Waste minimisation
December 1st 2006

This issue, Envirowise programme delivery leader Roger Papworth focuses on the Hotel and Catering sector and discusses how the industry can benefit from improving environmental performance – and some practical advice on how to achieve this with tips that will be of use to all industry sectors

With both businesses and consumers placing increased emphasis on green issues, there is growing pressure on hoteliers and caterers to demonstrate that the environment is high on their agenda.

And although establishing better environmental practice can improve a company's ability to attract and retain customers, an improved public image is not the only incentive for addressing these issues.By becoming more resource efficient, a company can make significant cost savings throughout its operation.

Essentially, resource efficiency means using raw materials,water and energy more effectively and cutting down on waste whenever possible.

While all hoteliers and catering organisations will acknowledge they produce waste, it may surprise many to know that it actually accounts for a considerable proportion of their turnover.This is because the true cost of waste also includes waste raw materials, energy and wasted labour – often totalling 5 to 20 times the cost of disposal.

And with the introduction of new regulations on waste – including tighter restrictions on hazardous substances, animal by-products and increasing costs on UK landfill sites – the incentive for operating a structured approach to waste management has never been greater.

Indeed,by making a wholehearted commitment to eliminate, reduce, reuse and recycling as much waste as possible, hotels and catering establishments can expect to make significant savings in a matter of months – often with little or no initial investment.

The first step in this process is to conduct a waste audit.This involves looking at what is being done,how it is being done and recording information about the types of wastes generated.Key assessment areas for hoteliers include the restaurant, bar, bedrooms, leisure facilities, office, kitchens, laundry and garden.

It is also useful to check utility invoices and the volume of waste produced and, where possible, compare against the industry average for similar sized establishments. For help with monitoring water use, visit www.envirowise.gov.uk/watertools.

Practical advice When it comes to minimising waste, there are many practical measures that can be put into place with little investment. Some simple ideas include: Segregate waste where possible and store in a designated area for reuse or recycling at a later date. This will also help businesses to visually identify and tackle some of the main wastes produced.

Work with suppliers to reduce the amount of packaging generated.

Arrange for boxes to be returnable for re-use or buy in bulk. Switch to re-fillable toiletries dispensers to minimise packaging and save on purchasing.

If your location allows, consider recycling food waste on site. For example, feeding food waste to animals, or if this is unsuitable, introducing a composting area or wormery on site.

Explore opportunities for donating re-useable items such as unwanted furniture and electrical goods to charitable trusts and items of bedding to the Salvation Army.

Monitor water use carefully and put into place water efficient technologies, such as toilets, taps and showers. Sites can achieve around 30% savings on water and effluent bills, by implementing simple water management measures. Envirowise has published two new factsheets on reducing water use in urinals and WCs – visit www.envirowise.gov.uk/water to find out more.

Ensure heating systems are maintained and operated correctly.

Poorly maintained systems are likely to operate at peak performance thereby consuming more energy Put into place simple energy conservation measures, such as timers on lights and heating systems, opening and closing of windows and installing presence detectors in often unoccupied areas Introduce recycling boxes for cardboard, paper and glass where re-use is not possible.

Some hotels have introduced a 'laundry re-use'scheme, whereby guests are asked to request clean towels and linen, to reduce energy and water costs.

Distribute any magazines left on the premises to staff or donate to a local dentists or doctor's surgery.

A key consideration in achieving a systematic programme of waste minimisation is staff involvement.

Senior management buy-in is fundamental in terms of implementation, however, it is only by ensuring that all employees are involved can waste minimisation be integrated into the organisational culture.To download a case study demonstrating the benefits of resource efficiency, visit www.envirowise.gov.uk/ strattonshotel.

More articles from Water Technology List: