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press releases

Waste Not Want Not As Landfill Costs Increase

The North East alone produces 4.5 million tonnes of commercial and industrial waste every year(1) and the cost of waste disposal is on the increase. As a result, Envirowise is advising North East businesses to reduce and recycle waste for both financial and environmental gain.

The standard rate of landfill tax has recently increased from £21 per tonne to £24 per tonne, and from 1 April 2008 it will increase annually by £8 per tonne until at least 1 April 2010.

This steady increase in landfill tax is likely to have a significant impact on local businesses, so Envirowise is recommending organisations look again at opportunities to improve resource efficiency and cut waste across the business – to help them both minimise landfill costs and reduce their longer-term environmental impact.

Being more resource efficient can also bring broader cost benefits that go direct to the bottom line, increasing competitiveness and profitability, as well as often pre-empting the potentially negative effects of tighter legislation in the future.

Rising costs and decreasing availability of landfill is also an issue for those dealing with hazardous wastes. Since July 2004 the EU Landfill Directive has prohibited the co-disposal of hazardous with non-hazardous waste.

Further regulations in July 2005 expanded the list of waste materials classified as hazardous and introduced new controls for their movement. As a result, many businesses became producers of hazardous waste for the first time. Many common items such as televisions, fluorescent lighting tubes and some computer monitors were re-classed as hazardous – and now require separate collection at the end of their lives

The key to adapting to these changes is for local businesses to embrace the ‘three Rs’ mantra – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – and by doing this they can significantly boost their resource efficiency and market competitiveness.

For example, Envirowise recommends reviewing the following areas:

• Can you reduce your packaging requirements to minimise waste?

• Can you reduce the volume of water used in your daily processes?

• Can you reduce over-ordering in any areas?

• Can you reduce the waste being produced along your supply chain?

• Can you reduce the use of excess components in any of your products?

Guy Bashford, Envirowise Regional Manager for the North East, commented: “Only when opportunities for reduction have been exhausted should reuse and recycling be explored. With figures showing the North East generates several million tonnes of commercial and industrial waste annually, there is clearly much we can all do to reduce the collective environmental footprint of the region’s businesses.”

For free advice and support on becoming more resource efficient call the Envirowise Helpline on 0800 585 794 or visit www.envirowise.gov.uk.

(1) Environment Agency, Commercial and Industrial Waste

Survey 2002-3

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