Kokova Magazine

Small to Medium Enterprises (SME'S) make up for the employment of almost 14.5 million people and contributes £375 billion to the UK economy, but a new study looking at SME's waste management has revealed a worrying trend.

A large percentage of London's small businesses are still confused when it comes to sorting out the rubbish and recycling. Waste and management company Biffa has surveyed more than 1000 of Britain's small businesses, in an attempt to find out what they know about hazardous waste, and it's disposal. The results show a concerning lack of knowledge.

According to the survey eight out of ten small and medium-sized businesses are leaving themselves open to fines and prosecutions, with only 20% of companies disposing of their hazardous waste legally.

Despite an overriding confidence in how to manage their business waste (95% said it wasn't confusing), and the Environmental Agency's efforts to educate offenders before resorting to fines or prosecutions in extreme cases, the vast majority of companies are still not complying with the Hazardous Waste Regulations.

In fact almost a third (32%) of respondents said they were not confident their employees knew how to identify and dispose of hazardous waste correctly, with materials such as metal (14%), empty tins/cans (16%) and wood (5%) among the least identified forms of every day hazardous waste.

Hazardous wastes include commonplace items such as aerosols, light bulbs, batteries and oily rags. Since 2005, the law dictates that these materials, which could cause specific harm to the environment or human health, should be collected separately for treatment and disposal.

"The problem arises because many small businesses are only generating tiny amounts of hazardous wastes, so they don't think putting it in the normal rubbish bin is a problem - but if your company throws out an old computer, polish cans or even a tin of leftover paint, by law they need to be treated properly."

Ian Wakelin CEO Biffa

The Hazardous Waste Regulations came into force almost ten years ago and yet many businesses are still unaware of the legal requirements of storage, transportation, treatment and disposal. Biffa is now encouraging businesses to arrange a suitable collection service. The Regulations say that businesses need to have their hazardous waste collected at least once a year, so it doesn't need to be expensive or difficult to comply.

The survey found that while a lot of businesses are now recycling their waste, the majority are still disposing of materials that could still be recycled. By having hazardous wastes collected for the correct treatment, businesses can further increase their recycling rates, improving their environmental performance and 'green' credentials.

Common hazardous wastes produced by Britain's SMEs include:

• Aerosols
• Alkaline batteries
• Flammable adhesives
• Adhesives e.g. super glue
• Bulbs and UV lamps
• Paint (solvent-based and water-based)
• Empty oil containers
• Oily rags and granules
• Rags contaminated with solvent
• Waste electrical and electronic equipment (Printed Circuit Boards, kettles, toasters, TVs)
• Oil filters
• Mineral oil

You can look at the different forms of hazardous waste and find out why these waste materials should be handled separately and correctly from other forms of waste in this short film: https://youtu.be/4F944tdUCao