The virtuous circle

Perhaps it was legislation. Or maybe it was the green lobby. Whatever the catalyst, it's clear that more and more businesses are making the most of waste. Legislation has undoubtedly played its part, as Bill McCausland, production specialist at Envirowise, says: "In light of recent regulations on the treatment of non-hazardous waste prior to landfill, businesses have another incentive to monitor the commercial impact of their waste and to explore opportunities to become more resource efficient. "It is hoped that the new rules, introduced in October 2007, will prompt increasing numbers of companies to eliminate, reduce, re-use or recycle materials. These processes could reveal new methods for saving money or even generate a financial return." McCausland says these cost savings could amount to as much as £1,000 per employee per year if efforts are made as part of a systematic resource efficiency programme. "We also know that businesses taking steps to banish unnecessary waste can often identify resource-efficient innovations along the way, particularly in areas such as product or packaging design," he adds. Examples from the manufacturing sector show that there are varying levels this can be taken to. Some companies are managing waste streams effectively, though in rather a reactive manner, usually driven by the need for compliance with legislation. Some are actively seeking customers for their waste - even generating revenue from it, in some instances. And those with a gold (or, perhaps, green) star right now are doing all the above, but are also striving to use recycled materials in their products or processes. Source of help Wherever you are on the scale, there are many sources of help. One place is WRAP, the Waste & Resources Action Programme, a not-for-profit organisation that works with businesses to encourage recycling and efficient use of materials. Gerrard Fisher is WRAP's manufacturing development project manager and he is responsible for identifying and developing large-scale opportunities for the use of recycled materials in manufactured products. "There are many opportunities for creating products from manufacturing's waste streams," says Fisher. "It's important to consider your 'waste' streams carefully. Disposal costs can be managed by separating out streams that can be recycled readily - these streams might even generate income for your company." But it's not only a question of managing what comes out - what goes in is just as vital, says Fisher. "It's equally important to choose products and raw materials with recycled content for your production processes. By demanding recycled products you are creating demand to stimulate recycling in the UK - this helps to make the recycling industry more robust and more cost effective; in turn, this provides real environmental benefits. At the same time, you could benefit from significantly cheaper raw material costs." For those wishing to manage waste streams, a good place to start is with the waste management companies. Southampton-based Waste Services (UK) is one of the largest independent commercial waste and recycling specialists in southern England. As well as waste collection, the company now helps businesses to achieve waste minimisation and to comply with legislation such as regulations for pre-treatment of waste and landfill. Account manager Jason Brown says the organisation can perform a variety of services, from waste stream audits through to the scheduling, collection and sale of recyclable waste. Indeed, the company has just secured a new three-year contract with Sunseeker International's main Poole manufacturing site. Waste Services has installed compaction and bailing machines to maximise loads, so reducing vehicle movements and their environmental impact. A dedicated vehicle on a regular schedule collects both manufacturing-related residual waste and recyclable materials, such as metal, wood, sawdust, plastics, glass, paper and card. Hazardous materials, such as polymers, are also collected for appropriate processing, as is a variety of waste electrical equipment, largely white goods. Colourful scheme Waste Services also introduced colour-coded bins for Sunseeker - each colour for a particular material - as part of a more flexible and efficient collection scheme. The bins, which can be moved around the facility as required by production line needs, contribute to improved materials collection, as staff across all Sunseeker sites understand the colour coding system. Brown explains how this came about: "Previously, we collected general waste, but we looked at developing other methods for Sunseeker to keep them compliant." He adds: "I did some analysis, broke down the waste streams and offered solutions for collecting and disposal, as well as capital equipment," says Brown. Once the analysis was carried out, Brown presented what he calls "the percentages of waste": "I built a picture of how much waste was coming out, day to day, then presented the benefits." These included the 'legal' benefits. To analyse waste streams, it was a case of looking at existing arrangements. "I went to see what waste they were producing and saw what was in the containers," says Brown. He told Sunseeker which materials could be recycled, identifying that "about 40% of the waste was potentially recyclable". Now, the waste is segregated by material, into wood, metal, paper and card, for example. This is necessary to dispose of those materials effectively. Certain items of capital equipment were installed - a shredder, and a 'rollpacker' (baler) for card and for timber, which is now sent for eco-composting or for use in furniture products. There is also a market for paper waste: "The paper mills will pay you for the material, which can be offered back as a rebate or a reduction in transport cost." The installation of equipment can be important for paper waste: "If loose, you get a lower value (per tonne), but if baled, it is higher per tonne for half-tonne bales." Brown says that other streams that can be revenue beneficial are metal - "dependant upon the type" - and glass. Future streams It is important to note that not all recyclable materials will offer a source of income - at least not yet. For some streams, the user may be so remote (even outside of the UK) that the transport costs negate the possible revenue, but at least the business can break even and be more environmentally conscious. Back on site, as well as identifying streams and providing equipment such as colour-coded bins, it's equally important to educate the workforce: Brown explains the company can provide leaflets or 'toolbox' talks - to educate the workforce - as well as posters or newsletters. The process of awareness can, he says, take several months. "Sometimes there can be resistance, but once they start... once you've encouraged and they understand... then they will be proud to recycle." Add this to the potential business benefits, and it makes for quite a case. If it's revenue you're after, then look to the Resource Efficiency Knowledge Transfer Network. Arnold Black is the network director for this KTN: "Nobody wants to talk about waste, but we are trying to encourage people that it is not a waste, it is someone else's raw material," he says. "We act as a focal point for companies, offering the most up-to-date information on resource-efficient processing, intelligent raw material use and waste recycling," adds Black. "We act as a liaison between R&D in universities and industry." Initially, information is provided via an electronic portal, "then one-on-one contact when there is something to follow up". The work is typically in waste streams, sometimes where a specific academic R&D project is seeking an industrial collaborator. Or it could be a manufacturer looking to discuss issues with like-minded organisations. It could be a business looking to recycle several tonnes of waste product, for example the production of bioethanol from other waste streams and LCD screen recycling. Any manufacturer can access information via the portal, not only from the UK. "Most problems are global, waste is not limited to the UK," says Black. At present, he says, this KTN has 3,000 members, around 70% of which are industrial companies. The green box Taking this approach is not just about ticking the green box, it makes perfect business sense, as Sharp Interpack demonstrates. Phil Mather is operations director at Sharp Interpack in Yate, which makes plastic trays for food products and which won, last year, the Best Factory Award for Health, Safety and Environment. The site has demonstrated an excellent performance in health and safety, and on environmental issues. "We re-use most process waste," says Mather, describing the proprietary process that automatically recycles waste from the moulding process. But not all waste can be re-used: "Overall we are running at 1.5% waste, about 15 tonnes a year. We weigh and measure it, and sell it to people who can use it."Mather stresses that the company takes a responsible attitude to any waste that does leave the site: "We are responsible. We sell to licensed reclamation companies, with assurances that it won't go to landfill." It may only be a small amount, he says, but it is recycled and sold on as non-food grade material. Cardboard cut out And what of other wastes within in the business? "We have a polythene baler and are planning the same for cardboard." Indeed when Sharp Interpack moved from using cardboard to polythene as a packaging material, it saved 247 tonnes of cardboard a year. Other projects included looking at how the finished trays nested: "We were able to remove 20% of the tray weight. We also saved 5,000 pallet movements." Although not every project is under a 'green' banner, the organisation is clearly making savings in material (and hence waste). "We even compost the leaves from the site," says Mather. "We have made big inroads into the carbon footprint."It's not just about reducing waste, or finding a buyer for the small amount of waste that isn't already re-used. The company actively sources post-industrial or consumer waste to use as a raw material - for example, waste from other thermoforming processes is granulated and purchased by Sharp Interpack for use in its process. And this approach has stretched into the local community: "We are starting with local schools," says Mather, "trying things like recycling mushroom punnets. If we get a bin of them every few months we will buy the school a new laptop or similar equipment." On target Sourcing this waste, including some milk bottle recycled materials, is a real boon to the company. "We already use our own skeletal waste, which forms around 45% of the raw material, so if we get just 5% more, this means more than half of our material comes from recycled sources," says Mather. Final word goes to Sharp Interpack's commercial manager Mark Grady: "It's a good story for our customers as well," he points out. Returning waste from customer's processes is an obvious step: "If we help our customers to do this they'll be our long term partners," he says. "It's all about taking a longer term view on plastics - if we don't do it, we won't have a sustainable business."