firms engaged in waste recovery such as precious metals in electronic components
* Objects where the owner pays for removal that may be fit for use by others
