Industrial Waste Guide

Industrial waste covers a wide range of materials, so the right way to dispose of it depends on its type. You should always use licensed waste carriers to remove industrial waste and appropriate containers, bins, or bags to separate waste materials and store them safely. Industrial waste should never go to landfill for disposal.

These are the main ways to properly dispose of industrial waste by type:

• Solid industrial waste – there are various types of solid industrial waste, but most can be recycled within their individual streams. The likes of scrap metal, glass, and plastic can be segregated into their material types and recycled into new materials and products. Even concrete and rubble can be crushed and converted into aggregate for reuse.
• Chemical waste – you have a legal responsibility to dispose of industrial chemical waste correctly. Safely store chemical waste in durable and sealable containers for collection by a company specialising in chemical waste disposal. It should then be treated and disposed of safely.
• Hazardous waste – there are legal guidelines in place to dispose of industrial hazardous waste properly. These include separating and storing hazardous waste safely for collection and disposal by an authorised carrier. It may undergo chemical, thermal, or physical treatment to dispose of it safely.

Improper disposal of chemical or potentially hazardous industrial waste can lead to large fines for your business, as well as negatively affecting the environment and placing human health at risk.

The simplest way to prevent industrial waste is by reducing it at the source. Assessing your manufacturing processes and identifying areas where waste can be cut or reused is a good start. Separating materials such as paper, metals, and packaging and arranging to send them for recycling can reduce the total amount of industrial waste for disposal too.

Reducing industrial waste can save your business money and benefit the environment. Minimising waste at the source is the best way to achieve this by improving your processes and operations. These are a few ways to reduce industrial waste:

• Conduct a waste audit – review all the types and amounts of industrial waste your business produces. This should highlight areas where there’s lots of waste and you should focus on cutting back.
• Improve inventory management – assess and control stock levels and regularly rotate to avoid a build-up of materials and products that might go to waste.
• Switch suppliers – choose products and materials that create minimal waste, such as those with less packaging or recyclable materials at least.
• Have high health and safety standards – accidents and incidents can cause breakages and damage that result in preventable waste on industrial sites. Good health and safety standards can reduce such risks.
• Train staff – teach employees effective waste management practices to improve recycling rates, reduce the risk of contamination, and ensure industrial waste is reduced and disposed of responsibly.

One way to improve industrial waste management in your business is to assign a dedicated team to oversee the processes you use. They can enforce any green initiatives you introduce and monitor their performance to highlight areas where industrial waste needs reducing or extra focus.

Finding ways to minimise, recycle, and reuse industrial waste is also key to improving your management. This could be done by separating individual waste types for recycling, rather than classing it all as industrial waste. If you have the space and facilities, creating a compost section for any biodegradable waste is an alternative rather than sending it to landfill.