Managing the waste of a company is a vital part of running a business. The waste may be food or glass or hazardous material. This can be done either manually or through a company such as a commercial waste management company. It is important to take the correct steps to ensure the waste is managed correctly.
Glass waste
Whether you own a restaurant, run a bar, or operate a construction business, glass recycling is a great way to save tons of natural resources. However, it is not always easy to get started.
Glass is heavy, and therefore expensive to transport. For this reason, many cities have cut glass from their curbside recycling programs. This may cause pushback from residents, or it may create a demand for an alternative collection program.
To make the most of your glass waste, you can use a business waste management company to help you assess your glass recycling needs. They can also help you implement a waste management plan.
The best glass recycling method involves bringing your glass waste to a recycling facility. Often, this will involve using specially designed bins.
Food waste
Using modern methods of food waste management helps to reduce food waste at various stages of the supply chain. This allows companies to reduce their impact on the environment.
For instance, in the United States, the average family throws away $2,000 worth of food per year. This represents a huge amount of food that goes to waste. A large part of this food is lost during production, distribution, and consumption.
Food waste is also a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Approximately 15 percent of these greenhouse gases come from food waste. These emissions are released from landfills and incinerators. These emissions are responsible for fueling climate change.
Despite the fact that food waste accounts for about 20 percent of waste generated in the United States, there are still significant steps that can be taken to reduce this waste. This includes cooking methods, marketing, storage, and more.
Clinical waste
Using reusable products to dispose of medical waste helps to reduce the volume of waste going to landfills. It also helps to move a hospital toward a more sustainable and environmentally sound direction.
The medical waste that a hospital generates is divided into three categories. These include infectious waste, biohazard waste and anatomical waste. These types of waste are separated and labeled in a way that makes it easy for patients and staff to understand.
Healthcare waste can be chemically treated, heat-processed, autoclaved or disposed of off-site. Whether the waste is processed on-site or off-site, all facilities must follow the proper medical waste management procedures.
Hospitals should develop a formal waste management plan. The plan must include policies for the collection, handling and disposal of regulated medical waste. It should also include procedures for educating staff on waste management, and periodic updates to the plan.
Hazardous waste
Having a well-managed hazardous waste disposal system can help businesses and residents to avoid health risks, fines, and hazardous waste spills. The Environment Agency (EA) has a number of policies and procedures that should be followed for the safe handling and disposal of hazardous wastes.
The Hazardous Waste Handbook is a guide for small businesses that want to comply with federal hazardous waste regulations. It provides an overview of the current regulations, but it does not include all the new regulations that have been introduced.
Businesses that generate hazardous waste must register and pay a fee for disposal. Businesses that generate more than 100 kilograms of hazardous waste per month must also hire a hazardous waste hauler. Businesses that generate more than 220 pounds of hazardous waste per month are classified as a Large Quantity Generator.
Duty of care
Whether you are running a small family business or are part of a large company, your business has a duty of care to manage your waste in a safe, responsible, and efficient way. The legislation governing waste management sets out the requirements that your business must follow, and there are certain ways that you can ensure that your business complies.
One of the best ways to ensure that your business is in full compliance with the law is to follow a Code of Practice. This provides guidance on the law, and can be used as evidence in court should you ever need to prove that you are acting in accordance with the law.
One of the best ways to ensure you are keeping up with your duty of care is to create a record of all your waste. This should include an accurate description of the waste, as well as the waste transfer note. You should keep these records for at least two years.
