Speaking with prospective clients about their waste management often provokes conversations about the disposal costs & the bureaucracy of all the paperwork. Once I can move the discussion to the positive aspects of reviewing waste minimisation or recycling strategies to reduce costs, we get over these initial concerns of the high costs of disposal but the perception of the paperwork bureaucracy remains.
Most business want to do the “right thing” with their wastes but remembering a few decades back, when you could find a “man with a truck”, who would take your waste away with no questions asked are long behind us, or are they.
The waste management sector has done much to improve its reputation as well as securing effective services to their clients with additional benefits of recycling advice, waste reporting and management of the Waste Transfer Notes and Duty of Care requirements.
It is disappointing, therefore, to see that 56% of businesses are not complying with the Duty of Care and associated Regulations despite the fact that the legislation, originally, came in-force on 1 April 1992.
The good news is that 90% of non-compliant business want to be proactive in complying with the Duty of Care.
Enter the “Right Waste, Right Place” campaign that has been launched under the management of the Environmental Services Association (ESA) and sponsored by the Environment Agency, Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) and ESA Education Trust (ESAET).
In their year-long campaign, the key messages are for businesses to be aware of what their obligations are and what they have to do to meet them. This message is supported through their website: www.rightwasterightplace.com, twitter – #PWRP2016, Facebook – Right Waste Right Place & YouTube – Right Waste Right Place.
Together with the recently revised Waste Duty of Care & Code of Practice for England & the Codes of Practice for other home countries, the “Right Waste, Right Place” campaign should make a real difference in waste management compliance and reduce illegally disposed waste. Maybe even to the extent that the initial discussions, as a consultant with my clients in the future, will not be about their perception of Waste Transfer Notes as a paperwork bureaucracy but the real opportunities to effectively manage their waste streams, be legally compliant & protect the environment.