Making Waste PayMartin Stewart

• Our attitude to recycling changed in the late

1990’s

• Only started measuring the cost of waste in 2001 - £12,893

• Landfill was not expensive (certainly not its true cost)

• Lazy approach / busy enough thanks!

• Lack of education / awareness

The arch enemy! Not Biffa – The Skip!

• Steadily we have:

• Reduced the amount of waste

• Reduced the cost of waste

• Invested in the processes

• Got it engrained in the culture of the business

• Where to next:

• Still have problem areas – Polystyrene, Plastic Pots.

• Education - Greater sharing of solutions.

• Need to keep pushing to find better ways.

• Not easy when we are having to run a lean business.

• We still have to find a way of dealing with on site concessions.

• Some thoughts for the policy makers:

• Create an environment to encourage innovation.

• Don’t legislate to drive change. Just up the costs of inaction.

• Scrap metal dealers were not legislated into existence!

• Put the costs of the easy options up i.e Landfill.

• Increase the fines for fly tipping and the chances of getting caught.

• Some thoughts for the waste generators:

• You MUST create a cost centre for waste in your accounts.

• Tell everyone what waste costs.

• Take steady steps to reduce it. 80/20 rule applies here.

• Be prepared to invest.

• Involve the marketing department, you might as well shout about

it.

• So how do Stewarts feel about where we are:

• Still got problem areas. Polystyrene & Plastic Pots.

• In 2001 waste was costing us £12,893 p.a.

• Last year it was making us £3,000 p.a. So it’s paying.

• But it has cost us over £100,000 to get here.

• We can still do so much better.

• We need to put more pressure on those that trade on our sites.