A radical new proposal for delivering and financing waste minimisation clubs in England, due to the loss of landfill tax credit scheme funding

The total amount of solid waste generated in Europe is estimated to grow by 10% every year and there is increased concern over the associated environmental impacts. As a result, the minimization of waste at source in business and industry is a top priority in the European Community's waste strategy.In the UK, regional Waste Minimisation Clubs (WMCs) have been established to promote sustainable waste management in business and industry. The company clusters taking part in these clubs have reported financial savings combined with reductions in environmental impact. These results are disseminated to encourage further savings by the UK industry.This paper examines the savings as well as the costs involved in ten WMCs. It finds that there is a lack of standardization in the reporting of WMC results. This makes it difficult to evaluate the influence of WMCs, whilst also having an adverse effect on the credibility of waste minimization in business. Despite these problems, the paper finds that there is still strong evidence to suggest that these ten WMCs have been efficient in stimulating cost savings by industry, with an average rate of return on investment of 170%. It also finds that the financial benefits for companies are key outcomes of WMCs and that these benefits significantly exceed the estimated social benefits of the reduced environmental burden. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.

UK waste minimisation clubs: a contribution to sustainable waste management

The role and success of UK waste minimisation clubs in the correction of market and information failures

An economic modelling approach to the design and delivery of sustainable waste minimisation clubs: Prospects in the new policy framework

The UK Sustainable Development Strategy requires that society makes prudent use of resources so as to protect the environment and at the same time maintain high and stable levels of economic growth and employment. The key to sustainable waste management is waste minimisation, the reduction of waste at source. Waste minimisation clubs have been a central feature of the UK program to encourage the adoption of more sustainable practice. A large and dynamic partnership of local and regional players has delivered a program of some 14 waste minimisation/resource efficiency projects in Northamptonshire, a county in the East Midlands of England, since 1997. The projects have delivered impressive financial savings and training for some 272 companies, mostly SMEs. An evaluation of the program has indicated the central role of a Higher Education Institution (University College Northampton), as a facilitator and service provider.

A critical appraisal of an UK county waste minimisation programme: The requirement for regional facilitated development of industrial symbiosis/ecology

Queensland (QLD) is the second largest state in Australia with an area of 1,734,157 km2 and a population of some 4,132,000 (less than 20% of Australia’s total population). The majority of QLD’s population is located in the South East (SEQ) region around Brisbane and the Gold Coast with further population densities along the coast. SEQ is growing rapidly, with SEQ receiving over 1,000 new immigrants (both interstate and international) to the region every week, which is stimulating the housing, retail and commercial and industrial sectors. This growth in population and development is leading to an increase in waste arisings across all sectors. During 2005, QLD generated approximately 444,000 tonnes of commercial and industrial waste, with only 23,000 tonnes being recycled, equating to only 5% of the amount generated. By comparison, during 2005 the UK generated 83 million tonnes of commercial and industrial wastes of which approximately 45% was recycled. QLD has a suite of environmental and specific waste management legislation relating to the management of all waste streams which adopts the waste management hierarchy. The regulatory framework of any State or Country can if well designed drive sustainable waste management practices within the commercial and industrial sectors. Waste minimisation clubs (WMCs) were initiated in the 1990s in the UK in order to assist commercial organisations minimise their waste streams and identify re-use and recycling opportunities, including e.g. waste exchanges. WMCs have been an important demonstration opportunity for companies to grasp the benefits of the sustainable management of commercial and industrial wastes as well as the possible adoption of cleaner production through new technology. This paper reviews the trend of WMCs in the UK and discusses their potential application to QLD. It explores the drivers and barriers for such implementations within QLD, including the absence of a landfill levy and legislative barriers. The paper also discusses Australian government initiatives for improving resource efficiency within industry, and the benefits and limitations of these schemes. Case studies from the UK are then provided to ascertain the opportunities for possible WMC development in QLD

Third generation waste minimisation clubs: a case study of low cost clubs from Northamptonshire, UK

Economic appraisal and evaluation of UK waste minimisation clubs: proposals to inform the design of sustainable clubs

The concept of waste minimisation clubs was developed in the early 1990s to promote the exchange of experiences between geographically close manufacturers in the implementation of waste minimisation measures. It is a successful approach, resulting not only in a reduction in environmental impact, but also significant financial savings for the companies involved. Two pilot waste minimisation clubs were established in the province of kwaZulu Natal in South Africa in 1998 and 1999, to determine if this approach was a feasible method of promoting sustainable industrial development in South Africa. On conclusion of this project in December 2000, the 20 companies that participated in these clubs had saved a total of US$ 1.7 million, and reduced their water use and effluent discharge by over 2,400 Ml/y.

Sustainable Municipal Solid Waste management has remained a big challenge in Africa and other resource constrained settings. However, to achieve sustainability, the gaps in governance of waste management need to be addressed speedily as populations are expanding rapidly, far exceeding available infrastructure and resources. Ruiru subcounty has a rapidly expanding population which has not been matched with sustainable waste management in commercial and residential sectors. This study sought to establish the influence of governance on Sustainable Municipal Solid Waste management in Ruiru Sub-County. Mixed methods research approach and descriptive research design were used in both data collection and analysis. This involved administration of Questionnaires, interviews and observation checklist through an online platform Kobo Collect. Results of the study showed that the County Government and subsequent sub-counties are responsible for waste management. Despites this mandate there are heaps of waste remain in commercial and residential areas. This is attributed to various governance challenges such as lack of prioritization of waste management, limited financial and human resources, minimal community participation, disregard of informal players in waste management cycle, weak implementation and enforcement of waste management policies. While it is desirable to attain sustainable solid waste management in Ruiru, and while the national legal frameworks are in place, there are major challenges and gaps in solid waste governance. Therefore, this study concludes enforceability of mechanisms, adequacy of funding, wholistic involvement of all players remain daunting. Unless these are addressed, sustainable waste management will only remain an unattainable goal.

It is widely accepted that solid waste management is a global problem. This problem is even more pronounced in developing countries such as Nigeria where solid waste management is a major concern. In recent times, however, there has been a concerted effort towards engaging members of the public in solving the waste management crisis. This effort is centred on public participation in sustainable waste management practice across the country. Nevertheless, in Abuja there seems to be low public participation in sustainable wastes and environmental management practice. This paper therefore seeks to investigate the rate of participation in sustainable waste and environmental management activities in Abuja. In order to achieve the aim of the study, the paper relied on a sample of 57 participants to obtain some primary data. The paper employed a mixed method approach with the aid of a questionnaire. The questions were designed to gather data on demographics of the participants, their awareness and attitude to sustainable waste management, the barriers preventing public participation in a sustainable solid waste management and measures that can encourage public participation in sustainable waste management in Abuja. The study revealed that increase funding, provision of recycling collection points, enforcement of laws and policies, the development of effective policies and regulatory framework amongst others are some of the measures that can encourage public participation in sustainable waste management programs in Abuja.

PurposeThe study analyses the factors that promote pro-environmental intentions and sustainable electronic waste management among households in a developing country context.Design/methodology/approachBased on a quantitative survey, a cross-sectional study of households was conducted. Data from 652 respondents were collected using structured questionnaires and analysed with partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).FindingsAmong the findings, environmental values was the major influencer of pro-environmental intentions, accounting for 54.8% of its variance. Whilst pro-environmental intention was hypothesised as a key predictor of sustainable waste management behaviours, results showed that sustainable e-waste management is mainly influenced by perceived behavioural control (β = 0.546, p = 0.000), followed by pro-environmental intentions (β = 0.302, p = 0.000). Perceived behavioural control, on the other hand, was influenced by perceived producer responsibility (β = 0.340, p = 0.000) and facilitating conditions (β = 0.141, p = 0.0.034).Research limitations/implicationsFirst, the study used a quantitative approach. The use of a mixed-methods approach could provide deeper insights into the determinants of sustainable e-waste management practices in a specific cultural context. Also due to the quantitative nature of the study, sustainable e-waste management was based on self-reports. Future studies may adopt longitudinal studies to validate self-reported behaviours with observation. Finally, the study does not include all constructs proposed by planned behaviour and norm activation theory. This is because the main aim of the study was to examine perceived behavioural control as an extrinsic motivator and environmental values as an intrinsic motivator to engage in sustainable waste management practices.Practical implicationsWaste is best managed at source, so the study recommends that producers of electronic equipment must reconsider their role in sustainable waste management, by taking physical and economic responsibility for the environmental costs of their products. Pro-environmental intentions must be encouraged; however, it is not sufficient to cause sustainable waste management behaviours. Consequently, governments must promote and encourage sustainable e-waste management among households by providing enabling policy conditions such as convenient e-waste collection points and positively reinforcing waste reduction, reuse and recycling behaviours. Also, a culture of environmental conservation should be encouraged among households.Originality/valueThe study explores the role of environmental values and perceived behavioural control as a source of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to engage in sustainable e-waste management. The inclusion of facilitating conditions and perceived producer responsibility is justified, based on the call for a collective approach towards electronic waste management. The results of the study throw more light on the tri-party approach, specifically, consumers, business and government role in developing and maintaining a sustainable approach towards the management of electronic waste in Ghana. Also, the study integrates planned behaviour and norm activation based on the strong sustainability argument.

A multi-floor manufacturing in residential districts of huge city promotes decongestion of urban traffic and satisfy the population’s demand for essential goods. City manufacturing and its supply chain entail several challenges related to the sustainable development of a large agglomeration. Environmental problems impose significant constraints on such manufacturing activities and production waste in the urban environment poses a real problem that needs to be addressed by special research. This paper discusses integrated sustainable production waste management for a city multi-floor manufacturing cluster, consisting of a group of production buildings and a supporting logistics node. In line with the theory of integrated sustainable waste management, three key components are addressed: waste management stakeholders, components of the waste management system, and the technical, environmental and legal aspects of a city multi-floor manufacturing cluster. The goal of the paper is to develop a concept for a model of environmental sustainable waste management in a city multi-floor manufacturing cluster, aimed at ensuring the system safety: human - technical facility - environment. This model can serve as a basis for the development of appropriate logistics chains for production waste management considering their hazardousness indicator. The versatility of the model will allow it to be widely used, and when its stages and working principles are embedded in the practice of city multi-floor manufacturing, proper control over the waste management process can be achieved. The application of the proposed model of integrated sustainable production waste management in the practice of the city multi-floor manufacturing clusters will contribute to the environmental sustainability of its operation.

Healthcare waste in Bangladesh: Current status, the impact of Covid-19 and sustainable management with life cycle and circular economy framework