Auditel Consultant:
David Milnes

Don’t let your Profits go to Waste

29 Mar 2010 | Filed under: Waste

As the landfill tax increases by a further 20% in just a few days time (1^st April 2010), it’s a timely reminder that all organisations should consider their waste strategy.

Get your waste strategy wrong and your organisation could be wasting £000’s in inefficiencies; worse still you could end up with a substantial fine. Last year Red Bull was fined £261,268 after it failed to meet its requirements to recover and recycle packaging waste.

The start point of any waste strategy is to understand which regulations apply to your organisation. You don’t want to end up with a substantial fine. A simple example is the Waste Transfer Note (WTN). Your are probably aware that all waste has to have an accompanying WTN, but did you know that it is your responsibility and, that you need to keep them for two year? Luckily most waste carriers will produce one for you.

Are you aware that as the waste producer you are required to ensure that your waste is pre-treated before it goes to landfill? Do you know what pre-treatment entails?

Having established which regulations affect your organisation, the next step is to understand what waste you actually produce. At this point you can then think about changing your processes to reduce your waste levels. This can have a two-fold effect on your costs: reducing the amount of materials purchased and reducing your waste disposal costs. Of course, if you manage to reduce the level of packaging you use at the same time, you could reduce your Packaging Waste Recovery Note (PRN) requirements; having a further benefit to your bottom line.

What about recycling? Recycling will become more economically viable over the next few years as Landfill tax will increase by £8 per tonne per annum until April 2013. Have you considered whether some of your waste might maybe of value to another organisation?

If you are unsure how to make the most of your waste whilst increasing your profitability why not get in touch?