Waste means business

2014 is a milestone year for WAMITAB as we celebrate 25 years of developing qualifications and we will be showcasing our current product portfolio at this year’s RWM. We will also be offering visitors to the show a chance to get guidance on competence, qualifications and skills development at our Technical Advice Shop. 

Waste management is a complicated area with demanding legislative requirements and there are increasing requirements on businesses to better manage their waste and encouragement to see it as a resource and not just rubbish.

When we were set up in 1989 we primarily served the waste industry but over the intervening years this has developed in response to changing activities of many of the initial users of our qualifications who have broadened their service offering to cover facilities management and cleaning services. We now have a wide range of qualifications and other products and services designed to meet the needs of those working in waste and resource management as well as cleaning, street cleansing, facilities management and parking. At first glance this might seem an eclectic mix but there is a common theme that runs through each; a need to comply with health and safety requirements and environmental legislation.

The EU Waste Framework Directive provides the legislative framework for the collection, transport, recovery and disposal of waste and there are requirements placed on local authorities and businesses to manage their waste. The guidance is clear, if your business or organisation (including local authorities on behalf of householders) produces or handles waste (including importing, producing, carrying, keeping or treating waste; dealers or brokers who have control of waste, and anyone responsible for the transfer of waste), you must take all such measures as are reasonable in the circumstances to prevent waste and apply the "waste hierarchy” when transferring waste.  Take a look at this document for general guidance on what’s required. 

Along with this legislative incentive, there is a common understanding that being ‘eco-friendly’ or ‘green’ is good for business both from a CSR perspective and also a cost management angle too.  Managing the waste that businesses generate is a key element of being ‘green’ and the cleaning industry has taken this on board by offering added value services such as sorting waste into different streams before the waste management contractor begins their part of the job.

With this in mind, a visit to RWM could be a worthwhile way to learn more about waste management and recycling so that you can offer specialist added value services and advise your customers on how best to manage their waste. Remembering the old adage that "where’s there’s muck, there’s brass”, you may also be surprised to find a number of rare and exceedingly valuable earth-metals so there could be some potentially lucrative business advantages to be gained by offering a waste management solution as part of your cleaning service.