Posted By Patrick Canning
My company has asked me to take over the waste dept. I know nothing about this can anyone give me advice on where to start. I have looked to see what we do now and that's not much (everything into landfill).
All advice will be gratefully accepted.

Baby steps please

Patrick

Posted By Robert K Lewis
Patrick

I faced this problem when helping a company recently. I had to develop a course for them. It is a minefield and extremely easy to find yourself tied into what has always been done by custom and practice.

You really need some training to get the various acts, regulations and codes clear in your mind. We can talk offline if you wish.

Bob

Posted By Heather Collins
Patrick

The others are right about getting some training to make sure you know what the legislation requires.

However ultimately you'll have to tackle the problem so I suggest the following as a start:

1. Make a list of all the different types of waste your company produces and where each one goes from the moment it is generated until the moment it leaves the site.

So for example:
Paper - into office waste bins - into big recycling wheelie bin - into rear yard - collected by recycling company. (ideal scenario)
Paper - into office waste bins - into black sack - into skip - to landfill (more likely scenario!)

2. Check if any of the waste you have is hazardous. If it is, make sure your company is registered with the relevant Agency (EPA/SEPA)

3. Take a look at all the current paperwork that the company has related to the waste it generates - waste transfer notes, annual tickets, skip tickets, recycling notes, etc. You should have a piece of paper to cover every waste collection (although if the same thing is collected every time you may find an "annual ticket" covers everything.

4. Look at who your waste disposal companies are and make sure they are all licensed both as carriers (where they transport the waste for you) and as waste management sites.

Then, sit down and have a good cry!!

Ultimately I would suggest that you ask your largest waste management company to come in, sit down with you and discuss your recycling and waste segregation options. We've done this with two companies and I have found their ideas most helpful.

I'd be happy to answer any specific queries you might have if you want to drop me an e-mail!

Posted By D H
A lot of good advice - I would strongly recommend you follow Heathers suggestion.
Get the waste contractor in to advise you. They will be able to identify the nature of the waste and advise what you need to do and how.

Then after a while - take the next step and try and reduce the waste created in the first place - including energy usage.
Potentially big savings all round. Awareness sessions for the workforce are also a must.

If I can offer any help, feel free to ask.

Good luck

Posted By Jim Masson
Oh yes, get your waste contractors to provide you with a monthly breakdown of type of waste, quantity, recycled or landfilled, where it goes and the WML/PPC for the disposal point.

Posted By GARRY WIZZ
Done the waste awareness course run by CIWM which was a complete WASTE of time. Might have been due to the instructor.

However, any recommendations as to what training course one should attend so that on a construction site with a project cost of £1 up to £1million, I might on completion of the course feel fairly confident that I am dealing with waste effectively.

Garry

Posted By Bob Youel

Questions:

Why is it that its OK [and this site sometime seems to support the idea]for somebody to opt into H&S and environmental areas but a complete no- no to opt into finance, marketing, legal, QA, etc etc areas?

Why is it the we continually give support on this site [and in most cases it is right and proper - this is what the site can be used for] without also adding in, in all instances of advice, that a competent person should be used in all cases and people should get themselves competent as against 'picking up' ideas and information?

Why is it that there are many good people out there who are studying hard to become competent re H&S/Env areas [which costs lots of £ etc] yet we give info out so easily to those who are not studying etc but want to opt into the profession the easy way?

Can I suggest that we continue to give advice

[noting that solicitors, doctors, barristers, accountants, designers etc give very very little free advice, if any at all, and you cannot easily access [if gain access at all] any of their professional sites]

and add in on all occasions when info is given that a competent person should be used & a person should strive to be competent

Talking to barrister friends they have said that my profession will never be recognised as being a 'proper' profession as long as we give to many things away!

Posted By Robert K Lewis
Bob Y

I agree with you especially when it comes to waste management. It is not an area to move into without full competent support unless you are already competent. Training is merely a start but you cannot set aside the day to day real life experience of those who have been managing the issue for some time. I do not mean waste management contractors here either. As I have said my experience has not been uniformly good with many of the organisations.

Bob

Posted By Robert K Lewis
Dave W

Wish it was that simple. Envirowise are good at relatively simple waste streams but as they become more complex they tend, for me, to be too simplistic. Unlike consultants there is no PI if they are wrong on something. Their knowledge of the management process is not always what I would hope. Their real purpose is to suggest ways of better managing the waste stream not train people how to manage waste.

Bob