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Solid waste management program of a company: What does it consist of?

Nowadays, more and more companies have a solid waste management program in addition to carrying out a previous treatment, according to legislative requirements, of liquid and gaseous discharges into the environment.

That is why in this article we are going to see what the solid waste management program of a company consists of , and what economic incentives it offers

What is considered solid waste?

They are called solid waste all those materials discarded for not being useful, and that originate in all kinds of human activities.

The solid waste may be heterogeneous such as those occurring in urban areas, or homogeneous, which are more common in business activities and industrial, mining, agricultural, or other.

Classification of solid waste

Within the most basic and general classification, solid waste is classified as:

➞ Hazardous waste

The fact of being considered dangerous may be due to the implicit risk in their handling, storage or recycling, due to causing illness or death, in their direct treatment.

They are also hazardous waste, which, in a less immediately appreciable way, produce the same effect on environmental components such as flora, fauna, soil, water or air, also affecting people’s health.

➞ Non-hazardous waste

They are those that can be degraded, diluted and finally integrated into the natural environment, but they will always be conditioned to the natural assimilation capacity of the environment.

➞ Inert waste

They are stable wastes over time, and do not undergo significant physical or chemical changes.

In any case, it must be taken into account that the origin of any solid waste management program in a company is always based in the first instance to avoid public health problems and environmental degradation, with incorrect collection and inappropriate waste disposal.

What is a solid waste management program for a company?

Assessment, selection and reuse

Given that, despite recent environmental awareness, all companies continue to generate solid waste , mainly in the industrial sector, a company’s solid waste management program can start from a minimization of the waste it generates at source through

A correct choice of suppliers, packaging and logistics, to reduce the amount of raw material wasted in the manufacturing process.

An adequate treatment and selection of waste and solid waste at the point of origin, giving a second chance to all those that are reusable without transformation in substitution of new materials such as paper, cardboard, tissue, glass, plastic, bones, viscera or others organic matter.

External waste management

Having an external agent can also mean that many companies obtain an external source of income, thanks to the concept that “what for a company may simply be waste, in another industrial operation may constitute its main source of raw material”.

In this sense, a company specialized in waste management can carry out the specific project or solid waste management program of a company including

  • Previous study on the composition of the waste and its possibilities of recycling in situ.
  • Establish protocols for proper waste management, classification by composition, and separation of reusable and non-reusable.
  • Implement recovery and use programs
  • Transport of waste rejected by the company, but useful for other sectors.
  • Collection and delivery of unusable waste at a clean point.

Advantages of recycling with a solid waste management program

Recovery and reuse

Companies that are committed to an adequate management of waste generated in their activity manage to save costs and even obtain benefits through recovery and recycling.

Industrial activity is the one that can obtain the most benefits, as has been proven in studies, according to which, by having a solid waste management program of a company, they manage to save costs through the recovery of waste, and the alternatives treatment generating new income.

Avoid penalties

Regardless of the interest that the reuse of recyclable materials can generate for companies when it comes to saving costs in raw materials, in any case, it must not be forgotten that there is legislation that requires good business practices, penalizing the elimination of waste even through legal channels, through more or less high fees.

Knowing the composition of the different types of waste serves to see its recyclable potential, and to establish the protocols for its handling and management.

In this sense, the ISO 14001 standard determines a new approach to waste treatment, facilitating a series of common steps applicable to each company’s waste management program:

➞ Evaluation and identification of waste

By categorizing waste, information can be established for its management in the facilities, knowing which are or are not dangerous, reusable, and valuation within the regulations.

➞ Store waste properly

Once the waste has been classified, whether it is to keep it safely until it is collected, or whether it is to be reused on site, it is necessary to have specific and appropriate containers for the corresponding classification.

➞ In addition, the containers must be correctly labeled, or identified with their type of content.

➞ when transporting hazardous waste, the responsible company must have a specific authorization for the transfer of these types of waste, train transporters in standards and other issues related to this type of waste, have the specific credentials of the vehicle transportation, and RC insurance.

➞ Depending on the type of solid waste stored, an emergency plan must also be designed, and staff must be trained in safety procedures in this regard.

➞ Finally, it is also necessary to carry out the corresponding records on the volume of the different types of waste , reports on their management and record of disposal dates.

If you are looking for waste management solutions for your company or business, bet on safety throughout the process, guaranteeing compliance with current legislation.

We are specialized in waste management services, and we have extensive experience, and a staff that receives continuous training to always be aware of the latest advances and control of hazardous parameters, amount of waste, and other variables.

Get free advice on all our comprehensive solutions to stop worrying about your waste and dedicate yourself to your activity, in the safest way for your business.

The best way to get to know us is to try our services, so you can contact us now to get the best solid waste management program for a company.

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