USING INNOVATION FOR SMARTER AND SUSTAINABLE WASTE MANAGEMENT 26 ANNUAL DIRECTORY 2018 CAN YOU INCREASE RECYCLING AND REDUCE CARBON FOOTPRINT WITHOUT INCREASING COSTS? This can be difficult and needs to be led from the top of the organisation. To create a sustainable and efficient waste and recycling programme within an organisation, businesses need to change their employees’ hearts, minds and perception of waste. First, a change in a company’s attitude towards waste should be made…seeing waste as a commodity and resource rather than rubbish is a good start. This ethos should filter through all departments, not only users producing waste but also including procurement and supply chain. INNOVATION When creating a sustainable waste and recycling solution, a company should also look at ‘value’. The cost of waste disposal is often measured in dollars, with cost-saving exercises made on ‘like for like’ products which often do not take into account innovation or value. These short-term savings can be detrimental to creating and maintaining a longer-term more creative, flexible and efficient solution. Companies that are prepared to take a ‘fresh approach’ to how waste is managed throughout the business will benefit from new innovation and reporting, helping to manage waste in a smarter, more sustainable way. MEASUREMENT Creating clear objectives on what you wish to achieve with timescales and measurement will ensure you have benchmarks and are able to achieve meaningful results. WASTE GOING TO CHINA Earlier last year, China announced that it would ban imports of certain waste products by the end of 2017, because contaminants mixed in with the imported recycling were seriously polluting its environment. The effect is that some waste steams historically sold or collected free may now become unsaleable or will incur additional recovery costs. However, when creating a sustainable waste and recycling strategy, businesses should take a longterm view, and not react to peaks and troughs in materials markets. SEGREGATION OF WASTE AT SOURCE The key to increasing recycling, creating efficient waste management and increasing the value of recyclable materials is segregation of waste produced at source, avoiding cross contamination and secondary sorting. Forty per cent of all New Zealand waste has food mixed into it, making separating waste streams once mixed very difficult. Segregating at source and colour coding not only identifies the waste type, it ensures it is collated for the correct collector when it arrives at the back of house. RONZ colour guidelines help with colour coded segregation. However, using colour coded bins with a black bag makes identification nearly impossible once that bag leaves the colour coded bin. PLASTIC BAGS We may not be able to stop using plastic bags right now; however until a suitable alternative is found, are we doing all we can to reduce the volume of plastic we throw away? Companies often pride themselves on how cheap they purchase plastic bags, yet have they taken a closer look at what the true cost is both in dollars and to the environment when using a traditional bag. Oversized bags are often used in bins and these are thrown away, containing very little waste. Changing to a system where the bag is full every time not only reduces costs but dramatically reduces the volume of unused plastic thrown to landfill. A system where the bag can be squeezed before tying can double the volume of waste going into it, equating to using 75% less material. It’s not moving away from using plastic, but it will significantly reduce the plastic thrown away and when measured in value, the savings are significant. REDUCED UPLIFTS AND VEHICLE MOVEMENTS Once the waste is segregated, companies need to ensure they are minimising vehicle movement. Compacting the waste streams will allow for easy storage and efficient transportation of materials to the most suitable supplier. Compacted materials also give greater flexibility on type of vehicles able to collect these waste streams. EDUCATION Creating ‘mini recycling stations’ in offices and canteen areas can help divert paper, mixed plastic, glass and cans away from the landfill bins. This also creates good practice, and is often a good ‘training ground’ in the organisation, encouraging the same discipline at the work area. ‘Thinking outside the bin’ and embracing innovation is what will create the most sustainable and efficient waste and recycling solution for modern day companies. Increasing recycling, reducing plastic usage, reducing carbon footprint…these are all hot topics. Business makes up 86% of waste produced and for a company, it’s not only about reporting profits but also what you're doing to reduce your environmental footprint.
FT-Annual Directory 2018-eMag
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