We create a staggering amount of waste, and often we don't even know where it goes.
Have you ever thought about how much rubbish you and your family throw away every week? Or why we need to stop throwing so much away and consider reducing or recycling it instead.
What is waste?
Waste is anything that is no longer wanted or required by someone. The entire population of the UK are waste producers. In addition, waste is produced by industrial, commercial and agricultural organisations.
The industry is made up of four key areas:
Collection
Waste is collected in a number of ways including:
- Scheduled domestic and commercial collections
- Use of recycling bins and containers
- Hiring of skips and vans
- Taking it to household waste sites and civic amenities sites
Transportation and Storage
Waste is usually transported by road, although some is transported by rail and via the canal network. Recyclables may be stored prior to processing.
Management/Treatment
The waste management hierachy is:
- Reduction (reducing the amount of waste produced in the first place)
- Re-use
- Retention (keeping the waste at source e.g. home composting)
- Recycling and composting
- Recovery (incineration, waste to energy plants)
- Landfill with energy recovery
- Landfill (last resort)
Regulation
The waste industry is regulated by the Environment Agency. Waste is classed as either controlled or non-controlled. Controlled waste can be household, commercial, industrial and construction/demolition.
Waste not currently covered by waste management regulators includes agricultural, mines and quarries, dredgings and sewage sludge.
What jobs are available in the waste management industry?
Find out what its really like to work in the industry, check out a Day in the Life of....
View some useful links for companies in the waste management industry.
