Tag Archives: Packaging

Plastic Wastes and Role of EPR

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In just a few decades plastics have become omnipresent in our society. But, unfortunately, the consequences of their use last far beyond their useful lifetime. Everyone is aware of their overwhelming dispersion in our landscapes. The situation in the oceans is not better [1]. As a reaction, a few thoughts spring to my mind.

First of all, it is clear that the industry is assuming very little responsibility, and that Public Administrations are complicit with this. Extended Producer Pesponsibility (abbreviated as EPR) only affects –and only partially– those plastics used as light packaging, in vehicles, in tyres or as part of electric and electronic equipment, not any of the others. Also, recycling levels are not sufficiently high, as a result of poor separate collection systems and inefficient treatment facilities. As a consequence, society has to face not only the problems created by those materials which are not recycled, but also has to assume a high share of the costs of managing them as waste.

Secondly, it illustrates the importance of the quality of the materials that we aim to recycle, and thus the importance of separate waste collection; for all materials, but particularly for biowaste. Although most composting and anaerobic digestion facilities have the capacity to separate some of the impurities (of which around 40% can be plastics), this separation is far from perfect.

Two recent studies confirm that the quality of compost is influenced by the presence of impurities in biowaste [2] and that, in turn, the presence of impurities is influenced by several factors [3], among which particularly the type of separate collection scheme, door to door separate collection models being those presenting better results.

Thirdly, it makes clear the urgency to adopt measures that address the root of the problem. High quality separate collection and sound waste treatment are necessary, and allow enormous room for improvement, but they are end-of-pipe solutions. It is also important to promote greener consumption patterns through environmental awareness campaigns, but this is not enough either.

We have to address the problem where it is created. And this requires measures of higher impact, such as taxes on certain products (e.g. disposable ones) or on certain materials, compulsory consideration of eco-design criteria, generalisation of the extended producer responsibility or prohibition of certain plastics (e.g. oxo-degradable ones) or of certain uses (e.g. microplastic beads in cosmetics).

glitter-plastic-pollution

One can think that these measures are a bit too hard, but honestly, after wandering around beaches and mountains, and finding plastics absolutely everywhere, I am bit disappointed with the outcome of soft solutions.

On 16th January 2018 the European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy was adopted [4]. A number of measures will need to be applied by the European Union (listed in Annex I of the Strategy), by Member States and by the industry (Annex II), but also by Regional Governments and Local Authorities. No doubt that implementing the Strategy will bring about significant advances, but only time will say if it is sufficient to address the huge challenge we face.

The European Union has also recently adopted the much-awaited Directive 2019/904 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment [5], which introduces several bans and restrictions on different uses and materials. This is indeed a huge step, which needs to be followed by others, both in Europe, but also elsewhere, as this is truly a global challenge.

Note: An earlier version of this article was published in February 2018: https://mailchi.mp/db1fd794d528/sent-11-april-2018

References

[1] See for example: https://tinyurl.com/yxra3cod

[2] Campos Rodrigues, L., Puig Ventosa, I., López, M., Martínez, X. (2016) Anàlisi de la incidència dels impropis de la FORM sobre la qualitat del compost de les plantes de compostatge de Catalunya https://tinyurl.com/y37ncton

[3] Puig-Ventosa, I., Freire-González, J., Jofra-Sora, M. (2013) Determining factors for the presence of impurities in selectively collected biowaste, Waste Management and Research, 31: 510-517.

[4] The strategy and several accompanying documents can be found in this portal: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/plastic_waste.htm

[5] Directive 2019/904 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment.

How to Manage COVID-19 Trash?

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We might be living amid a pandemic, but that hasn’t slowed down global waste production. If anything, we’re producing more waste now than we were at the beginning of the year with the addition of disposable gloves, masks and other personal protective equipment. What changes do we need to make to manage COVID-19-related waste?

covid19-waste-management

Handling More Waste

Before the pandemic, most cities maintained recycling programs. Commercial waste generally outweighed residential waste, and there was plenty of space in the local landfills for the garbage we throw away. Now, it might not be long before cities are looking for new places to store their trash as landfills overflow. Residential waste production increased by anywhere from 20%-30% in the months since the pandemic started.

Much of this is due to the simple fact that people are spending more time at home. They’re getting takeout — which comes with a plethora of single-use plastics — and they’re ordering their necessities online, which means more packaging to throw away. Add to this the risk that the coronavirus may live on surfaces for days or weeks at a time, and COVID cleaning becomes more challenging by the day.

Managing the Risks

Despite fears of COVID-19 persisting on surfaces, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) believes waste workers are only at a moderate risk as a result of their occupation. Additionally, waste workers only merit a medium risk rating if they’re working directly with healthcare waste for patients with confirmed cases of COVID-19. This information hasn’t stopped cities and counties across the country from closing down or even entirely shuttering their local recycling programs, though.

medical-waste-management

 

Managing these risks also reduces any liability that the waste management company might encounter if someone in their employ gets sick from handling contaminated waste. Usually, liability complaints get restricted to chemicals and other hazardous wastes, but until we definitively understand how COVID-19 spreads, it extends to this situation as well.

Lighting a Fire

Some countries, where COVID trash is piling up with no signs of stopping, have begun considering alternative means to manage the waste. Spain, which only has three sanitary waste processing plants in the Catalonia region, has seen medical waste production increase by 300%-350% in the worst-impacted regions of the country since the beginning of the pandemic. Instead of trying to push those processing plants to their limits, Spanish officials are exploring other alternatives.

Incineration is becoming an option in hard-hit regions like Catalonia. While stabilization plants can only manage 50 tons of waste a day, the incinerators eliminated upwards of 700 tons of garbage between the start of the pandemic and mid-April. While incinerators aren’t generally employed for waste-to-energy initiatives anymore, burning the trash rather than letting it fester in a landfill may be one of the only ways to make the best of a bad situation.

Starting Now

Very few people alive today have ever lived through a global pandemic. For the most part, we’re making things up as we go. The shift from commercial to residential waste was expected as more people started staying home to slow the spread of the virus. While we might have anticipated it, we definitely weren’t prepared for it, and we may find that overflowing landfills are tomorrow’s problem.

covid19-trash

Starting now, we need to start looking at COVID-19 trash as a whole. That includes the problems it might create and the best ways to manage it without backpedaling and losing all the sustainability progress we’ve made over the last couple decades. COVID-19 will likely be a part of our lives for many months to come, so we’ll have to adapt if we want to survive and thrive.

How to Deal with Large and Complex Waste in Your Business

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Are you a business owner? Irrespective of the kind of business you’re in, waste management is something that should definitely concern you. Given the amount of waste businesses generate daily, it can become overwhelming to deal with, particularly when it comes to large and complex waste.

While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to waste management, there are many different ways to go about it: recycling, following waste management protocols, waste prevention, and hiring professional services.

If you’re looking for more ideas on how to deal with large and complex waste in your business, our post has got you covered, so read on!

Deal with Complex Waste in Your Business

The Different Ways of Dealing with Business Waste

Whether you’re in the food, health, pharmaceutical, or any other industry, you’ll find a waste management solution that will click for you.

1. Recycle Your Waste

Spend some time to analyse the waste that your business is generating and identify how much of it can be recycled. This step is an absolute no-brainer, as it has countless benefits for your company. For starters, recycling waste means that you won’t have to spend so much on procuring new resources.

If you have complex waste that you cannot recycle yourself, you can send it to dedicated recycling plants. In fact, sending your business waste to a recycling plant is often a more economical option than disposing of it directly.

With growing awareness about climate change, many businesses are conscious of building a ‘green image’. By recycling your complex business waste, you’re doing your bit for the environment while simultaneously improving the image of your business.

waste management for businesses

2. Reduce Waste Production

We’ve all heard that prevention is better than cure. Look at it this way: If your business generates less waste, dealing with waste becomes a lot easier. So, how can you go about this?

Considering that most businesses are embracing technology, you can start by cutting down on your paper usage. Additionally, if your business makes use of battery-operated equipment, you can swap regular batteries for rechargeable ones. You can also come up with waste reduction plans and strategies.

It’s a good idea to monitor your business waste for a certain period and spot areas that provide a scope for waste reduction. You can also get your employees involved in this process.

3.  Follow Protocols

Depending on the industry you’re in, you may have a set of waste management protocols you are required to follow. For instance, if you’re dealing with pharmaceuticals, there’s a lot of medical waste that needs to be taken care of daily.

expired-medicines-management

Pharmaceutical industry can change its practices to manage pharmaceuticals in a more ecofriendly manner.

You need to follow proper incineration, chemical disinfection, dry thermal treatment, microwave irradiation, land disposal, and inertisation processes. Similarly, every industry has a set of protocols to follow.

While the process is bound to be time-consuming, it will help get your large and complex waste sorted once and for all. Improper waste management can create problems for your business in the long run, so it would be best to avoid such a situation.

4. Help Others to Help You

It may be that some of the waste your business generates, like leftover food, materials, and other products, can be donated to vulnerable communities. You can also consider linking up with charities or NGOs to make this a regular practice. Not only are your business waste management worries taken care of, but you’ll also be making a contribution to society.

5. Tackle the Big Packaging Problem

Packaging can make up a huge proportion of your waste. Every business makes use of packaging in some way or the other. What can you do differently to reduce the packaging you handle?

First, you can adopt a minimalist approach. Don’t use packaging unless a product really needs it. Second, being resourceful can help. For example, it doesn’t make sense to use an entire cardboard crate to pack a product that’s only half the size.

packaging waste

Packaging that adorns your product can have serious environmental impact.

Considering that many packaging materials like bubble wraps are plastic, it’s important not to over-use them. By minimising the materials that go into packaging, you’re directly reducing your business’ packaging-related waste.

6. Get Professional Help

There are many professional companies such as phs Wastekit that offer personalized waste-management solutions to businesses that need them. These expert services can perform a systematic waste audit to help you understand how your business can reduce producing waste.

They typically use top-notch equipment for waste disposal, saving you a lot of money in the process. What’s more, they even put you in touch with recycling services to whom you can entrust all your large and complex recyclable waste.

Summing Up

Dealing with the large and complex waste in your business can be tricky. However, when done the right way, it can make a huge difference to your brand image, boost your revenue and give you time to focus on the things that truly matter.

To top it off, you’ll be eco-friendly all the way through! We hope that our post has inspired you to give your business’ waste management policies another look.