DISPOSAL
cZeerroti-fwicaasttieo-ntos-landfill
Zero-waste-to-land ll certi cation provides a clear target for companies to work towards, while
ensuring their environmental credentials can be demonstrated to customers. Eliminating land ll means
reducing process waste, reusing materials and recycling. Critically, the zero-waste methodology
focuses on rst restructuring production and distribution systems to reduce waste, before resorting to
reducing, reusing, and recycling, nds Jody Muelaner
Anumber of factors are
behind the drive to reduce
waste – rising material
prices, increasing consumer
interest in sustainable
practices, land ll tax and legislation.
“Companies want to be able to support
their sustainability claims with third-party
certi cation. They are aware that it is easy
to make claims, but that greenwashing is
rampant,” says Inna Kitaychik, operations
manager for responsible biofuels & zero
waste at SGS Global Services. “Therefore,
to get certi ed means that their
sustainability claims are independently
con rmed. Since zero waste is not a legal
requirement, companies are taking the
not contain organic material which could
break down to produce methane, and
which have low potential for pollution
in the ground. Such qualifying materials
include sand, stone, ash, various metal
oxides, and various calcium-based
materials such as gypsum. The vast
majority of industrial waste will attract the
standard rate.
CHOOSING A CERTIFICATION BODY
There are many organisations o ering
their own certi cations. Some are
commercial; others non-pro t, such
as the Carbon Trust. Some are more
stringent than others. This can make it
di cult to choose the right certi cation
opportunity to be early adopters of waste
diversion as an important environmental
value proposition to set them apart
from their competitors. In a world in
which customers are more attuned to
the problems caused by wastes, such as
plastics crisis in the oceans, this assurance
is crucial. It also has been proven that
zero-waste strategies save companies
money in the long term.”
A strong incentive to reduce waste
comes from the increase in land ll tax on
commercial waste for UK businesses. The
standard rate is now close to £100 per
tonne. There is a lower rate (£3.10/tonne),
but it only applies to listed qualifying
materials which are non-hazardous, do
Winter 2021 www.operationsengineer.org.uk 43
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