Does more waste mean more money?

Very often the visible costs and revenues of waste management will be monitored, such as:

• Collection fees
• Disposal/treatment costs
• Recycling revenues

However, there are many hidden costs associated with the management of wastes, which could be avoided if waste was not produced in the first place. Staff time, storage costs, transportation costs, energy and critically, the cost of procuring items/products prior to them becoming waste, all have the potential to be reduced as part of a waste prevention and reduction programme.

By saving waste further up the supply chain, the cost benefits can be realised even sooner. The cost savings from preventing waste are always greater than the revenue generated from recycling.

With the costs of waste management continuing to rise do you think your organisation could be making costs savings by managing your wastes better? Valpak has previously identified up to 3.5k tonnes of savings across four companies in the food and drink manufacturing sector, with an overall cost saving benefit of over £400k.

If you are an SME based in Wales you could receive a free waste review, under a new Welsh Government initiative, to help you identify where waste can be reduced and costs saved. Even if you’re not and are keen to identify where you could make savings, please get in touch, and Valpak can help: [email protected]