Waste minimisation: Tips on how to watch your waste

20 October 2006
Waste minimisation: Tips on how to watch your waste

With growing pressure to demonstrate green credentials, the hospitality sector must take an active role in waste minimisation, says Roger Papworth, Envirowise programme delivery leader. Here, he gives some tips on how

With businesses and consumers both placing increased emphasis on green issues, there is growing pressure on hoteliers and caterers to demonstrate that the environment is high on their agenda. And although establishing better environmental practice can improve a company's ability to attract and retain customers, an improved public image is not the only incentive for addressing these issues; by becoming more resource-efficient, a company can make significant cost savings throughout its operation.

Essentially, resource efficiency means using raw materials, water and energy more effectively and cutting down on waste whenever possible. And with the introduction of new regulations on waste - including tighter restrictions on hazardous substances and animal by-products - and increasing costs at UK landfill sites, the incentive for operating a structured approach to waste management has never been greater.

Indeed, by making a wholehearted commitment to eliminate, reduce, reuse and recycle as much waste as possible, hotels and catering establishments can expect to make significant savings in a matter of months with little or no initial investment. But how does a business go about putting into place an effective waste-minimisation programme?

First - whatever industry you are in - it is important to understand the types and quantities of waste being generated and the associated costs. This will help you identify the largest areas of waste production and greatest opportunities to improve performance.

This can be done by simply walking around your site and conducting a waste audit, looking at what is being done and how it is being done and recording information about the types of wastes generated. For hoteliers, this is likely to involve an assessment of key areas such as the restaurant, bar, bedrooms, leisure facilities, office, kitchens, laundry and garden.

It is also useful to check utility invoices and the volume of waste produced and, where possible, compare these against the industry average for similar-sized establishments. For help with monitoring water use, for instance, visit www.envirowise.gov.uk/watertools.

The waste hierarchy

Once these initial steps have been implemented, businesses should consider using a formal structure such as the "waste hierarchy", which provides a framework within which the most desirable waste management options are set out.

It identifies possible options and ranks them in order of increasing environmental impact. The aim is to work your way through the hierarchy from the "eliminate" level until you are left with no alternative option but to dispose of your waste.

The greatest cost savings occur at the top of the hierarchy:

  • Eliminate Avoid generating waste. Waste that is not created in the first place does not need to be reused, recycled or disposed of, and is therefore the most environmentally desirable option. This could apply particularly with packaging, for instance. Discuss with your suppliers whether excess packaging could be eliminated or containers returned for reuse. Another area is laundry. Consider towel and sheet replacement schemes for your customers, for instance, to reduce water costs.
  • Reduce Minimise the amount of waste produced. This can be done by making informed choices about what to buy and how much packaging to accept, or using refillable dispensers for toiletries.
  • Reuse Use items as many times as possible to maximise their beneficial use. Investigate whether a neighbouring business could reuse any unwanted materials or find out about your nearest waste exchange scheme to obtain advice on sharing waste materials.
  • Recycle Recycle what you can only after you have exhausted steps one to three. Find out if your waste contractor will provide a free collection service for paper, cardboard, batteries, printing cartridges, plastic bottles and glass. Waste cooking oil can also be reused.Dispose This is only an option if none of the other options are appropriate. If this is the case, segregate different types of waste to avoid contamination, and check the capacity of disposal containers to ensure waste consignments are optimised.

Staff involvement

Like all successful business practice, the key to putting in place an effective waste-minimisation programme such as this is good teamwork.

Senior management involvement is a crucial first step for companies wanting to improve their resource efficiency (and their bottom line). However, only by ensuring that all employees are involved can waste minimisation be integrated into the organisational culture.

A good starting point is to appoint a champion to co-ordinate and facilitate the waste-management programme. The champion should have credibility across the business, demonstrate enthusiasm for the role and have the ability to motivate and organise staff.

Staff should also be told the value of the materials they are handling and the cost of frequently taken-for-granted resources such as water and energy. Talking about potential savings in money terms is more meaningful than quoting percentages and helps bring home the impact of waste on profits.

Encourage employees to participate in developing the waste-minimisation programme. When given the capability and resources to participate in improvement programmes, it is often employees who can find the greatest efficiency improvements.

Once an initial action plan has been agreed, consider ongoing activities to keep staff motivated, such as an internal waste bulletin, regular team updates and inclusion of waste-management issues in training programmes.

Incentive schemes - whether a financial payment, small prize or personal recognition - can also be extremely effective in maintaining momentum. Companies might choose to reward individuals or teams for meeting waste-reduction targets or coming up with the best suggestion to improve resource efficiency. Importantly, ideas and achievements should be publicised to enthuse others.

Getting started

When it comes to minimising waste, there are many practical measures that can be put into place with little investment. Some simple ideas include:

  • Segregate wastes, where possible, and store in a designated area for reuse or recycling at a later date. This will also help businesses to visually identify and tackle some of the main wastes produced.
  • Work with suppliers to reduce the amount of packaging generated. Arrange for boxes to be returnable for reuse, or buy in bulk. Switch to refillable toiletry dispensers to minimise packaging and save on purchasing.
  • If your location allows, consider recycling food waste on site. For example, feeding food waste to animals or, if this is unsuitable, introducing a composting area or wormery on site.
  • Explore opportunities for donating reusable items, such as unwanted furniture and electrical goods, to charitable trusts and items of bedding to the Salvation Army.
  • Monitor water use carefully, and put into place water-efficient technologies in toilets, taps and showers. Sites can achieve about 30% savings on water and effluent bills by implementing simple water-management measures.
  • Introduce recycling boxes for cardboard, paper and glass where reuse is not possible.
  • Many hotels have introduced a "laundry reuse" scheme, whereby guests are asked to request clean towels and linen, to reduce energy and water costs.
  • Distribute any magazines left on the premises to staff, or donate to a local dentist's or doctor's surgery.

Clearly, there are many steps that businesses can take to improve environmental performance, with opportunities for them to benefit from cost savings and an enhanced public image.

For further information call Envirowise on 0800 585794 or visit www.envirowise.gov.uk.

Case studies

Kitley House hotel >>

Heatherleigh Hotel >>

Contacts

Envirowise offers free, independent advice on practical ways to increase profit, minimise waste and reduce environmental impact.
www.envirowise.gov.uk 0800 585794

WRAP helps businesses reduce waste, recycle and minimise landfill.
www.wrap.org.uk 0808 100 2040

Hospitable Climates A free energy-saving advisory programme managed on behalf of the Carbon Trust by the HCIMA.
www.hospitableclimates.org.uk 020 8661 4932

Considerate Hoteliers Association Advises hotels on adopting more sustainable environmental, economic and socially responsible policies.
www.consideratehoteliers.com

Tourism Partnership Provides information and guidance to the hotel, travel and tourism industry on implementing programmes that have a positive impact on environmental and social issues.
www.tourismpartnership.org 020 7467 3600

Crisis FareShare A South Yorkshire-based registered charity that collects and distributes food to the homeless in the UK, providing companies with an opportunity to minimise waste and reduce disposal costs.
www.crisisfareshare.co.uk 01226 213255

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