The Core Elements of a Waste Minimisation Strategy Explained

Waste minimisation: join a group or go it alone?

The company may wish to become involved with like minded companies or within a larger existing waste minimisation project in order to help it meet its objectives. Some waste minimisation projects involve several companies, which may invariably lead to greater gains. One good example is the Aire and Calder Waste Minimisation project 1992-1995. The DTI's Environmental Business Club Directory is a useful point to start to find such projects, and the Environmental Technology's Best Practice Programme has some relevant literature on waste minimisation clubs.

The strategy

Having waste minimisation as an objective on the EIP and a target reduction set, responsibilities and actions assigned the main elements of the strategy should incorporate:

Executive management backing

In establishing a waste minimisation strategy, as with all improvement strategies it is important to have top management support. This includes factors such as time, finances and personnel.

Waste minimisation as part of company policy

Examples of targets

Responsibilities

Communicate successes

Characterisation of Waste

All waste must be made accountable for. Each waste stream should be identified, the components of the stream, the sources and the generation rates. Information that should be consulted may come from:

• Environmental review/audit/monitoring reports
• Laboratory reports (for hazardous wastes)
• Chemical data safety sheets (for hazardous wastes)
• Waste sub-contractor's records
• Purchasing records
• Any internal waste records/reports.

The table below gives a typical format of how waste records can be constructed

Model waste record format