The importance of waste management in all sectors is undeniable, yet at times eager entrepreneurs fail to consider its importance when they’re setting up each of their own businesses. Together with Reconomy, a leader in providing a range of skip sizes all across the United Kingdom, we zone-in on how different businesses in different industries dispose of their waste, so too the cost implications taking into to account the whole of the UK.
The key to success in any business is a focus on the core business activities which generate profits, this while operational costs should be minimised of course. One way of reducing unnecessary costs is through effective waste management. This would entail working with a waste management company, such as this waste oil collection company, that will create a more reliable and bespoke collection routine which better meets the needs of your business, following their drawing up of a profile of your business so as to calculate the amount of waste your company generates. Similar waste management companies can also provide you with used machinery for hire, that can help your organization with their waste removal process.
How much waste was produced by different industries in the UK (2014)?
Commercial: 15.1 million tonnes
Industrial: 12.6 million tonnes
Construction, demolition & excavation: 120.4 million tonnes (over 60% of the UK’s total waste)
Mining, agriculture, forestry & fishing: 26.9 million tonnes (in 2016)
202.8 million tonnes of total waste was produced over 2014, making for a 4.6% increase from 2012.
We break down the waste produced by sector, including food waste and how this is costing them as an industry in the UK:
The Restaurant and Pub Sector
The UK food industry produces a total of 915,400 tonnes of waste each year, including 199,100 tonnes of food waste and the pub industry’s total waste comes to 873,000 tonnes per year, of which 173,000 is food waste.
Annual food waste management costs in these sectors comes up to 3,500 per tonne.
The Hotel Sector
The hotel sector’s annual expenditure on food waste amounts to 318 million, coming up to 79,000 of the 289,000 tonnes of total waste produced.
The Healthcare Sector
121,000 of the 170,300 tonnes of waste produced by the health sector is in the form of food waste, costing 230 million to manage each year. 7% of all the waste in this sector gets recycled.
Tackling Food Waste
Businesses that endeavour to reduce their waste can do so through better management of their core business operations. They can help in contributing to food waste through various measures such as cutting down restaurant menu sizes to fall in line with customer consumption patterns, hiring reputable roll off waste container rental service providers to ensure waste is recycled, reducing portion sizes, buying food only as is required, and donating uneaten food to shelters and charities.
Government Action
As part of the British government’s drive to become a zero-waste economy, it has proceeded to issue responsibilities to businesses to ensure they keep their waste to a minimum, sort their waste and store it correctly, and complete waste transfer notes when the waste leaves the premises.
Only the services of certified waste carriers should be used, which are to be reported to Crimestoppers if they dispose of the waste illegally and in a way that is harmful to the environment.
Waste will still exist, however the aim is to use all resources available to ensure we get full value out of all the products we use.
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