Waste Management: Value and Waste

Waste management is the process of collection, transportation, processing or disposal,

managing and monitoring of waste to avoid its adverse effects in human health and
environment also. Waste management is a very important issue in the today’s modern
business world. According to the Wikipedia “waste management is the generation,
prevention, characterization, monitoring, treatment, handling, reuse and residual disposition
of solid waste”.

Waste management is the process of collection, transportation, processing or disposal,

managing and monitoring of waste to avoid its adverse effects in human health and
environment also. Waste management is a very important issue in the today’s modern
business world. According to the Wikipedia” waste management is the generation,
prevention, characterization, monitoring, treatment, handling, reuse and residual disposition
of solid waste.

Concept of Waste

In general, waste are the things or items which we (people and industries) don’t need and we
discard these things. Sometimes law does not permit to us to use the things /items; they are
prohibited by the law because they can be harmful to the society as well as environment.
Generally waste can be liquid(storm water, water from home, liquids used for industry
cleaning and waste detergents etc.) and solid(garbage, plastics materials, old newspapers,
broken furniture even food waste etc.) .Both liquid and non-liquid waste type also has
grouped into reusable and recyclable waste not all the wastes are hazardous or harmful to
health and environment). Growing proliferation of waste led to the many serious disease such
as bubonic plague, cholera and typhoid led to suffering and death.

Waste management
There are various type of solid waste including municipal(residential, institutional,
commercial)agricultural and special health care household hazardous waste” The waste
management concept is mainly refers to the ‘3Rs’-Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. This concept
gives focus on the waste reduction plans, re-cycle the waste by different processed and re-use
the waste for different purpose i.e. producing the other products like compost etc. The waste
is the problem and waste management is the solution.

There are various sources of waste they are briefly discussed below:

 Municipal sources of waste: This includes the waste produce by

households, School College, market place and restaurant and public places.
They include daily items like food debris, plastic bags, water bottle etc.
 Medical/hospital sources of waste: It includes surgical items,
pharmaceuticals, blood, body parts dressing material and needles, syringes
etc.
  Agricultural sources of waste: This includes like horticulture, fruit
growing, seed growing, livestock, market gardens and nurseries etc.
produced by agricultural activities.
 Industrial sources of waste: includes leather, textile, electronics, food,
plastics and metal products etc. produced by the different manufacturing
houses.
 Construction sources of waste: includes waste resulting from the
construction of the building, road, bridge etc.
 Electronic waste sources: waste from electronic and electronic devices like
TV, music players, telephone, computers, vacuum cleaners and other
electrical stuff. For e.g. contains lead, cadmium, and mercury etc. which
may be harmful to people and environments.

Waste Management from the Environmental perspective

Waste management is the major challenge to not only the rural and urban but also to the
developed and under developed Nations. There are some techniques can be used for waste
management. They are:

1. Landfill: The most common and traditional methods of waste disposal is

landfill. According to this method water is burying or dumping in the land.
It is an inexpensive way to get rid of waste. Before it is placed into the
certain process used that eliminates the danger and odors of waste. This
method is becoming less useful these days. Due to the lack of sufficient
space availability and strong presence of the methane and landfill gasses,
both of which may cause various contamination problems. Hats why enough
care should be taken to ensure that waste that does not harm the
environment is dumped in landfill.
2. Combustion: The combustion is another type of waste management
techniques in which municipal or local government solid waste are burned at
high temperature in order to convert waste in to the residue and gaseous
products. Major advantage of this techniques is that it can reduces the
column of the solid waste 20% to 30 % of the original volume it also
reduces the burden of landfills. Japan has applied these techniques to
manage the waste.

3. Recycling: The recycle is the process of converting the waste products in to

the new products to prevent the consumption and usages of the raw material.
It is the modern techniques of waste management. The main idea behind
recycling is to reduce usage of energy and reduces the volume of the
landfills, water pollution, reduce the green house and preserve the natural
resources for the future generation.

4. Composting: Composting is a waste management method in which all

organic waste like food, plant, paper etc. are decomposed (breakdown) and
 recycle then as compost for use in agricultural and landscaping applications.

5. Waste to Energy (WET): It is a process in which converting the non-

recyclable waste items into the usable heats, electricity, and fuel by using
the different process. This types of energy is renewable energy sources (can
be use again and again to create the energy).The advantages of this method
is recuing the carbon emission by offsetting the need for energy from fossil
sources, it is most popular and widely used methods in managing the
wastage.

Thus the waste management has become the parts of our human life. If we have to live, we
will produce the waste .If we don’t treat waste, it will choke us.

Waste Management from the business perspective

The waste management is very important for the business organization also. The business
organization has been producing the some kinds of commercial waste by knowingly or
unknowingly. The waste volume and types can be differing business to business. The
business waste management is somewhat different from the residential or household.
Generally manufacturing industries produces more waste than service industry, for example
Construction Company produces more waste than banks. The waste creates the unnecessary
cost burden and increases the environmental footprint and can make business vulnerable to
the risk, regulation and fines. Waste management for the company is reducing the
environmental impact of organizational activities and simiutenously reducing the costs.

To manage the waste in the business in better ways the organization should follow the
different ideas. Some of the business waste management ideas are discuss below:

 Conduct the waste audit: waste audit is the formal and systematic process
in order to know the know or quantify the amount and types of waste being
generated by the company in particular time period. Info form audit will
help to identify the current waste practice and how they can be improved.
Being waste-wise mean-a more efficient and effective company, reduces the
costs, better use of the resources.
 Grab company waste bill and call the company that services your
locations to ask them: It is another way of reducing the waste in the
business. The company should ask the service provider for unjustified bills
unnecessary, amount(cost) to be removed from your bill such as vague and
unclear “environmental fee or fuel charge etc. ”and company should
identifies the other ways like reducing the no of service time and other
recycling process etc.
 Better inventory management: The Company should keep minimum stock
to serve the customer. They should avoid keeping too many stocks that may
expire or become useless and will increase the cost.
  Scrutinize the products you purchase for unnecessary
packaging: unnecessary packaging will only increase the waste and cost of
the business so the business organization should avoid purchasing the
disposable products and tools and purchase the product with less packaging
and work with vendor to take back and reuse the packaging.

 Donate extra food and gently used the items instead of throwing them
away: another way of managing the waste is donating the extra food to the
society‘s needy people.
 Work with neighboring business to implement recycling: to reduce the
business waste the organization should work with other similar company to
reduce the costs through scale by sharing equipment and selling quantizes of
valuable recyclable products.

 Standardize the recycling equipment: The business organization should

purchase the standardize recycling equipment in order to process waste. The
equipment should have certain standard for operations.

 Engage with your employee, customer and community: The Company

should provide the training to the employee and asking for their suggestions
and creating the waste reduction incentives. Similarly, the business
organization should engage with the society customer to provide the proper
information about the products through social media.

Thus, waste management is most important to the business in order to protect the
environment and reducing the costs and adding value to the business.

Types of Waste
1. Liquid Waste
Liquid waste is commonly found both in households as well as in industries. This waste
includes dirty water, organic liquids, wash water, waste detergents and even rainwater.

You should also know that liquid waste can be classified into point and non-point source
waste. All manufactured liquid waste is classified as point source waste. On the other hand,
natural liquid waste is classified as non-point source waste.

2. Solid Rubbish
Solid rubbish can include a variety of items found in your household along with commercial
and industrial locations.

Solid rubbish is commonly broken down into the following types:

 Plastic waste– This consists of bags, containers, jars, bottles and many
other products that can be found in your household. Plastic is not
biodegradable, but many types of plastic can be recycled. Plastic should not
be mix in with your regular waste, it should be sorted and placed in your
recycling bin.
 Paper/card waste– This includes packaging materials, newspapers,
cardboards and other products. Paper can easily be recycled and reused so
make sure to place them in your recycling bin or take them to your closest
Brisbane recycling depot.
 Tins and metals– This can be found in various forms throughout your
home. Most metals can be recycled. Consider taking these items to a scrap
yard or your closest Brisbane recycling depot to dispose of this waste type
properly.
 Ceramics and glass– These items can easily be recycled. Look for special
glass recycling bins and bottle banks to dispose them correctly.

3. Organic Waste
Organic waste is another common household. All food waste, garden waste, manure and
rotten meat are classified as organic waste. Over time, organic waste is turned into manure by
microorganisms. However, this does not mean that you can dispose them anywhere.

Organic waste in landfills causes the production of methane, so it must never be simply
discarded with general waste.

4. Recyclable Rubbish
Recyclable rubbish includes all waste items that can be converted into products that can be
used again. Solid items such as paper, metals, furniture and organic waste can all be recycled.

If you’re unsure whether an item is recyclable or not, look at the packaging or the diagrams
on the lid of your yellow recycling bin. Most products will explicitly state whether they are
recyclable or not.

5. Hazardous Waste
Hazardous waste includes all types of rubbish that are flammable, toxic, corrosive and
reactive.
These items can harm you as well as the environment and must be disposed of correctly.
Therefore, I recommend you make use of a waste removal company for proper disposal of all
hazardous waste.

Waste can be classified into five types of waste which is all commonly found around the
house. These include liquid waste, solid rubbish, organic waste, recyclable rubbish and
hazardous waste. Make sure that you segregate your waste into these different types to ensure
proper waste removal.

5S Techniques of Eliminating Wastes

Ever notice how much better you work when the space you work in is organized? The 5S
approach is a Japanese process that’s about promoting an efficient, effective workplace that
helps companies eliminate waste. There are five steps in the 5S approach, outlined in detail in
the lesson The 5S Approach to Waste Elimination for Lean Businesses. The steps are:

1. Sort
2. Set
3. Shine
4. Standardize
5. Sustain

Often, these steps are represented on a process chart where the first four steps are located
around the perimeter of the chart and the fifth step (sustain) is placed inside the process. This
is because the first four steps lead into each other, while ”sustain” is something that must be
done at every step.

There are five 5S phases. They can be translated from the Japanese as “sort”, “set in order”,
“shine”, “standardize”, and “sustain”. Other translations are possible.
Sort (Seiri)
Seiri is sorting through all items in a location and removing all unnecessary items from the
location.

Goals:

 Reduce time loss looking for an item by reducing the number of items.
 Reduce the chance of distraction by unnecessary items.
 Simplify inspection.
 Increase the amount of available, useful space.
 Increase safety by eliminating obstacles.

Implementation:

 Check all items in a location and evaluate whether or not their presence at
the location is useful or necessary.
 Remove unnecessary items as soon as possible. Place those that cannot be
removed immediately in a ‘red tag area’ so that they are easy to remove later
on.
 Keep the working floor clear of materials except for those that are in use to
production.

Set in order (Seiton)

Seiton is putting all necessary items in the optimal place for fulfilling their function in the
workplace.

Goal:

 Make the workflow smooth and easy.

Implementation:

 Arrange work stations in such a way that all tooling / equipment is in close
proximity, in an easy to reach spot and in a logical order adapted to the work
performed. Place components according to their uses, with the frequently
used components being nearest to the workplace.
 Arrange all necessary items so that they can be easily selected for use. Make
it easy to find and pick up necessary items.
 Assign fixed locations for items. Use clear labels, marks or hints so that
items are easy to return to the correct location and so that it is easy to spot
missing items.

Shine/Seiso
Seiso is sweeping or cleaning and inspecting the workplace, tools and machinery on a regular
basis.

Goals:

 Prevent deterioration.
 Keep the workplace safe and easy to work in.
 Keep the workplace clean and pleasing to work in.
 When in place, anyone not familiar to the environment must be able to
detect any problems within 50 feet in 5 sec.

Implementation:

 Clean the workplace and equipment on a daily basis, or at another

appropriate (high frequency) cleaning interval.
 Inspect the workplace and equipment while cleaning.

Standardize (Seiketsu)
Seiketsu is to standardize the processes used to sort, order and clean the workplace.

Goal:
  Establish procedures and schedules to ensure the repetition of the first three
‘S’ practices.

Implementation:

 Develop a work structure that will support the new practices and make it
part of the daily routine.
 Ensure everyone knows their responsibilities of performing the sorting,
organizing and cleaning.
 Use photos and visual controls to help keep everything as it should be.
 Review the status of 5S implementation regularly using audit checklists.

Sustain/Self-discipline (Shitsuke)
Shitsuke or sustain the developed processes by self-discipline of the workers. Also translates
as “do without being told”.

Goal:

 Ensure that the 5S approach is followed.

Implementation:

 Organize training sessions.

 Perform regular audits to ensure that all defined standards are being
implemented and followed.
 Implement improvements whenever possible. Worker inputs can be very
valuable for identifying improvements.
 When issues arise, identify their cause and implement the changes necessary
to avoid recurrence.

Lean process to minimize wastages

Warehouses must work harder than ever to achieve overall efficiency and to control costs. An
effective strategy is to adopt lean manufacturing principles.

Lean is characterized by waste reduction by more effective management, engaging all team
members to find ways to increase efficiency and productivity, and finding ways to compress
time frames.

Each operation will benefit from lean in unique ways, but here are four common ways lean can
help decrease warehouse waste:
 1. Reduce waste caused by excess inventory and over-production. In the lean
manufacturing model, any inventory that isn’t directly required to fulfill
specific customer orders is a potential waste. Compare existing inventory with
sales data before production to decrease the volume of excess inventory. Also
reset production processes to manufacture only sufficient inventory to meet
short-term sales goals. If possible, adjust production processes to manufacture
product based on customer demand, rather than on maintaining excess
inventory in the warehouse.

2. Minimize labor expenditures related to unnecessary motion. Reducing

overproduction can help reduce labor costs by eliminating unnecessary
movement of goods. If only sufficient quantities of product are manufactured
to satisfy customer demand, then employees aren’t needed to move excess in
and out of inventory. Unnecessary labor costs can also be eliminated with
effective project planning to ensure that equipment usage and usage times are
accurately estimated. This decreases the time employees spend waiting for
equipment.
3. Decrease transportation-related waste. There’s no question that
transportation is a key competitive differentiator. However, transportation
processes can be a major source of waste. Reduce waste by routing deliveries
via the most direct, most time-efficient route. Choose the modality that is most
cost effective and reliable. This will help eliminate the need to rush orders to
compensate for poor planning. Transportation processes should be aligned
closely with customer service and inventory strategies so the entire process
runs smoothly and you meet customer expectations.

4. Reduce over-processing waste. Over-processing waste typically happens

when extra work is required to rectify problems that would not have occurred
if the proper processes had been in place. Following lean manufacturing
principles, processes are analyzed and tracked individually, with considerable
attention paid to determining whether they work properly in sequence. They
are then refined to close gaps and eliminate unnecessary steps.

Although analyzing processes may seem like a job for engineers or executives, employees are
often the best candidates to suggest ways to improve warehouse processes. They know first-
hand what works, which tasks or steps in a process are wasteful, and often, how to make the
process operate more smoothly and efficiently. Lean also empowers them to make a difference,
which can motivate them to continue to keep their eyes open to ways the warehouse can operate
more efficiently.

The solution to the problem of how to operate more efficiently and cut costs — especially in
an era of fierce competition, faster fulfilment, and greater demand for customized products and
service — may lie within your own processes. Use lean manufacturing principles to evaluate
your operations, identify and eliminate waste, and continuously work to improve processes.
The return will be a warehouse that contributes to the overall success of your company.