Sustainable Waste Management, Made Simple

by Jamie Bullock · Published 16th July 2024 · Updated 30th August 2024

Waste Mission we believe there’s never been a more important time to get serious about waste.

Did you know? The latest government data shows the UK generated an estimated 40.4 million tonnes of commercial and industrial (C&I) waste in 2020, of which 33.8 million tonnes (84%) was generated in England. The latest estimates for England only indicate that C&I waste generation was around 33.9 million tonnes in 2021.

The amount of commercial and industrial waste generated by businesses is having a massive impact on the environment. The majority of this waste ends up in landfill, generating greenhouse gas emissions which are 25 times more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide.

This is terrible news for our planet. And consumers are not ignoring the facts.

Deloitte’s 2023 Sustainable Consumer survey revealed that 30% of consumers said they had stopped buying products due to ethical or sustainability-related concerns. And almost 50% see circularity (explained in more detail later) as essential for buying a product.

If those aren’t reasons enough to reconsider waste management within your business, then how about this statistic: Every year, UK businesses can spend between 4–10% of their average annual turnover on waste disposal.

That’s a significant chunk of profit.

So, what is sustainable waste management?

Instead of collecting, transporting, and disposing of waste, sustainable waste management looks for solutions that won’t harm the environment or human health.

Choosing sustainable waste management transforms waste into wealth, reduces costs, boosts brand loyalty, and builds a future a few shades greener. It’s not just smart business; it’s our legacy for future generations. Embrace sustainability—protect the planet, inspire customers, and lead the way to a cleaner, profitable future.

Sustainable waste management revolves around a hierarchy:

Reduce initial amount of waste generated
Reuse where possible
Recycle what can’t be reused
Sell what we can
Only then, dispose of what’s left

At Waste Mission, we enhance business efficiency and sustainability through waste prevention and increased recycling. We help you transform waste into revenue and boost your ESG while ensuring compliance with industry standards.

Waste Mission’s goal is to do right by the environment. By developing new ways of thinking about waste, we help organisations transform waste into revenue, boost corporate reputations, and ensure compliance with each industry’s standards.

“We already work with a range of major electricity network operators, offering them unique services for their transformer and switchgear recycling, ensuring that nasty elements like PCBs and F Gases are safely recycled. We are also developing unique technologies in the WEEE waste sector, allowing us to extract precious metals from WEEE waste.” Nicola Guest, Waste Mission’s Group Marketing Manager. “Over the last decade we have also innovated waste streams for a number of well-known food manufacturing companies, approaching both the food waste and packaging in a way that both benefits the companies and the environment.”

About Waste Mission

Waste Mission, a trusted partner in industrial waste management, began its journey in the UK in 1985 as metal recycling company, Alchemy Metals. Over the past 40 years, we’ve strived to make the world a shade greener, turning complex waste challenges into simple, sustainable and often profitable solutions.

The Waste Mission team were instrumental in the 2013 Scrap Metal Dealers Act, they consulted with the Home Office, British Transport Police and partnered with industry to bring about much needed changes to an industry tarred with a bad reputation.

Successful Achievement of Environmental Goals

As your single supplier solution, Waste Mission becomes an extension of your business, working closely with you to understand your unique waste requirements and developing tailored, hybrid solutions that enable you to stay focused on your core operations while seamlessly reaching your sustainability targets.

2024 has also seen the roll out of our customer portal for contracted clients – helping clients stay easily over their ESG targets, waste management and metrics. To find out how Waste Mission can help you, book a waste review today.

Let Waste Mission handle your waste management accreditations so you can focus on running your business effectively.