What the business discards.
WHY IT MATTERS COMMERCIALLY
Waste is material you paid for and then paid to remove.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
What you produce, by type and quantity.
WHAT THE ORDER OF PRIORITY IS
Avoid producing it Reduce the quantity Reuse it Recycle it Recover value from it Dispose of it
WHY AVOIDANCE FIRST
Waste not produced costs nothing to manage.
WHAT PRODUCES MOST WASTE IN TYPICAL BUSINESSES
Packaging Process offcuts and rejects Obsolete and expired stock Damaged goods Paper Food waste, in relevant sectors
WHAT TO EXAMINE
Why each arises.
WHY
Most waste indicates a process problem rather than an inevitability.
WHAT EXAMPLES SHOW
Rejects indicate quality problems Expired stock indicates ordering problems Damage indicates handling problems
WHAT TO ADDRESS
Those causes, which reduces both waste and cost.
WHAT SEPARATION ACHIEVES
Materials with value can be sold or recycled; mixed waste cannot.
WHAT TO SEPARATE
Whatever has a local market: metal, paper, certain plastics, glass.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
Whether buyers exist locally.
WHY
Materials with no buyer are still waste.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH ABOUT DISPOSAL
That your contractor is authorised and that waste goes to an authorised destination.
WHY
Responsibility follows the waste.
WHAT TO KEEP
Evidence of disposal.
WHAT TO MEASURE
Waste per unit of output, and disposal cost.
