Zero Waste management is a program designed to reduce waste in our society. Zero Waste lifestyle is a mission to save the world from waste and recyclable materials.
This lifestyle is an important subject for discussion, which is why Collin Beavan used the subject of Zero Waste lifestyle to facilitate in his re-election in the senate. This way of life has circulated over many regions in the recent times (Colin, 2012). Zero Waste lifestyle has a target of reaching out to people all over the world. The objective of a zero waste lifestyle is to reduce waste on the environment.
Whether rich or poor, zero waste lifestyle will reduce hazards in our enviroment. Some communities have adopted the idea and they are reaping the benefits. San Francisco came all out in 2008 to declare her intentions of having a healthy environment. Authorities at the state level enacted an act to address the issues with waste disposal. The high in the society and lower class citizens were all included in the policy.
Florida also formulate a policy of zero waste lifestyle. The government instituted a committee that looked at various factors that could hinder the success of a zero waste lifestyle. They finally came up with a blueprint, which introduced incentives to residents that adopted a zero waste lifestyle.
There was a massive turnout from all social classes in Florida. The high social class adopted the way of life as they were well informed of the need to have a safe environment. The low-class citizens objected a bit, but were motivated to tag along because of the incentives given to people who accepted with the policy. Today, Florida has an exceptional record for keeping her environment safe. Every social economic class in Florida has adopted the zero waste lifestyle (Khan, Prior, & Islam, 2008).
Zero Waste lifestyle is beneficial to all the socioeconomic classes. Although the rich in the society do not agree with a Zero Waste management, there seems to be headway in achieving a Zero Waste lifestyle. The rich argued that there is little significance in the economy if they adopt a Zero Waste lifestyle. Until the recycle and reuse of products is enforced, a Zero Waste lifestyle will not get the desired recognition.
People from the middle socioeconomic class will adopt a Zero Waste lifestyle because it will help them save cost in every aspect of life. It introduces the technology of re-designing every resource so that it will have an extended lifespan. The ability to use a commodity and then reuse it for another purpose will save them some money.
The San Francisco compact act is a land law set aside by the local authorities in San Francisco to protect the environment from non-degradable waste. The law requires that every resident of San Francisco should manage his/her waste as stipulated by the waste ordinance.
The government in San Francisco has propagated a Zero Waste lifestyle. This has helped in reducing the risk of having waste cover on our environment. They have introduced an incentive policy according to which people would receive cash for recycling their waste products (Lean, 2006). Today, San Francisco is rated 67% of its waste recycle program. Zero waste lifestyle is suitable for every socio- economic class; it requires an individual properly to manage his/her waste. Thus, it is beneficial to every person.
People with high socioeconomic status may accept a Zero Waste lifestyle in that they believe that they could help change the world. There has been an increasing concern with the risks of an unsafe environment. A research survey of US environmental agency projects serious damage to the country’s water supply due to negative effects on the environment.
This means that all the efforts must be done to avert a major crisis in the region. The high social economic class can really influence the society to accept a Zero Waste lifestyle. It is more viable for the high socio-economic class as it members are capable of adopting it (Lean, 2006).
On the other hand, people from low social economic class may not agree with some aspects of a Zero Waste lifestyle due to their economic status. Their low life conditions may really affect while accepting this plan. However, the key to this program is to enact a law that would mandate the entire region on the need to manage the waste.
Just as the authorities of San Francisco and India have formulated a law that stipulates the recycle of waste resources, many other countries can follow their example (Zero waste home, 2010). Zero Waste lifestyle is a practical plan, and its benefit can be seen in our everyday activities.
Finally, many other organizations have a similar program and may believe in the same objectives of a Zero Waste lifestyle. They can come together in facilitating the recycle of every product from the day it was manufactured. Remember that Zero Waste plans imply that any product that does not have an alternative use should not be created in the first place.
References
Colin,B. (2012) No Impact man: My Speech at Green Party National Convention. Web.
Cooper, E. (2010). The Alternative Kitchen Garden: An A-Z. Hampshire: Permanent Publications.
Dhir, R., Newlands, M. D., & Dyer, T. D. (2003). Sustainable Waste Management. Reston, VA: Thomas Telford.
In accordance with Australia’s taxation legislation, a company or business is eligible for tax deductions if they incur expenses that will ultimately lead to an increase in the company’s taxable income. S 8-1 gives positive and negative limbs that outline the extent of allowable deductions.
S 8-1 Positive and Negative limbs:
First positive limb:
The extent to which outgoing expenses are incurred in gaining or producing assessable income.
Second positive limb:
The outgoings are necessary expenses incurred in carrying on a business.
Negative limbs:
Capital
Private or domestic in nature
Legal Fees
Firstly it needs to be determined under which limb this deduction can be made. The legal fees were incurred while trying to reinstate Waste Disposal’s incinerator license which represents 40% of its assessable income. Therefore the legal fees are an allowable deduction under the second positive limb as they were necessarily incurred to carry on the business. Next arises the question as to whether the expenditure was prudent or appropriate (Magna Alloys). With regards to the Hallstrom’s case, Waste Disposal’s legal costs went to enabling them to conduct business as usual as opposed to making a profit. Examining the situation under the capital limb the question needs to be asked whether they need to incur legal fees was integral to the business. The $160,000 in legal fees was spent seeking to reinstate the incinerator license which represents nearly half of the business. As such it should be a deductible expense as it was necessary to the carrying on of the business.
Cost of Plant Modification and Equipment Installation
As in the above situation, it needs to be determined whether the expenditure was necessarily incurred in carrying on the business and thus deductible under the second limb. With reference to the Snowden and Wilson case, the expenditure incurred in this instance by Waste Disposal is of a nature that satisfies the positive limb but also counts as a capital expenditure. Therefore there is a need to conduct the Sun Newspapers ‘Business Entity’ test wherein the character of the advantage sought, the manner in which it is enjoyed and the means adopted to obtain it need to be ascertained.
Waste Disposal incurred an expenditure of $220,000 to modify the plant and install equipment that would enable them to have their license reinstated. As this was the only way to ensure a reinstatement of their license and thus a continuation of the incinerator division of their business such an expense is deductible as it satisfies both the first and second positive limb. The $220,000 was a necessary expenditure necessarily incurred in producing assessable income as well as carrying on the business.
However, the part of the $220,000 that was paid to the technician for the feasibility study is not tax-deductible. This relates directly to the capital limb and thus it needs to be asked whether this particular expense goes to the heart of the business. Given that with their license re-instated they can conduct business as usual this particular expenditure goes to bolstering their profit-yielding structure. As such the technician’s consultation fees are not tax-deductible.
Relevant cases:
Magna Alloys –legal expenses were deductible as they were expenditures necessarily incurred that ‘arose out of the day to day activities of the taxpayer.’
Hallstroms – Expenditure incurred while preventing extension of a competitors patent was necessary to preserve ongoing business.
Snowden & Wilson – Expenditure was necessarily incurred in continuing business.
Sun News Papers – Expenditure was incurred while trying to protect and preserve business.
Reference
Taxpayers Australia. (2011). Business deductions – Taxpayers Australia. Web.
Waste Management Inc offers comprehensive waste management services. The company has a long history in the waste management business since 1894 with its offices located in Downtown Houston, Texas. The company has an extensive association of collection and management of waste operations with over 431 collection operations, 381 transfer locations, 286 disposal sites, 17 waste to energy plants and 134 recycling plants, 119 landfill gas projects and 6 autonomous power production projects.
Performance
The revenue of the company has been steady for the past five years with an average growth of 3.2 per cent. The company has demonstrated a remarkable increase of dividend per share over the past five years with an average dividend growth rate of 9.6 per cent. The company has established a strong distribution network and existing market share of about 30 per cent bringing a level of stability in its revenue, operating margin and profitability in the past five years can be found on the Graph below.
Five-year profitability comparison
The company’s margins are higher than the industry’s margins indicating cost efficiency of company.
The company is a service company dealing with collection and management of waste. The waste collected is recycled and used in the generation of power. By 2003, the company was already returning profits in free cash to its shareholders in form of dividends.
The company had expressed interest in acquiring its competitor Republic Services, Inc in July 2008 placing a bid of $34 per share, however, this offer was rejected and the company made another attempt in August the same year raising the offer to $37 per share. Unfortunately, this bid was also rejected and Waste Management, Inc finally withdrew the bid in October, 2008 citing that it was in a financial turmoil.
YEAR
2010
2011
Price per share(In dollars)
31.14
31.18
Outstanding share number
2,818,609
2,961,433
Market cap
87,771,484.26
92,337,480.94
Market cap= Price per share* Outstanding share number
The above shows Waste management Inc, stock price in comparison to the market cap index and how price per share affect the market capital directly.
Competition analysis
Competition in the waste management industry is moderate. Price war in 1990’s created by mergers and acquisitions consolidated the industry resulting in a few players in the industry. Waste management Inc largest competitors are Allied Waste management, Inc, Republic Services, Inc and Waste Connections, Inc. all three are very competitive companies.
Although Waste Management, Inc is the largest environmental services company in the US, Allied Waste Management Industries presents formidable competition. The company has 310 collection companies serving 10 million customers drawn from the residential, industrial and commercial sectors. In addition, it operates 166 transfer stations, owns 169 active landfills coupled with 57 recycling states extending these services to 37 states.
Republic Services, Inc is ranked as the third environmental services company which also is a competitor in the waste management industry. However, its operations are not as extensive and far reaching as those of WM and Allied Waste Industries since Republic Services, Inc ‘s operations are mainly in Sunbelt boasting of 140 collection companies, 60 active landfills, 90 transfer locations and 35 recycling stations.
The company offers solid waste management services to more than 1 million customers comprised of residential, industrial and commercial clients from over 20 states mainly drawn from western US. Waste Connections, Inc engages small markets mainly in the solid waste sector operating 105 collection functions, 35 active sites and 25 recycling facilities.
SWOT analysis
The waste management Inc. has its internal strengths and weaknesses plus external strengths and weaknesses.
External
Internal
Opportunity
Threats
Strengths
Strengths are areas where the organization excels over its competitors. Opportunities are the external factors that are present in the company. How well does the company use its leverage to take advantage of opportunities
Threats are the factors that hinder the industry as a whole and the organization has no control over it. How does the company use its strengths to minimize threats
Weakness
Weaknesses are areas where competitors have outweighed the company. How is this weakness controlled not to bur opportunities
The only option available is repositioning to adapt to the external environment. How to fix weakness that can have a real impact on threats.
Corporate mission
Waste Management, Inc mission is “To develop and deliver meaningful business results”. This well developed mission statement is a clear demonstration that it intends to deliver positive results for its customers, suppliers and shareholders. The company intends to accomplish its mission by building partnerships, involving a competent supplier base, developing best processes and finally by aligning the organization through the help of highly skilled professionals with a business orientation.
Products and services
The company has tailored its services to efficiently meet the needs of each customer group. It offers collection, disposal, transfer, autonomous power production plants and waste recycling services.
Leadership
The company has had successful leadership owing to exceptional management of the leadership team. The company has Corporate Governance Guidelines which provides outlining the company’s primary objectives. It was named by Ethisphere, a business magazine as one of the most ethical companies in the world in June 2008.
However, the company has not had it all rosy. The company faced lawsuits and fraud investigations following the alteration of the company’s books of accounts to meet predetermined earnings between 1992 and 1997. This act of unprofessionalism was aimed at eliminating and deferring the financial year’s expenses. In mid 1997 a new CEO ordered a review of the company’s accounting practices consequently discovering the fraud. The company was forced to restate its earnings for the period by $1.7 billion.
Resources
The company possesses strong organizational resources by employing economies of scale provided by its ability to rely on its large physical network of plants and landfill. The company also has a program called Service Machine that tracks and measures customer service performance.
Human resources are strong due to the company’s long history of waste management coupled with extensive portfolio of acquisitions and mergers. The company values the human aspect and puts efforts to manage human resources, through using a job analysis system.
Innovation is another strong point for the company since the company demonstrates remarkable ability to reinvent itself. Innovative restructuring has assisted the company overhaul customer service, goods and services purchasing, vehicle and equipment maintenance by reorganization of operation units in market areas and creation of market specific business strategies.
Furthermore Waste Management Inc enjoys significant reputation contributed by its long standing association with many communities and local councils in North America. It brand
Waste management Inc, enjoys remarkable awareness in its diversified customer base. However, this reputation was dented badly when Chicago waste collectors went on strike, notably most of the workers on strike from Waste Management Inc owing to the company’s large size.
Core competencies and advantages
Owing to its large size, the company has the capability to neutralize threats from smaller but strategically placed companies by absorbing them where their territories overlap. Secondly, the company has a strong base in North America where many landfills approved by the government are situated hence the company has an advantage over its competitors.
The company offers a wide range of services throughout North America. These services entail collection, disposal, transfer and recycling. Moreover, the firm has waste to waste technology that other competitor companies do not possess. This advantage is serves the company well in the wake of worldwide energy concern.
The company has over time through mergers and buy-outs consolidated its command in the industry making its competitors hard to imitate. However, the company is at risk of competitor companies merging to defeat the company’s advantage of size and location.
Conclusion and recommendations
There is remarkable driving force which is significantly changing in the socio/political arena. The company has abundant environmental opportunities and significant internal strengths. However, some recommendations may be made on the fuel conversion and waste to energy capital expansion. This is achievable by adjusting fleet operations that will be helpful in mitigating risk posed by the ever increasing oil prices.
Waste Management Inc can also take advantage of the worldwide energy shortage by expanding and diversifying its operations in the waste to energy sector. The company is operating in an emerging industry which holds a great future for the company. Therefore, the company must ensure that it remains relevant by relentless advertisement and dedicated customer service while avoiding fraudulent undertakings that may badly taint the image of the company.
Architecture firm Archivision has occupied a small office building, strategically located on a main road that builds up traffic even during office hours. Being on a strategic position in an industrial area makes the building attractive to other office occupants, but the building management, along with its poor waste management, has made occupying less attractive because of this temporary environmental problem facing them.
Garbage collection is inappropriate while the firm produces a great amount of paper and ink wastes, not to mention the food waste and from other activities in the kitchen and in the suites. Archivision occupies 18 out of 24 suites, which use computer printouts for their work.
The building’s two-level structure exacerbates the situation because it has only one rest room and a kitchen facility for all occupants of the building. The building owner, the Body Corporation, has no concern for waste management partly due to lack of funds to cope with the increasing waste, or they have left it to the occupants to settle the matter.
There is a little bit of conscience however, because the owner assigned a janitorial service company to clean the kitchen, restrooms and hallways, so-called communal areas, only once a week. The suites are under the occupants’ responsibilities, where they have to clean and gather their trash and collect them for a common waste bin, situated down the car park.
The contracted company collects the garbage once a week. One thing worse is that there is no recycling process, and the garbage collector disposes of all the trash in the same manner. The occupants have so much of paper trash, stationery, ink, other solid waste and lunch waste, which should have a segregation and recycling process, but are just left there and mixed in a common garbage container.
The usual process of disposing of wastes includes collecting the trash from the common waste bin, collected every Friday, and there is no other means of recycling or reusing the materials from the suites. These materials are potential 3R materials (recycle-reduce-reuse) since paper and ink can be recycled and used for other purposes.
The Body Corporation worries much for other matters and sees things not the occupants’ ways, who want to settle the issue of waste management so that they can proceed with other business activities without the thought of environmental problems they may have caused.
Rationale for waste assessment
The occupants want to settle this issue of waste management even if it may cost them a bit. The issue is of paramount importance. They want to help create a clean environment and minimise spending on stationery and office supplies. They have to do something and institute new waste management measures.
Archivision produces paper and ink wastes, which can be solved with simple waste management techniques, or recycle-reuse processes. Even simple paper reuse can help reduce the increasing paper trash piling up under their tables and in their small bins.
The firm’s clients exacerbate the situation by carelessly throwing their garbage underneath the tables. Their suites are not presentable offices; rather they present a dirty picture for their firm. The solution requires a plan and a process, taking into account the situation and the few stakeholders affected by this simple environmental problem.
This process should not give much cost and concern for the occupants, but must be a systematic process that will require little effort and should not affect their usual office processes. In fact, it should help them, in a way.
Methodology
The company Archivision assigned a team to conduct a simple office inquiry and provide a reasonable waste management plan. The communal waste bin gave idea of the amount of solid waste collected everyday and every Friday.
The employees provided data of their specific wastes produced, to include the printout and the ink wastes, the water plastic bottles, and the lunch wastes. Interviews led to some information, supplies were calculated, and proposed savings from the recycling plans came up. Invoices traced the average figures for monthly supplies for paper, ink, and water bottles.
The team has to answer the following questions:
Do employees use supplies properly?
How much of the resources go to waste?
Are there ways to save and add to company savings?
How much can be spent and what is to be saved?
The team produced approximates, and reduced the specific and accurate amounts on tables to present a right management plan for the 18 suites, i.e. for the average week and the maximum-production week (weeks where they have the most number of clients). Upon analysing these figures, their motivation soared.
They can now produce a comprehensive management plan that provides less cost and even add more money to their savings. The employees can even add these amounts to their allowances.
The waste-management team presented these monthly supply figures.
Item
Quantity
Cost
A4 Paper
2 Ream (1000 pages)
$9.98
A3 Paper
6 Reams (3000 pages)
$107.88
Bottled Water
8 Packs (192 bottles)
$64.00
Ink Cartridge
4 Black
$159.90
*Quantities are based on average monthly figures
Waste generation rates
Waste generation refers to the amount of waste produced by the suites and the approximate equivalent in dollars. The staff calculated the cost of the paper, bottled water and ink used in an average month and the month with the most business activities.
Through discussions, the staff produced the reasonable price equivalent. Shown in the table below are the rates of the generated wastes, from which source and the quantity, and the cost in dollars.
Average Wastage
Item
Quantity
Cost
A4 Paper
0.5 Ream (250 pages)
$2.49
A3 Paper
2 Reams (1000 pages)
$35.96
Bottled Water
8 Packs (192 bottles)
$64.00
Ink Cartridge
1 Black
$39.98
$142.43
*Quantities are based on waste for an average month
Maximum Wastage
Item
Quantity
Cost
A4 Paper
1 Ream (500 pages)
$4.99
A3 Paper
3 Reams (1500 pages)
$53.94
Bottled Water
8 Packs (192 bottles)
$64.00
Ink Cartridge
2 Black
$79.96
$202.89
*Quantities are based on waste for a maximum usage month
The figures are approximate calculations, which can vary from time to time, depending on the amount of wastes generated from the suites. Based on these figures, the staff formed their simple Waste Management Plan.
Presently, there is one waste bin at the parking area and a contracted company disposes of the contents of this bin. The garbage fee of $500 is fixed and added into the suite fees, which is divided by 24 (for the number of suites). Since only 18 rooms are occupied, the six rooms charge has to be deducted.
The owner is continuously under complaint from occupants and from concerned environmental groups from its indifference to environmental problems plaguing the area. The building lacks adequate waste management and the owner would not give out a few dollars from their pocket to provide a little solution to the growing environmental problem.
Results (pictorials and interviews) from Waste Management Analysis
Suite 20 – Archivision, the occupant
Suite 20 – Archivision
Wasted printer paper stacked below printer
Used ink cartridges
General waste collection bin
General waste collection bin
Communal dump bin for the entire building
The images and description give us a brief background of the environmental problem facing the building and the occupants. The inappropriate garbage collection has limited the spaces in the offices, or given little room for the employees to do their job, and the offices have become dumping bins by themselves. The communal bin cannot accommodate the mounting garbage produced from the suites.
Analysis of Results
Waste from the 18 suites of Archivision is growing. The amount of waste is significant and has to be dealt with immediately and appropriately. Waste comes from computer print outs, plastic bottles, and food. Minor changes do not require a great deal of effort, but simple solutions can involve the employees and the Body Corporation.
First, we have to focus on the paper printouts, the cartridges, and the water bottles. We can minimise print outs by reducing errors in clerical work. Some employees carelessly print their work without exerting much effort in correcting their work; or they correct their work after they have printed them, which is a waste of material and electricity.
Reviewing and correcting before printing can reduce paper print outs and ink cartridges. The used paper can also be recycled or reused, rather than immediately throwing it to the trash bin. We can use in taking notes or for other simple purposes before they can be thrown out. Paper recycling-reuse is one of the simplest ways of reducing extraction of raw materials from our environment.
We can also give the waste paper to recycling companies for appropriate disposal. Recycling waste paper is an honourable goal since we will have the chance of helping minimise cutting of trees that we use in paper manufacture.
On the other hand, we have information that the printer cartridges can also be recycled, but they have to be returned to the manufacturer for proper disposal. It is better to collect the cartridges rather than throw them. The question of water bottles came up.
The simple solution of reusing the water bottles, in a clean and proper way, will give the company some savings. The suite occupants throw some 50 bottles a week, and this increases when they receive more clients, or when business activities at Archivision are at its peak.
If we can clean and reuse the bottles, we will solve the bottle disposal problem and earn more savings. We can recycle the bottles in a common area in the kitchen, and assign employees on an alternate basis to do the job by emptying, cleaning and reusing the bottles.
These are few and simple steps that can help solve the simple environmental problem that the company and the building have created. The team’s plans will reduce waste, add a little savings for the company, and we can go on with our normal lives once again. We have done something for the environment and for the owner of the building.
Generated waste
Having done the initial steps, the team summarised the figures of the generated waste for an average week.
50 – 100 litres of general waste
Through the principle of recycle-reuse, the team reduced the quantity of general waste by reusing the bottles. This is a simple solution and a step recommended by retail companies and environmental groups in reducing waste materials. The rest of the waste will still be disposed of as it is currently being practiced through the communal waste bin.
1/2 heavy duty black and white printer cartridge
Minimising printing can reduce the use of print cartridges. Employees should also take efforts in improving their work habits. The team recommends that employees should take the effort of correcting and proofreading their work before printing them in order to minimise print outs and reduce paper waste.
The ink manufacturer can help by collecting and recycling their ink cartridges once a month. This step will only alter the usual ways of printing, but new technology applications (video presentation, power point presentation, etc.) can reduce paper printing. This may not be applicable at all times in architecture, which requires blue prints, but current technology innovations have various alternatives that reduce printing.
200 – 300 pages of wasted printer paper
This estimate can vary depending on the frequency of printing, but the staff reports that it can be even more. One of the best methods of controlling waste is to reduce waste. Reducing wasted paper can add up to our savings.
An organisation like Archivision occupying a small building can help in solving simple environmental problems by simply disposing of their trash. In the concept of waste management, paper and ink are simply recyclable materials.
Estimated Wastage Through Changes Implemented
Item
Quantity
Cost
A4 Paper
0.2 Ream (50 pages)
$0.99
A3 Paper
0.5 Ream (250 pages)
$8.99
Bottled Water
0
$0.00
Ink Cartridge
0.5 Black
$19.99
$29.97
*Quantities are based on waste for an average month
Savings Accumulated
Initial Wastage Cost
Estimated Wastage Cost
Savings
$142.43
$29.97
$112.46
*Quantities are based on waste for an average month
The following is a summary of expenses we will incur in the new disposal method, which will include collecting and recycling of paper and ink cartridges.
Cost of pickup of recycled paper – $12 per month
Cost of pickup of ink cartridges – $18.50 per month
Total cost of new disposal methods – $30.50 per month
Total Estimated Savings
Savings Accumulated
Expenditure
Total Savings
$112.46
$30.50
$81.96
*Quantities are based on waste for an average month
The estimates and the calculations were drawn from reasonable investigation and accurate calculations provided by the employees. Through recycling-reuse, the waste management plan can provide savings, and we can easily control the flow of waste.
Recommendations for waste management
The ultimate goal is to reduce the waste and recycle the recyclable ones. Paper waste, ink cartridges, and a limited amount of solid and food waste are easy to control. When team accomplishes this, the communal waste bin in the car park can accommodate the amount of waste from the different suites.
The suite occupants have the honest and humanitarian goal of helping solve simple environmental problems, such as what happened in this small building, and it is not their attention to make matters worse. The team assigned to formulate this environmental plan discovered that they have not only solved an environmental problem, they also acquired some savings.
They focused on the generated waste, provided a simple solution and a plan, and motivated their fellow employees into collaborating for the implementation of this plan. The costs of disposing the waste are now part of the company savings, which the employees can spend for some other humanitarian or environmental activities.
There are other simple steps, which can help alleviate the environmental problem in this area. Adding another communal waste bin in the parking area will not cost much for the Body Corporation, the owner of the building. Perhaps, a simple request will motivate the owner to give more for the sake of the environment.
With two communal waste bins, which we can strategically locate on both ends in the car park of the building, we can provide a lasting solution to the waste problem. The collection of garbage must also be on a regular basis, two times a week. The generated waste will have a minimal impact and those responsible for its disposal can easily control the flow of paper waste and other solid wastes coming from the different suites in the building.
The team and the building occupants have made their recommendations and are now into the process of formulating a comprehensive plan for an effective waste management system. Waste management plans are not only applicable for large organisations but also for small businesses, because this is where waste management is mostly neglected.
Waste materials from the domestic and commercial sector pose various challenges to the environment. They also inflate domestic and organisational budgets. This paper discusses the challenges of waste management with reference to Rye Waste Management Facility. The facility is located is situated in Australia within Mornington Peninsula, Shire municipality.
The facility receives MSW from both domestic and commercial sectors. It has systems of waste management involving recycling and composting green wastes. Above 50% of wastes received at Rye facility comprises green wastes from commercial and domestic sources.
Therefore, two cost saving opportunities are recommended. The first opportunity involves a reduction of pre-consumption green wastes while the second is a reduction of post-consumption wastes including biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes.
Introduction
Increasing urban population causes an alarming increase in waste material production. World Bank (2013) confirms the severity of solid wastes in urban areas by claiming that urban centres had about 2.9 billion people ten years ago, with each person producing an average of 0.64 kg of MSW (municipal solid waste) per day. This figure amounts to about 0.68 billion tonnes of MSW annually.
With the onset of the high increase in the consumption of mass-produced manufactured products, the urban population has not only increased currently. Waste production per individual urban resident has also increased. World Bank (2013) reveals that the population of urban centre residents is about 3 billion, with each person producing about 1.2 kg of waste materials on a daily basis.
Upon projecting these statistics in 10 years to come, by 2025, the world urban population will have grown to about 4.3 billion with a corresponding increase of wastes production of up to 1.42 kg per individual on a daily basis. This situation will amount to close to 2.2 billion tonnes of MSW annually.
To mitigate this challenge, urban centres need to reduce this amount of waste production while incorporating appropriate strategies for effective waste management within their waste management facilities. This paper discusses how this goal can be achieved with reference to Rye waste management facility in Australia.
Background Information
Rye is one of the Mornington Peninsula Shire municipality landfills. Landfills are “used for waste management purposes such as temporary storage, consolidation and transfer, or processing of waste materials” (Diaz, Chiumenti, Savage & Eggerth 2003, p.52).
For instance, Rye receives different kinds of wastes. When sorted out, green waste is transferred to the unit for composting and production of methane gas, which is burnt to produce heat energy. This energy produces electrical energy, which serves 1500 homes.
After composting, mulch is produced and later sold within the municipality. At Rye facility also has a waste transfer station, namely Truemans Road Transfer Station.
The main aim of Rye facility is to foster waste recovery together with the provision of tipping services to people within the municipality. It provides people, especially Kerbside residents, with easy, cost effective, and quick means of disposing their domestic and commercial wastes.
Demographic Data
Rye landfill accepts putrescible and landfill wastes. It also receives domestic together with commercial wastes from Kerbside. Putrescible wastes refer to “solid wastes that contain organic matter that is capable of being decomposed by microorganisms and of such a character and proportion as to cause obnoxious odours” (Price 2001, p.334).
Various cells for the Rye wastes disposal facility are already filled with substantive amount of waste products. This situation has prompted the establishment of the final cell with an approximated life span of 7 years if waste disposal rates do not increase from the current rates.
The cell has an airspace of 800, 000 M3 (Mornington Peninsula Shire 2009). Both Rye and Tyabb process about 151, 200 M3 of green wastes per year (Mornington Peninsula Shire 2009).
Mornington Peninsula Shire municipality receives various types of wastes. The wastes fall into three categories. The first category comprises MSW while the second category consists of organics. The third category consists of recovered materials. 54-percent (81,274 tonnes) of all the wastes received by the municipality predominantly comprises the MSW (Mornington Peninsula Shire 2009).
Moreover, 26-percent (37,800) of the waste materials contain green wastes while the recovered material constitutes 18-percent or 28, 222 tonnes (Mornington Peninsula Shire 2009). 61-percent (49,738 tonnes) of the total MSW received by the municipality finds its way to Rye landfill.
These waste contents comprise inert wastes together with putrescible wastes. 51-percent (25,544 tonnes) of all MSW disposed at Rye originates from Kerbside services for collecting MSW. 44-percent (21,852 tonnes) emanates from the commercial sector while the remaining 5-percent originates from Hooper tipping facilities and transfer stations.
Current Waste Management Practices
The current waste management systems at the Rye facility focus on waste reuse to minimise its implication to the environment. For instance, industrial and domestic green waste is taken through composting systems. When the green waste decays, methane gas production occurs (Bogner & Matthews 2003).
Methane generates electricity. The residual that remains forms mulch that is used in firms across the Mornington Peninsula Shire municipality. The picture shown in fig.1 below shows methane gas generator at Rye wastes facility.
Fig. 1: Methane gas generator at Rye.
The current waste management system helps in the mitigation of environmental costs that are associated with wastes. Wastes have a share of 3% of the total emissions in Australia (Mornington Peninsula Shire 2009). 80-percent of these emissions are accounted for by MSW.
Emissions emanating from landfills are accounted mainly by uncontrolled production of methane gas as a by-product of green waste decomposition. Exposure of green materials to air leads to their breakdown by anaerobic bacteria together with other organisms to form waste and carbon II oxide (Galle, Samuelsson & Borjesson 2001). These two products contribute to the natural greenhouse effect (Hiramatsu et al. 2003).
When green wastes compile together in a landfill, absence of air causes breakdown of the material into methane, carbon II oxide, mulch, and water with the help of anaerobic bacteria. In landfills, Carbon II oxide and methane come out in approximately equal magnitudes (Bogner & Matthews 2003; Burnley 2001).
Further decomposition of methane to produce water and carbon II oxide takes place at the Rye facility by burning it to produce energy for electricity production. If not burnt, its release to the atmosphere produces 24 times effect in causing global warming in comparison with carbon II oxide (Bramryd 1997).
The goal of the current Rye green waste management systems is to ensure zero release of methane into the atmosphere. Additional cost saving is possible through the minimisation of power consumption from the national grid supply. The entire current waste management systems at Rye is shown below
Fig. 2: Current Rye’s Waste Management System.
Rationale for Wastes Assessment
Management for wastes encompasses one of the core mandates of all municipalities in Australia. Assessment of wastes provides an important beginning point for the establishment of effective waste management strategies. Although there is a legislative requirement for people to tip off their wastes in an environmentally responsible manner in Australia, proper waste disposal is an ethical responsibility of every Australian citizen.
Assessment of wastes is also important in the development of strategies for protection of the environment together with saving the cost-associated wastes such as waste collection and pollution of natural resources such as rivers. Some strategies that can be developed for reducing wastes can also lead to saving monetary resources for both commercial sector and households.
For instance, a reduction of pre-consumption wastes in households can help in lowering the household’s budgets. Where recycling is an alternative waste management technique, the use of virgin materials in the manufacture of commodities that are produced by 100-percent recycled material is cut tremendously. This helps in the conservation of natural resources that are used as raw materials in industries.
In this effect, in the US, restaurants lose $30 billion to $40 billion every week via food wastes, albeit environmental cost that is associated with the wastes. Replica of such a situation in Australia needs to be avoided by assessing the wastes followed by the development of an appropriate strategy to reduce, recycle, where appropriate, and/or dispose non-recyclable wastes in an environmentally responsible manner.
Methodology
Developing an effective waste management strategy initiates by providing a response to the interrogative of why green wastes qualify as the largest portion of the total wastes received by Rye facility. Responding to this question requires conducting of interviews with the management of commercial institutions, especially the restaurant and households within Mornington Peninsula Shire municipality.
Wastes are delivered to Rye facility while being contained in bins. Analysis of the contents of these bins forms an important source of data that is employable in the determination of appropriate strategies for management of the wastes in a more effective manner.
Description of Waste-generating Processes
Green wastes are produced either in the form of post-consumption remains or in the form of pre-consumption wastes. Post-consumption green wastes involve trims of inedible parts of green products. They also include food leftovers. Biodegradable post-consumption wastes also involve wastes produced by timber millers and the remainder of cutouts such as papers and plywood among others. Households and commercial institutions such as restaurants essentially produce post-consumer food waste.
Pre-consumer food wastes are also an important process of waste production. The processes for production of these wastes encompass spoiled foods, expiration, and over production. Waste is also produced through activities that are associated with handling of products.
These activities include transportation, storage, and processing of products. Wastes associated with these activities include plastic and aluminium packaging containers. This waste is collected by bins before being transferred to Rye waste management facility.
Currently, there exists no mechanism of measuring the amount of wastes produced by commercial food-retailing organisations or households in Australia. This suggests that estimation of costs that are associated with waste production processes at the household or organisational level is statistically challenging.
Lack of such mechanism also provides challenges of waste production monitoring and control in the bid to reduce the costs associated with wastes both directly in terms of increased expenditure of food items and indirectly in the form of environmental pollution and deterioration of climate through global warming.
Results from Waste Assessment
Interview held with 10 senior chefs from different restaurants revealed important information on the ways through which wastes are generated. However, these chefs were not authorised to speak on behalf of their respective organisations. Consequently, their details and/or the details of the organisations remain anonymous.
Seven chefs claimed that they encountered challenges in terms of forecasting accurate number of meals required to satisfy customer demands on a daily basis, thus leading to over procurement of perishable green food items. This declaration reveals the high proportion of green wastes (food) at Rye waste management facility as shown in fig. 3.
Fig. 3: Proportion of Waste types received at Rye.
Two of the chefs agreed that over-procurement was important in ensuring that they did not fail to fulfil excessive orders in a day when such a need arose. They claimed that this strategy reduced the cost of urgent replenishment.
The remaining three chefs claimed that their main challenge that led to wastage of foods in their restaurants was due to complication of menus to the extent that forecasting of exact raw materials was problematic. Their facilities also changed their menus often to include local together with sustainable foods. The changes involved incorporation of incredibly highly perishable food.
Upon posing the question of why one would consider disposing foods into a bin, 98 % respondents in a sample of 100 Kerbside residents cited spoilage. The remaining people (2%) believed that they could throw food not necessary because it was spoilt, but because they brought fresher foods, especially vegetables.
An analysis of 25 bins, with 5 of them being from restaurants while 20 were from households, revealed high contents of green wastes followed by polythene bags, plastics, and very few aluminium cans. Table 1 below shows these results.
Table 1: Components of Domestic Wastes.
Type of Material
Weight
Plastics
85 kg
Green wastes
306 kg
Polythene bags
121.5 kg
Aluminium
23 kg
Total weight
535.3 kg
Analysis of the Results
Upon considering the types of wastes found in the studied restaurants and household bins, any effort to reduce waste disposal at Rye facility initiates by a reduction of the wastes produced by domestic and commercial sector. One of the opportunities is the reduction of the amount of packaging foods and beverages that are sold at the restaurants using containers that cannot be re-used to re-package the same items.
For instance, customers can be encouraged to come with their travel mugs to the restaurants if they want take away beverages. Special discounts can be provided for compliant customers to lure the rest to follow similar steps.
This opportunity can reduce the amount of air pollution through the release of carbon II oxide and other by-products that are emitted by vehicles through the removal of about 10 trucks that are transporting packaging materials each day to restaurants and raw materials to industries that manufacture the containers form roads.
Introduction of a means of monitoring production of green wastes in restaurants acts as an important cost saving opportunity that is capable of reducing waste releasing rates at Rye facility. This requires the deployment of waste measuring scales together with installation of software running on a computer system to monitor waste production rates with time. The picture shown in fig. 4 below shows an example of such a system in use.
Fig. 4: Measuring Pre–consumer Food Wastes in a Restaurant.
The system can record the quantity of wasted food, its sources, and reason for wastage. With this data, it becomes possible to prevent any wastage of foods. The success rate of these systems is high. For instance, Intel Corporation installed the system at its eating facilities in Oregon in 2009.
By 2010, the corporation was able to save $132,000 for every $1,000,000 spent on the purchase of green food supplies (Intel Corporation 2010). This strategy only deals with pre-consumption wastes at the restaurants. While this system may not be commercially viable for households, it can truck food wastages manually, thus helping people to take proactive measure to cut the wastage.
Recommendations for Wastes Minimisation
Both cost-saving opportunities discussed above are recommended for implementation by restaurant and households in Kerbside. They can both reduce the rate of waste disposal at Rye waste management facility. Solution 1 requires the introduction of programmes for enhancing customer awareness on environmental responsibility and building strong culture of social corporate responsibility in an organisation.
Developing this culture will take time, for instance 3 years. There are no costs associated with this solution. For instance, offering a discount of 11 percent to customers who come with their own packaging increases profitability of a restaurant.
The cost of a packaging container is about 12 percent of the cost of production. Solution 2 is effective and implementable in a short time, say less than 1 year. However, it requires spending of $ 1,205 for each complete waste management system installed at the restaurants. No associated costs are encountered by manual version of the system that is utilised in households.
References
Bogner, J & Matthews, E 2003, ‘Global methane emissions from landfills: New methodology and annual estimates 1980-1996’, Global Biogeochemical Cycles, vol. 17 no. 11, pp. 34-48.
Bramryd, T 1997, Land filling in the perspective of the global CO2 balance, Proceedings of the Sardinia ‘97, International Landfill Symposium, Sardinia, University of Cagliari.
Burnley, S 2001, ‘The impact of the European landfill directive on waste management in the United Kingdom’, Resources, Conservation and Recycling, vol. 3 no. 2, pp. 349-358.
Diaz, F, Chiumenti, G, Savage, N & Eggerth, L 2006, ‘Managing the organic fraction of municipal solid waste’, Biocycle, vol. 47 no. 5, pp. 50-53.
Galle, B, Samuelsson, B & Borjesson, G 2001, ‘Measurements of methane emissions from landfills using a time correlation tracer method based on FTIR absorption spectroscopy’, Environmental Science and Technology, vol. 35 no. 1, pp. 21-25.
Hiramatsu, A, Hanaki, K & Aramaki, T 2003, ‘Baseline options and greenhouse gas emission reduction of clean development mechanism project in urban solid waste management’, Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, vol. 8 no. 3, pp. 293-310.
Price, J 2001, ‘The landfill directive and the challenge ahead: demands and pressures on the UK householder’, Resources, Conservation and Recycling, vol. 32 no.13, pp. 333-348.
World Bank 2013, Global Review of Solid Waste Management. Web.
Solid waste management has significantly gained attention in the present century. With the impacts of globalization, there is a persistent need for transformative mechanisms of solid waste management. Evidently, most nations continue to experience challenges in solid waste management. Particularly, the developing nations are the highly affected (Singh & Ramanathan, 2010).
Apart from the available waste management technologies, municipalities face various dilemmas. Specifically, this regards the choosing of either private or public system of solid waste management. Based on an article describing solid waste management in Canada, this paper focuses on this topic. The paper researches and examines the issue of privatization in solid waste management in Canada.
Argument on Privatization of Solid Waste Management
The article reveals crucial debates on the issue of privatization of solid waste management. Observably, there are present potential arguments on the issue of solid waste management. Generally, the debates are based on public and private management of solid waste (Kumar, 2009). Personally, I encourage the adoption and practice of privatization in solid waste management.
This decision is informed by the several advantages of a privatized system of solid waste management. As indicated in the article, privatization of the process leads to the realization of high levels of efficiency. Municipalities are able to integrate of enforce quality management systems due to this approach. Indicatively, the relevant municipality can adopt various transformative measures such as performance contracting.
Such initiative would enhance the capacity of private partners to manage and dispose all solid wastes according to the appropriate provisions. A privatized system of solid waste management enables full compliance by the organizations to various regulatory frameworks. Apart from this, the system allows an easier and flexible manner of conducting compliance monitoring initiatives (McDavid, 1985).
Various municipalities around the globe have failed to manage the solid waste in a proper manner. Therefore, privatization enables such municipalities to act as oversight authorities in the disposal and management of these wastes. The approach also minimizes the public expenditures on solid waste management. Thus, more municipal resources are saved and may be utilized in other development projects.
Privatization and Improvement of Service Quality
Privatization has a significant impact on service quality. The article clearly presents the outcomes on the service quality recorded from a privatized solid waste management system in Canada. It is simple to regulate and contract private firms (Uriarte, 2008). This process is attainable through provision of realistic and competitive service targets.
These targets must be provided or issued to all private firms involved in the management of solid waste. Through engagement of private partners, the solid waste management process becomes more compliant and simple. The municipality only has to provide competitive measures during bidding and p tendering processes.
The existence of several players within the private sector increases the rate of competition. Consequently, this situation also leads to the development of high standards for service delivery. The municipalities are more inclined to offering tenders in consideration of the capacity of individual firms to provide excellent and high quality service. However, it is imperative to note that privatization of solid waste management do not lead to a reduction of cost (Kumar, 2009).
Specifically, this is notable in the various private entities that are involved in waste management. They incur great expenses due to high competition and demand for strategic and more transformative solid waste management programs. The individual solid waste generators also have to pay expensively for the services of private firms.
The Community and Management of Solid Waste
There are several factors considered by a community in the adoption of a privatized or public system of solid waste management. Poor road networks make the public to advocate for privatization of the solid waste management (Anand, 2010). However, this decision is likely to be revoked whenever the collection costs for solid wastes increases.
Therefore, high collection costs charged by the private waste handlers make the community to shift to public waste management strategies. Increased compactness of solid waste increases the likelihood of the community to seek for a privatized system of waste management. Highly compacted solid waste might be difficult to transport, dispose or manage at household or community levels.
Effective transportation is a crucial component of solid waste management. However, most solid wastes might be difficult to transport. This depends on several factors including the nature of waste, availability of adequate and improved road network and other required equipment.
Regional proximity determines whether the community would opt for a privatized or public solid waste management practices. Facilities located far away from the residence areas of the community might increase the chances for a privatized waste management strategy (Uriarte, 2008). It is evident that the community plays a fundamental role in the determination and dictation of market options in solid waste management.
Some of their practices do not promote competitive bidding markets. Most private organizations involved in the management of solid waste are confronted by serious challenges. Analytically, these challenges emerge from the community factors.
References
Anand, S. (2010). Solid waste management. New Delhi: Mittal Publications.
Singh, J. & Ramanathan, A. L. (2010). Solid waste management: Present and future challenges. New Delhi: I.K. International Publishing House Pvt. Ltd.
Kumar, S. (2009). Solid waste management. New Delhi: Northern Book Centre.
McDavid, J. (1985). The Canadian Experience with Privatizing Residential Solid Waste Collection Services. Public administration review, 602-608.
Uriarte, F. A. (2008). Solid waste management: Principles and practices : an introduction to the basic functional elements of solid waste management, with special emphasis on the needs of developing countries. Diliman, Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press.
Steps to Ensure That Wastes From Factory Are Managed Correctly
To ensure that wastes being produced at a factory are managed correctly, it is necessary to control the whole waste management process and to take several important steps leading to effective waste management.
Step 1: The first step includes the monitoring of the amounts of waste produced at a factory with the necessary focus on determining what substances and objects can be discussed as waste. It is important to note that wastes are the substances and materials which were used in the production cycle until they were withdrawn from the cycle (Lemann 2008, p. 22).
Step 2: The next important step is the classification of the waste according to the type to contribute to its effective collection and further disposal or recycling. The waste produced at a factory should be classified as industrial, but it is necessary to control the process of classifying the waste into hazardous and non-hazardous to provide the necessary labels for the containers with the hazardous waste (How to develop waste management 2007, p. 3-4).
Step 3: The hazardous waste should be transported to the carefully selected and approved disposal areas because the hazardous waste containing toxic or flammable substances should be treated and controlled with references to the special guidelines and policies (Lemann 2008, p. 308).
Step 4: The next step is the control of classifying the industrial non-hazardous waste as appropriate for reusing in the factory’s processes, for recycling, and for disposal because of its specific qualities.
Step 5: It is important to control the quality and appropriateness of the containers to store the waste used for reuse and containers for transporting the non-hazardous waste to landfills for disposal.
Step 6: To guarantee the effective reuse of the waste, it is necessary to pay attention to the containers for storing the waste and to the method used for reusing the substances (Pichtel 2010, p. 83).
Step 7: Much attention should be paid to the stage of recycling the waste because it is necessary to control the appropriateness of the recycling methods for the concrete type of waste. Recycling methods are effective to minimize waste production, but the processes should be controlled by specialists. Effective waste management at the recycling stage means the prevention of possible contamination and damage (Pichtel 2010, p. 81).
Step 8: Those non-hazardous substances and objects which are chosen to be disposed of should be transported to the landfills or burned. It is the duty of the waste management specialist to determine the most effective technique to dispose of the waste because various materials and substances are characterized by different specific qualities.
Step 9: The next step is the control of the recycling and disposal strategies’ impact on the environment. This activity is determined as the separate step because it can be associated with the factory’s long-term goal to focus on the waste reduction methods and strategies to minimize the negative effect of the waste management procedures on the environment (Lemann 2008, p. 12).
Three Impediments to Establishing Effective Recycling Scheme
Three impediments are the lack of developed markets and systems; high costs of recycling technologies; and the lack of awareness related to expected benefits for business and environment (Hester & Harrison 2002, p. 39). These impediments can be overcome with improving the financing of the sector at the governmental level.
Reference List
Hester, R & Harrison, R 2002, Environmental and health impact of solid waste management activities, Royal Society of Chemistry, UK.
How to develop a waste management and disposal strategy 2007. Web.
Lemann, M 2008, Waste management, Peter Lang, USA.
Pichtel, J 2010, Waste management practices: municipal, hazardous, and industrial. CRC Press, USA.
