Making waste work for business

North West companies produce approximately 6.5 million tonnes of industrial waste, over 3 million tonnes of commercial waste and almost a million tonnes of special waste each year. Almost half of the industrial and commercial wastes are sent to landfill, with one third re-cycled or re-used. As a result, the North West is running out of space for disposal.

Waste has an impact on the environment, the economy and the profitability of individual companies. Companies can save between 1 and 4% of their turnover by adopting simple waste minimisation techniques - this is where Waste Works can help.

The benefits of taking steps to manage waste include:

• reduced waste going to landfill
• reduced landfill charges
• reduced skip hire charges
• revenue generated from recycling
• product generated for reprocessor and recycler companies
• improved environmental performance of companies
• improved image locally and for the North West region

The cost of waste

Reducing waste is a profit opportunity – each pound saved on material costs goes straight to the bottom line. The good news is that many waste reduction and recycling steps can be taken quickly at little or no cost to your business.

Most companies are unaware of the exactly how much waste is costing them. It is much more than simply the cost of disposal. In some cases waste disposal accounts for up to 10% of company turnover.

The true cost of waste includes:

• disposal costs
• raw material costs
• labour costs
• processing costs
• lost revenue
• potential liabilities

Waste Works provides companies in the North West with a unique opportunity to turn the waste problem into a business opportunity. Please register your details now by clicking on Wastebase at the top of this screen. You can also visit our LancsBEA website and read about how companies have secured a competitive advantage through waste minimisation.