This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Business may be wasting profits
09/08/2005
Businesses were today urged to become waste aware and
help reduce their costs.
Launching a consultation on the sustainable management
of waste from business and public sector organisations,
Environment Minister Ross Finnie stressed the economic
significance of adopting the reduce, re-use, recycle
message.
Mr Finnie said:
"Waste is not just an environmental issue - it is a
business too. Businesses can increase profits by as much
as £1000 per employee by introducing a systematic waste
minimisation programme.
"The producer pays principle dictates that businesses
are responsible for the waste they produce. With the cost
of disposing of waste rising it makes sound business sense
to consider minimising waste at source and to recycle."
Campbell Gemmell, Chief Executive of the Scottish
Environment Protection Agency, said:
"About 75 per cent of the waste produced in Scotland
annually comes from the commercial and industrial sector.
SEPA is pleased to be working with the Executive to develop
a plan for its sustainable management."
This consultation paper consolidates, for the first
time, information on the wastes produced. It provides
stakeholders with an opportunity to comment on the issues
and to influence the direction of a Commercial and
Industrial Waste Plan for Scotland".
The
Consultation Paper
on the Sustainable Management of Waste from Business and
Public Sector Organisations in Scotland considers the
following main issues:
- Data: the paper discusses the need for
better data on non-municipal waste.
- National Best Practice Projects: SEPA
have carried out a number of National Best Practice
Projects, looking at waste arisings in specific waste
streams (eg batteries) and producing recommendations on
best practice. The consultation asks how National Best
Practice Project Work should be taken forward.
- Issues for business waste producers:
the paper discusses issues for business waste
producers, such as lack of awareness of recycling
facilities.
- The infrastructure needed to treat
non-municipal waste: a key issue here is to
ensure that the land-use planning system deals
effectively with proposals and applications for
non-municipal waste infrastructure.
- Use of advice and conditions to drive waste
minimisation and recycling: the consultation
asks whether planning or licensing conditions could be
used to further waste minimisation and targets.
- Targets: the paper discusses possible
targets for non-municipal waste. It notes that data
would have to be improved and that there would have to
be further consultation with affected industries.
- Use of Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC)
regime: the paper discusses whether PPC
conditions could be used further as a way of promoting
waste minimisation.
- Landfill bans: the paper asks whether
materials could be banned from going to landfill, on
the grounds that there is a good recycling market for
them.
Responses are requested by
December 16, 2005 and should be sent
to:
Kirstie Macfarlane
Scottish Executive
Environment and Rural Affairs Department
SEPA Sponsorship and Waste Division
Area 1-J (North)
Victoria Quay
EDINBURGH
EH6 6QQ
Fax: 0131 244 0245
Email:
BusinessWasteConsultation@scotland.gsi.gov.uk