FEATURE WASTE MANAGEMENT PROTECTING THE Waste management is a concern for many businesses, particularly those that store/ use fuels, chemicals and other hazardous materials. Removing and disposing of this waste safely is essential for legislative reasons and to protect the environment – infact waste management and its importance was recently highlighted in the COP21 climate meeting in Paris. Alan Scrafton, from leading environmental services provider, Adler & Allan, explains best-practice waste removal, to clean-up and protect the environment At COP21 in December, International to handle it, in accordance Solid Waste Association (ISWA) with the Hazardous Waste Regulations. president, David Newman, outlined the importance waste management could DEALING WITH WASTE play in mitigating climate change. He Waste, particularly of the hazardous variety stated that greater emphasis must be (such as fuels, chemicals and food waste, placed on materials, saving CO2 emissions including milk and cooking oil) must be through recycling and where this is not classified so it can be dealt with correctly. possible, using these materials for energy If you produce or store hazardous waste production. According to Newman, a waste you must register your premises at gov. system that is working efficiently and at its uk. Companies that also treat, transport or maximum potential, can reduce up to 15 – dispose of waste themselves need a permit 20 per cent of a country’s CO2 emissions, to do so. Transporting waste comes under compared to a scene where waste is just the ADR regulations, which was recently dumped. At the moment, waste is ‘dumped’ changed to include fuel. To comply, drivers in 70 per cent of the world. have to be specially trained, using suitable vehicles. THE LAW Waste ‘disposal’ should be your last By law, you must deal responsibly with any course of action. Good practice waste waste your business produces. This can management should start with prevention, be waste caused by commercial activities, using fewer and less hazardous materials construction (or demolition), industry or where possible, or looking for alternative agriculture. Your duty of care begins when ways to complete essential business tasks. you produce the waste and ends once passed ‘Prevention’ could also save your business over to a licensed waste disposal business. money, by reducing waste disposal costs, You are also responsible to check how any the price of the material in the first place waste management provider you use deals and potentially better, more cost-effective with that waste. They must be fully licensed processes. 14 FEBRUARY 2016 CLEANING HYGIENE TODAY ENVIRONMENT
CHT February 2016
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