Find value in waste

It may not have the the drama and political imperative of global warming, or the emotional pull of habitat loss, which is why, perhaps, the way we manage the globe’s rising tide of waste has traditionally played the role of Cinderella in the cast of environmental concerns.

And yet, as one of the human race’s main environmental impacts on the planet, it remains as pressing a problem as any other ‘inconvenient truth’ on the eco-agenda.

But times and attitudes are changing as the cleaning and greening of business and industry gains rapid momentum in the face of a growing sense of corporate responsibility and a barrage of new waste management laws emanating from Brussels and Westminster. The old ‘consume and discard’ attitude to finite raw materials is no longer sustainable.

There is one area of the packaging process that is particularly important – the disposal of printing waste.

In these economically difficult times it is, perhaps, not unreasonable for companies to be more interested in maintaining sales and keeping good customer relations than to get excited about the inconvenient topic of waste disposal – or keep abreast of fast changing legislation governing its handling which is becoming ever more complex.

However, there is no choice. From the private high street printer to the giant newspaper groups and packaging companies – any company which generates print waste – all have to dispose of it legally under a Duty of Care imposed upon them under the Environmental Protection Act and Hazardous Waste Regulations. There’s also the Water Resources Act, Water Industry Act, Health and Safety at Work Act, Landfill Regulations and not forgetting the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations.

Regulations encourage recycling

Breaching that Duty of Care is a criminal offence attracting heavy penalties and the Environment Agency rigorously enforces the regulations, many of which are designed to facilitate and encourage the recycling, rather than the dumping, of waste.

The recycling industry, investing heavily in new handling and processing technology, has risen to the challenge and and has provided many creative alternatives to landfill. Indeed, over 90% of the printing waste my company collected last year – including some 21 by-products routinely dumped – went on to be processed for reuse. No more than five years ago the figure would have been 60%.

There is almost no printing by-product that cannot be recycled or reused in some way. From aluminium plates to empty drums; light tubes to wooden pallets; chemicals to press blankets – all have a useful life beyond landfill, either being turned into raw materials and going back into the manufacturing chain, or being made directly into other products.

The list of packaging and printing waste by-products that have to be disposed of in accordance with one or more of the many regulations in force is extensive and includes:

¦¦ Empty ink drums

¦¦ Solvents and other liquid chemical waste

¦¦ Metals

¦¦ Aluminium litho plates

¦¦ Fluorescent light tubes

¦¦ CDs

¦¦ Press blankets

¦¦ Wood

¦¦ Plastics

¦¦ Batteries

¦¦ Toner powders

¦¦ Aerosols

¦¦ Negative film

¦¦ Contaminated wipes

¦¦ Machine oil

¦¦ Coatings

¦¦ Steel containers

¦¦ Board

¦¦ Electronic and IT equipment

¦¦ Paper

Where they finish up

Your factory or house may have drainage pipes manufactured from shredded plastics containers. Steel drums and aluminium cans are melted down and reused as raw material. Wooden pallets are chipped and used in fibreboard, and silver is recovered from film and fixer. Glass, aluminium, metals and mercury are recovered from lamps and recycled. Cardboard is sent to the mill for recycling or shredded and used as animal bedding.

These are just some of the uses to which packaging and printing waste is put.

Of course there are some packaging industry waste products that cannot currently be recycled or reused, mainly specific types of plastics. In some instances the currently used material could be replaced by a recyclable type but there is an unacceptable price premium to pay.

To overcome this problem the packaging industry, under increasing pressure from both environmental groups and consumers, is spending a great deal of time and money researching alternatives, and the waste industry, too, is working hard, often with suppliers, to find new ways to recycle or reuse these products.

Over 90% can already be recycled or reused. It may never reach 100%, but the figure is increasing year after year.

Costs can be reduced

And there is another incentive to embrace sustainable waste management. Do it right and soaring landfill costs can be reduced and income generated from the sale of recyclable materials.

Among the products that can generate income are aluminium printing plates and some board and plastics.

Collection costs can also be reduced. If, for instance, bulky ink cans are crushed, collection costs can be reduced by as much as 80%. The cost of a crusher could be recovered in the first year.

This is a scenario that is good for the planet, your green profile and your profits – particularly when you may be under pressure from customers to show your green credentials.

Duty of Care

Remember, Duty of Care applies to any company producing, importing, carrying, keeping, treating or disposing of indusrial and commercial waste, which is classified as either ‘controlled’ or ‘hazardous’. And that means just about every packaging and printing company.

Not surprisingly, dealing with this aspect of company operations has become a more mainstream and time-consuming business activity involving the putting into place of specific management systems, a detailed knowledge of the regulations, an understanding of recycling potential – and a lot of extra paperwork.

Among other things, companies now should know:

¦¦ Which waste streams are classed as ‘hazardous’ or ‘controlled’;

¦¦ How to separate and label their waste;

¦¦ Where and how waste must be stored;

¦¦ What to do in the event of a chemical spillage;

¦¦ Which waste management company is qualified to collect the waste;

¦¦ What records should be kept for the Environment Agency;

¦¦ What happens to the waste once it has left the factory gate;

¦¦ How the amount of hazardous waste can be reduced.

In other words, all print companies now have to manage their waste streams with just the same care as that given to rather more exciting business activities such as the production process, office computer system and marketing – especially if they aspire to a reputation for environmental responsibility.

There is just too much at stake for ‘just get rid of it’ to be acceptable any more. Indeed, responsibility for waste has passed increasingly from the indefatigable factory handyman to a senior member of staff with technical, legal and administrative skills and an understanding of environmental impact.

The latter is of particular importance in today’s growing climate of corporate responsibility; a raft of UK and European legislation in favour of the planet; and an industry clamour to achieve ISO 14001 – the environmental management standard in which waste management procedures are major components.

Given the increased pressures on companies to manage their waste responsibly, the manager charged with overseeing the activity may increasingly need to carry out these duties with skilled professional assistance from outside consultants, like those available to colleagues in other departments.

So perhaps it is time to call in a specialist waste management supplier who knows all the rules, has all the equipment, keeps up with the changing regulations, invests in the latest waste handling machinery, and has explored the recycling possibilities of almost every packaging and printing by-product.

Keeping the waste disposal operation, particularly in regard to recycling, constantly under review is essential.

Waste creation remains one of our main environmental impacts. Waste products are always with us but they can, and should, be managed efficiently.