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Environment & Recycling Matters With Bailey Waste Recycling
The Waste Management Hierarchy New legislation means this must be applied before disposing of your waste
As of 8th October some new legislation came in to force that makes application of the waste management hierarchy mandatory. When waste is being transferred from one person to another a Waste Transfer Notice must be completed and, amongst other things, this must now include a declaration that that the waste management hierarchy has been applied.
So, what is the Waste Management Hierarchy? It has taken many forms over the years but the basic concept is a process by which to incorporate waste minimisation strategies. The aim is to help you establish the least environmentally damaging option for disposing of your waste, whereby the maximum practical benefits are derived from products, in turn generating the minimum amount of waste. The new legislation therefore means that you are legally obliged to take all practicable steps to reduce, reuse or recycle your waste before deciding to dispose of it.
In implementing the waste management hierarchy, there are a number of options to be considered:
Reduce: generally considered to be the most cost-effective approach as this simply means using less, whether that is products or energy. This can include the simple things like remembering to switch off lights, not leaving taps running or avoiding wastage of products purchased eg if they go out of date. It also incorporates the minimisation of use of hazardous materials and the promotion of more biodegradable materials.
Reuse: where materials and products are reused, either by your own business or by other organisations. This promotes the use of second hand equipment or machinery – just because a piece of equipment is no longer suitable for one company does not mean that it cannot be of use elsewhere. Equally, try to avoid using disposable materials eg instead of using polystyrene cups for tea/coffee use durable and reusable mugs. Also, if you have off-cuts, try to find another use for them, rather than just disposing of them
Recycle: where items that have reached the end of their useful life are separated out in to materials that may be incorporated in to new products. This is different from Reuse in that energy is used to change the physical properties and reprocess the material. It is usual for a waste management company to assist at this stage.
Recover Energy: where waste is used to generate energy or produce biofuel. The aim is to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill by producing electricity, gas or heat through the use of thermal and non-thermal technology.
Disposal: to be considered as the very last resort. Clearly, disposal to landfill or burning of waste without recovering the energy are the least sustainable options.
Quite apart from the legal requirement to apply the Waste Management Hierarchy it is proven that organisations that take a strategic approach to acting in a socially and environmentally conscious fashion will bring about financial benefits and improved bottom line results, as well as increasing their company image.
Andrew Bailey is Managing Director of Bailey Waste Recycling NI. For information on waste management solutions, or to arrange a Free Waste Audit, please contact BWR on 028 3834 1449, online at baileywaste.com or by email
Content of this article is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute professional or other advice.
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