Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
GUIDE
REDUCING COSTS THROUGH WASTE MANAGEMENT: THE COTTON AND MAN-MADE FIBRE SECTOR
GOOD PRACTICE: Proven technology and techniques for profitable environmental improvement
REDUCING COSTS THROUGH WASTE MANAGEMENT: THE COTTON AND MAN-MADE FIBRE SECTOR
This Good Practice Guide was produced by the Environmental Technology Best Practice Programme
This material may be freely reproduced except for sale or advertising purposes. Printed on paper containing 75% post-consumer waste.
SUMMARY
This Good Practice Guide is one of a series of four Guides on solid waste management in the textiles industry. Each of the four should be read in conjunction with a separate leaflet, Waste Minimisation - Elements for Success (ET80), and each Guide can be read as a stand-alone publication for the sector concerned: s s s s worsteds and knitwear; woollens; cotton and man-made fibre; garment manufacturing and household textiles.
The cotton and man-made fibre sector has high raw material costs and low profit margins. Substantial amounts of solid waste - cotton and man-made fibre waste, yarn cones and packaging - are generated which account for a significant proportion of operating costs. Reducing waste can therefore make a considerable difference to a companys profits and competitiveness. This Guide seeks to encourage companies to minimise their waste and, where waste is unavoidable, to dispose of it in the most cost-effective way. Practical measures are suggested to help companies in the different sectors reduce, re-use and recycle their solid waste. Various possible markets exist for cotton and man-made fibre waste, including: textile merchants and reclaimers; healthcare products; felt manufacture; shoddy clothing; household textiles; agricultural uses; geotextiles; and industrial applications. Card and paper waste can also be recycled, while the market for plastics waste is growing. Cotton waste in the spinning sector amounts to 10 - 15% of total cotton consumption, and in the weaving and finishing sector to 5 - 6%. Although waste quantities in the man-made fibre sector are less significant, they nevertheless represent a considerable amount of money. Mixtures of cotton and man-made fibre are much more difficult to re-use or recycle, making waste prevention imperative when spinning and weaving mixed fibres. Most companies in the cotton and man-made fibre sector also generate large quantities of waste yarn cones, plastic bags and cardboard cartons. The landfill tax has increased the cost of waste disposal to landfill for all companies, while new regulations on packaging waste have given added impetus to the need to develop recovery and recycling schemes for packaging waste. Industry Examples throughout the Guide highlight the cost savings and other benefits achieved by textile companies that have already adopted a structured waste management approach with an emphasis on waste minimisation, re-use and recycling.
CONTENTS
Section 1 Introduction 1.1 1.2 1.3 2 The cost of waste in the cotton and man-made fibre sector Cost savings from waste minimisation The purpose of this Good Practice Guide
Page 1 2 4 5 6 6 6 7 8 10 11 11 12 14 14 16 17 17 19 19 19 19 20 22
Waste management opportunities in the cotton and man-made fibre sector 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Obtaining value from your waste Cotton and man-made fibre waste Used yarn cones Packaging waste Reducing disposal costs
Waste management opportunities in blending, carding and spinning 3.1 3.2 Waste prevention Waste re-use, recycling and sale
Waste management opportunities in weaving and finishing 4.1 4.2 Waste prevention Waste re-use, recycling and sale
Markets for solid waste 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Cotton and man-made fibre waste Card and paper waste Plastics waste Wood waste Markets within company groupings
Appendix
1 INTRODUCTION
Waste costs money. Each year, waste can cost the average UK manufacturing company 4% of turnover. Reducing the amount of waste your company produces will save you money which will increase your profits and help you to remain competitive. Most companies can achieve savings of at least 1% of turnover through waste minimisation. Even companies which seem efficient produce waste. Waste is not just discarded solid materials. It also includes wasted time, loss of materials to air and to drain, excessive use of energy and water, and product giveaway through overfilling packages and containers. One company involved in a waste minimisation initiative had originally estimated its annual waste costs at something over 70 000, although no single person or department could quantify the precise value or volume of the different waste streams. A waste survey showed the true figure to be much larger. The companies involved initially identified possible savings of 1.4 million. Waste minimisation is a systematic approach to minimising the production of waste at source. A company can usually reduce the amount of waste it produces. Alternatively, there may be ways to put unavoidable waste to good use through re-use or recycling. Finally, a company may have to consider treating its waste to make it less harmful to people and the environment. Fig 1 summarises this waste management hierarchy.
section
BEST PRACTICE
Minimise
Re-use
Recycle in-house
Recycle off-site
Treat
Fig 1 Waste management hierarchy
section
Sound waste management practices have many advantages for companies in the cotton and manmade fibre sector, including: s Lower operating costs due to: s s s s reduced cotton and man-made fibre consumption, ie increased yield; reduced consumption of other raw materials, eg packaging; reduced waste disposal costs.
Increased revenue from unavoidable waste. Improved site efficiency. Improved product quality. Enhanced public image. This will make your company more attractive to customers and investors and help it retain its place on approved suppliers lists.
1.1 THE COST OF WASTE IN THE COTTON AND MAN-MADE FIBRE SECTOR
1.1.1 Cotton and man-made fibre waste
Waste is purchased raw material that is subsequently not sold as product. This is particularly significant for companies in the cotton and man-made fibre sector where raw material costs are high; cotton typically costs at least 1.20/kg, polyester at least 1.10/kg and nylon around 2.10/kg. These costs generally represent a high proportion of operating costs, while profit margins are often less than 5% of turnover. Although the industry has traditionally regarded itself as thrifty, fibre and packaging waste levels are still significant.
A spinner using 2 500 tonnes of cotton/year typically produces 250 - 375 tonnes of cotton waste. The figures are even higher for low-grade cotton. For cotton costing 1.20/kg (more for higher quality cottons), this level of waste represents 300 000 - 450 000/year, excluding sales of waste. Weaving sector Waste = 5 - 6% by weight of cotton consumption.
section
A mill processing 3 000 tonnes of yarn/year typically produces around 180 tonnes of waste cotton. For yarn costing 3.50/kg, this represents 630 000/year, excluding sales of waste. Man-made fibre sector Waste quantities are less significant than for spinning and weaving, but they still represent a considerable amount of money.
1.1.2
Most companies in the cotton and man-made fibre sector dispose of large quantities of plastic yarn cones, plastic bags and cardboard cartons - often without recovering any revenue and sometimes at a significant cost. Introduction of the landfill tax in October 1996 significantly increased solid waste disposal costs for all textile companies, while the UK Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 have implications for most companies.
Many companies have some sort of obligation under more than one of the activity categories. A garment manufacturer, for example, would normally have responsibility for the packaging used to pack its product at the 36% and 47% obligation; the latter where packaging is used for transit and has no further use (it is effectively sold to the customer). Companies can register individually with the Environment Agency or pass on their obligations to a collective scheme. In all cases, however, companies are required to collect data by weight.
For advice and information about current regulations governing the disposal of solid and other wastes, contact the Environmental Helpline on 0800 585794.
section
Finishing waste now amounts to 0.25%, costing the company 94/week or 4 500/year. These simple measures have therefore saved the company 5 500/year for no cost. In some cases, pieces can be joined using special sewing machines. This virtually eliminates the seam overhang and reduces the waste still further to around 60 mm. Introduction of new bar codes capable of surviving the finishing process would allow the effective label width to be reduced to 6 mm or less and thus produce further savings. A realistic waste of only 20 mm/piece would produce savings of over 9 000/year.
section
s s
If you are part of a multi-site company or group, enquire whether your sites wastes could be re-used or recycled by another site or part of the group. Consider all wastes as a potential source of income. Where possible, give each waste quantity a financial value using the raw material and disposal costs of the relevant yarn or textile. Never consider redundant stock as waste - try to find alternative customers. Separate all wastes at source in clearly labelled or colour-coded containers. Remove accumulated wastes from working areas regularly to avoid possible contamination. Make sure you are not disposing of containers that still contain yarn, cones, card, etc. Contact as many different waste merchants and recycling specialists as possible to obtain the best deal for the amount and type of waste your company produces. Specialist textile merchants may offer a better price for a particular waste (see Appendix).
s s s s
Sort wastes as much as possible according to value. For example, separate out: soft unprocessed waste from hard processed waste; undyed from dyed yarns; cottons from man-made fibre and blends.
In each case, the former is considerably more valuable than the latter. For example, some companies divide carding-condenser wastes into separate streams according to quality and whether it can be re-used. s s s s Where appropriate, use an ultraviolet light source to separate polyester from cotton. Talk to your suppliers, eg spinners and chemical companies, about the possibility of them taking back waste yarn for recycling. Consider over-dyeing coloured yarn-waste black for re-use or resale. Consider storing larger quantities of surplus yarn, eg those in unfashionable colours. You can never be sure when a certain yarn or colour may be in demand again and thus worth its full value.
section
s s s s s
Where practicable, re-use yarn cones on site. Plastic cones can generally be used many times while cardboard cones can be re-used two or three times. Use detachable labels or waterproof stickers rather than self-coloured cones as the latter can be used with only one type of yarn. Co-ordinate cone collections in your area wherever possible to maximise transport efficiency. This may be possible through a local waste minimisation club. Stack cones inside one another to minimise the space required for storage and transport. Where possible, standardise to one type of cone to make re-use easier. Urge your trade association and equipment suppliers (see Appendix) to consider an industry standard for cones and for cone labelling. If you have a problem with cone-machine compatibility, talk to your equipment suppliers about the possibility of fitting adapter kits for specific cone types or to allow a wider variety of cones. Most modern looms can accommodate almost any type of weft cone without affecting product quality. Mark skips clearly to avoid contamination, eg plastic cones being put in with cardboard waste. Where cones cannot be returned or re-used, sell them to plastics and cardboard recyclers. There may be a company in your local area which can use cones and which is willing to remove them from your site free of charge.
s s
Remember that you may now have an obligation to arrange for the recovery of a proportion of the packaging that you handle. Excess packaging will unnecessarily increase this obligation. Use returnable pallets and containers where possible and ask your suppliers to do the same. This is already standard practice in some companies. Return boxes, crates and pallets to your suppliers, if possible. If not, re-use them on site, eg to separate or store wastes, or pass them to other companies that can use them. Return hessian and plastic bags to your suppliers, if possible. If not, re-use them around the site or pass them to companies that can use them. For example, large bags can be used to collect yarn and paper waste or to collect contaminated/dirty wastes.
s s s
s s s
Minimise the number of different types of plastic bag on site to make recycling easier. Talk to your suppliers about standardising their packaging. For example, various plastics are used for bale wrappings. Mixed packaging waste has a lower value. Talk to your suppliers about making packaging easier to recycle. For example, stickers on plastic bale wraps have to be removed by hand. These stickers could be eliminated by writing directly on the plastic wrapping. Sort all cardboard wastes at source to maximise revenue. In particular, separate out cardboard cartons as these attract a higher price. Flatten the cartons carefully to minimise storage volumes and transport requirements.
s s s
When cartons reach the end of their useful life, add them to the paper and cardboard waste for recycling rather than to the general waste. Cover card/paper skips and label them clearly to avoid contamination with other valuable wastes, eg yarn cones and metal waste. Establish a separate storage area/container for plastic waste such as worn-out yarn cones, spindles and plastic bags. You may be surprised how quickly these build up into saleable quantities. If your company has large volumes of plastic and cardboard waste, consider buying or leasing a baler or compactor. If your company generates large volumes of plastic waste, consider purchasing or leasing a plastics granulator. Granulated plastic is generally more valuable than plastic in bag or cone form. Seek out merchants that deal in more unusual wastes such as hessian bags. Look for companies that specialise in the resale or recycling of used cardboard cartons (see Appendix). Shop around for the best deal when seeking a merchant to dispose of your cardboard and paper wastes. Even free removal of card and paper helps as this will reduce the cost of your general waste disposal.
section
s s
s s s
Ask for details of recyclers and specialist waste merchants in your area from the Environmental Helpline on 0800 585794.
Savings have been achieved through reductions in the cost of buying and handling packaging, transporting waste and waste disposal. Further details can be obtained from the Environmental Helpline on 0800 585794.
10
Most cotton waste from blending, carding and spinning operations consists of condenser, sliver and fly wastes. These wastes, which typically amount to 10 - 15% by weight of cotton consumption, have already been eliminated or minimised by some spinners through measures such as those described below.
3.1.1
s s s
Machinery
Consider installing pneumatic systems to move fibre during blending/carding/roving. Enclosed ducting minimises the loss of fibre compared with manual transport using drums. Fit opening/blending and carding/combing machinery with undergrids and extraction systems. Ensure that carding machines and other equipment are covered and fitted with an extraction system to minimise fly and dust in the factory. This will allow the fly to be collected for sale rather than becoming part of the dirty sweepings. Use carding machines which: have a waste end return unit, ie a pneumatic system that returns fibre waste to the feed hopper; monitor the thickness of the sliver produced during carding. Such monitoring will allow the carding engine to be stopped if the sliver goes out-of-tolerance.
B L E N D I N G C A R D I N G A N D S P I N N I N G
s s
Consider using dual-feed, cross-carding machines, or a cross feed from one machine to the next to provide high-quality and even sliver. Consider fitting stop-motion and re-splicing devices when buying new spinning frames and winding machines or when retrofitting equipment. One company estimates that it has recouped the cost of fitting electronic stop-motion devices within six months through reduced yarn waste. Fit spinning and winding frames with vacuum (pneumafil) extraction units to remove broken thread to a clean, covered container. Ensure that humidity and temperature control equipment is properly maintained. Less-thanoptimum conditions will result in more breakages in the thread, lower productivity, lower product quality and more waste.
s s
3.1.2
s s
Other measures
Keep different fibre types/yarns segregated and labelled in separate areas of the warehouse. This avoids mix-ups and potential waste. Monitor waste according to the type and quality of fibre used. This will allow you to build up a picture of the levels of waste that can be expected in each case; in general, the higher quality the cotton/fibre, the fewer the breakages and the lower the waste levels. You may even find that cotton from a certain supplier results in less waste than the same grade of cotton from a different supplier.
11
Plan production to minimise waste from carding and blending. For example, make sure batches of the same type of fibre/colour follow on, eg cotton follows cotton and polyester follows polyester. This reduces waste by removing the need for a stabilisation phase to eliminate fibre cross-contamination. Encourage your cotton supplier to use high-density polyethylene (HDPE) rather than polypropylene (PP) bags. HDPE bags are less likely to split (causing contamination) and are easily recycled, whereas PP bags can fail and allow contamination of the cotton and hence the yarn and the fabric. Where possible, supply yarn in carefully sealed cartons or containers. This avoids the need to wrap yarn cones in individual plastic bags, saving you and your customers effort and money.
B L E N D I N G C A R D I N G A N D S P I N N I N G
s s s s
3.2.2
s
12
s s s
Consider the possibility of a deposit-return system for cones. Talk to your customers about this. Consider introducing a low-charge, deposit-return scheme for cardboard cones. Cardboard cones are more hardy than is commonly believed and can often tolerate two or three trips. Use true cone-shaped (as opposed to cylindrical) yarn cones. These fit neatly inside one another, thus allowing high overall packing density and reducing cone-return transport costs.
section
B L E N D I N G C A R D I N G A N D S P I N N I N G
13
For most weavers, cotton waste is typically 5 - 6% by weight of cotton consumption. Some mills, however, have already reduced waste to 3% through sound waste management practices.
4.1.1
s
Machinery
Consider buying a yarn length measuring machine. This will enable you to get just the correct length of yarn on each spindle/cone on the creel. A small amount of yarn left on each cone can add up to a significant quantity over the whole of a creel. This approach can practically eliminate creel cone waste. Make sure your creel is fitted with tensioners and stop-motions that work effectively. This will reduce the number of breakages and hence waste. Consider buying a modern warping machine. Newer machines can eliminate crossed ends, producing perfect warps with less waste. Some of the latest automatic pattern warping machines can also eliminate the need for a creel - these are worth considering where complex patterned fabrics are being woven from coloured yarns. If you regularly make long runs of a particular cloth, consider making longer pieces using longer warps. This practice produces less warping waste, ie beam ends and creel waste. For example, a 600 metre warp/piece generates only 10% of the waste from ten, 60 metre pieces. Always buy looms with stop-motion devices, ie drop-pins and magic-eyes, fitted to both the warp threads and the weft threads. Consider retrofitting stop-motions to existing looms. When considering the purchase of new looms, take into account the amount of waste a loom generates. For example, projectile looms generally produce less waste than rapiers and airjets. While older rapier looms produce a wide, 50 mm selvedge on each side (100 mm total and an inherent waste of around 7%), the latest rapier looms produce only 40 mm of selvedge waste in total - a 60% reduction. Looms that produce a neat tuck-in selvedge will help reduce weaving wastes. However, you should remember that a tuck-in selvedge may end up as waste with your customer. Adjust loom settings to minimise selvedge waste. For example, the timing of the cut (on the weft feed side) and the release (on the opposite side) on a rapier loom can be adjusted to minimise the width of the selvedge. In addition, the number of warp threads in the selvedge can often be reduced, from say 15 threads each side to 10. You should consult your loom supplier before making such alterations. Fit your looms with weft accumulators. These mechatronic devices ensure an even weft feed tension, thus minimising the number of thread breakages and improving the quality of the product. Because they eliminate weft tension variations, accumulators also permit most types of cone to be used on the weft feed.
section
s s
W E A V I N G A N D F I N I S H I N G
s s
14
s s
If possible, buy machines with electronic control systems. Such machines are generally more efficient, allowing optimum weaving and increased productivity. When considering new equipment, discuss with your clients whether it is possible to change from a wet (water-jet) loom to a dry loom. Although wet looms are considered necessary for maintaining quality levels for some types of nylon and polyester yarns, damp selvedge waste is much more difficult to recycle or sell. Keep up with machine developments via trade journals and equipment suppliers. For example, there are new looms under development that, in conjunction with the established, stop-motion mechanism, allow the automatic rethreading of broken yarn and machine restart. This reduces machine downtime and minimises fabric defects and faults. Evaluate the savings potential of various loom attachments. While these can add considerably to the cost of new looms, the payback is often shorter than you might imagine. Good Practice Guide (GG82) Investing to Increase Profits and Reduce Wastes explains how to carry out a simple financial appraisal. The Guide is available free of charge through the Environmental Helpline on 0800 585794.
4.1.2
s s
Other measures
Keep different fibres/yarns segregated and labelled in separate areas of the warehouse. This avoids mix-ups and potential waste. Talk to your supplier about minimising the amount of packaging used to deliver yarns, etc. In most cases, it is acceptable for the yarn to be delivered in sealed containers without individual plastic wrappings. Use a light box to perch material as soon as it comes off the loom. Correct any faults on the loom immediately to avoid a recurrence in subsequent pieces. Consider using portable equipment for material testing, eg for colour accuracy. This removes the need to take samples from the production piece for laboratory testing. Care should be taken to ensure readings are valid as certain instruments can be sensitive to temperature and humidity changes. Take care when marking pieces of material with order/batch numbers. Keep the area used as small as possible. Manufacture only the length of material ordered by the customer. Avoid the temptation to over-produce to be on the safe side and be aware of the margin of error in your various processes. Unless you have a specific outlet, eg a factory shop, over-production is merely throwing away profits. When adding trimmings, supply the operator with pre-cut lengths of the material to avoid careless over-use. Use the minimum of materials to package your final product. Over-packaging can introduce a range of direct and indirect costs and increase your obligation under the new packaging regulations.
section
s s
s s
W E A V I N G A N D F I N I S H I N G
s s
15
The reduction in waste alone has produced annual savings of several hundred pounds, while the lower labour costs and improved export competitiveness have added thousands of pounds to the bottom line.
section
W E A V I N G A N D F I N I S H I N G
s s s s s
4.2.2
s s s
5.1.1
Textile shoddy merchants and reclaimers are located predominantly in Lancashire and Yorkshire. A selection of these companies is listed in the Appendix. Shoddy merchants trade in waste fibres and materials, while reclaimers take fabric waste and turn it into shoddy - including garments - and other hard waste such as yarn. Reclaimers willow, pull and/or garnet this waste to produce separate fibres. These are then blended to produce flock, which can be re-used for lower quality products including certain felts and blankets. Some reclaimers produce higher quality fibres where the natural and man-made fibre content is tested and certified. In some cases, there may be an advantage in dealing mainly with one company. Some merchants specialise in certain fibres and will buy predominantly from a particular sector. Some companies offer six-month contracts, during which period they are obliged to collect all waste, albeit at a variable price. However, it is worth contacting the merchants occasionally to obtain the best price for your particular type and quantity of waste. Prices vary considerably as a result of instabilities in both UK and overseas markets. It is also in your interests to encourage your waste merchants to consider all possible markets for their waste, including those noted below.
section
5.1.2
End-use markets
Textile manufacture A significant quantity of textile waste from the cotton and man-made fibre sector is re-used by spinners and by the chemical companies that manufacture fibres and filaments. Natural fibres and, to some extent, man-made fibres can be reclaimed for re-use, eg in spun yarn blends. Additionally, chemical companies that supply man-made fibres can now reclaim fibres - eg polyester, nylon 6 and nylon 6.6 - through depolymerisation and subsequent repolymerisation of the resulting monomers. These chemical companies, therefore, offer a market for certain types of pure waste. Shoddy clothing and rugs After a severe decline in the UK during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, a handful of new shoddy manufacturing companies have been set up to supply ethnic style clothing in particular. Loom selvedge can be used directly in the manufacture of lower quality rugs. This sector has the potential to expand and should therefore be considered as a potential route for fabric and other textile wastes. 17
Paper manufacture Cotton, sisal, manila and hemp are used extensively throughout Europe in the manufacture of paper products, including wet-strength papers/sacks and banknote-style papers. This market is extremely large. Healthcare and surgical products Cotton and viscose are used extensively in healthcare products, eg feminine hygiene, disposable nappies, dressing pads and wipes. Excluding the large market for nappies, over 24 000 tonnes of short cotton fibres (mainly first-cut linters from ginning) and viscose are used in the UK for such products. Household textiles and toys Flocks, felts and other reclaimed textiles are still used widely: s s s s s as wadding for mattresses; as upholstery wadding and webs; in duvet and pillow fillings (new and recycled polyester); for the manufacture of dish-cloths, dusters and mops; to stuff toys.
The overall UK market is estimated at around 45 000 tonnes/year. Another use for textile waste - around 5 000 tonnes/year - is in carpet underlay.
section
Agricultural markets Agricultural uses have traditionally offered an important outlet for textile wastes. Short-fibre waste - including extraction fan filter waste and sweepings - is often referred to as shoddy manure. It is currently used as fertiliser, offering valuable nutrient content and good water retention characteristics. In the USA, cotton waste is used - with added supplements - as cattle feed. Textile wastes are also used for cattle bedding. Seed-impregnated felt reclamation blankets are now being employed, for example, in the innovative Landlife derelict land reclamation scheme on Merseyside. The blankets are laid on bare or rotavated ground to provide a firm base for growing seedlings. This market could increase, particularly if a derivative product can be developed for home gardeners. Production of a cheap peat substitute is another possibility for the use of textile waste in the garden, although it would be important to ensure that there was no risk of contaminants entering the food chain. The presence of certain trace chemicals can limit the use of textile waste in agriculture and other land applications. Readers are advised to contact the Environmental Helpline on 0800 585794 for information about the current legislative position regarding the application of textile wastes to land. Construction and landscaping Woven and non-woven (bonded) textile meshes and webs - known as geotextiles - are used extensively in civil engineering and landscaping to provide soil stability, enhance plant rooting and screen out weeds. Even loose fibres can be used in conjunction with jute/hessian/polypropylene, providing a possible route for the re-use of bale sacks and short-fibre waste. Woven and non-woven textile wastes can also be used in sound insulation and heat insulation products. Automotive applications Automotive applications such as upholstery, sound insulation, anti-rattle pads and mouldings for vehicles remain an important market for certain textile wastes. The automotive market relies increasingly on recyclable materials, eg polyester is used widely in the manufacture of moulded interior car parts.
18
Other industrial markets A sizeable market for cloth waste exists within industry. This market includes wipes and, in some cases, chemical spillage kits. It may be possible to sell certain wastes directly to local companies involved in engineering, printing, surface coating, road haulage, etc.
section
19
This Good Practice Guide describes a range of practical ideas to help you reduce waste, save money, and increase your companys revenue from unavoidable waste. Many of the measures involve little or no cost and are applicable to companies of all sizes. Measures that do involve some capital expenditure generally have a payback period of less than two years. Many of these practical measures are already being implemented within the textiles industry. Examples throughout the Guide demonstrate how companies that have adopted this positive approach to solid waste management are achieving real bottom-line savings.
ACTION PLAN
The message is clear. If you want your company to stay ahead or at least keep up with the competition then:
Consider the waste management measures specific to your sector (see Section 3 or 4). Identify those that are appropriate and begin to implement them now. If waste is unavoidable, keep up to date with market changes (see Section 5) and make sure you obtain the best possible price for your different wastes.
For large companies wishing to implement a waste minimisation programme, a detailed, systematic approach to waste reduction is discussed in a series of three complementary Good Practice Guides: s s s (GG25) Saving Money Through Waste Minimisation: Raw Material Use; (GG26) Saving Money Through Waste Minimisation: Reducing Water Use; (GG27) Saving Money Through Waste Minimisation: Teams and Champions.
For smaller companies and growing businesses, further ideas may be found in: s s s Good Practice Guide (GG38) Cutting Costs by Reducing Waste: A Self-help Guide for Growing Businesses; Finding Hidden Profit - 200 Practical Tips for Reducing Waste (ET30); Good Practice Guide (GG82) Investing to Increase Profits and Reduce Wastes.
20
All these publications are available free of charge through the Environmental Helpline on 0800 585794. The Environmental Helpline can also: s s s arrange for you to be sent other relevant Environmental Technology Best Practice Programme publications; tell you about relevant environmental and other regulations that could affect your operations; arrange for a specialist to contact your company free of charge if you employ fewer than 250 people.
section
21
Appendix U S E F U L C O N TA C T S
A list of useful contacts is given below. This listing is not exhaustive and has been compiled from information currently available to the Environmental Technology Best Practice Programme. The listing of an organisation should not regarded as an endorsement of its services or products by the Programme. Similarly, the Programme makes no claim for the competence or otherwise of any organisation not listed. Further advice may be obtained from the Environmental Helpline on 0800 585794. Company
Paper/card Bargain Box Company Biffa Blackburns of Dewsbury Davidsons Waste Paper Leicester Paper Processors (Midland Waste) M&B Haulage and Waste Paper Services (Dewsbury) Plastics/cones AB Plastics Quay Plus S & G Ellis Winding Cones
appx
Telephone
Nature of business
01484 435322 01494 521221 01924 465958 01924 475245 0116 289 3421 01924 498199
Carton merchants Paper/card and plastics recycling Paper and card merchants Paper and card merchants Carton recycling/general waste Paper and card merchants
Plastics recycling Plastics recycling Polythene bag recycling Yarn cone recycling
A1
Textiles J Bevan Robinson Clegg Wools J H Cockroft A N Cooke F Cordingley Henry Day & Sons Evergreen Haines Brothers Harr & Rhodes Landlife (Merseyside) James Robinson Fibres Metex I & A Peacock 01274 567476 01484 435222 01422 373311 01924 464361 01274 724680 01924 464351 01924 453419 01455 845855 01274 660018 0151 728 7011 01274 689400 01254 793893 01274 602316 Textile merchant Wool/textile merchants Wool/textile merchants Wool/textile merchants Wool/textile merchants Wool/textile merchants Shoddy garment manufacturer Wool/textile merchants Wool/textile merchants Derelict land reclamation charity Wool/textile merchants Textile merchant Wool/textile merchants
22
Company
SRM M J & G Stross T D Whitfield Other Allertex Irojex Ltd Waste Exchange Services Ltd Trade associations British Apparel and Textile Confederation Council of British Cotton Textiles Local Action for Textiles and Clothing Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Clothing and Textile Association Northern Ireland Textiles and Apparel Association Scottish Textile Association Textile Finishers Association Technology development British Textiles Technology Group UMIST Textiles Department
Telephone
01257 475115 01924 465904 01274 613106
Nature of business
Textile merchant Wool/textile merchants Wool/textile merchants
UK agents for Dornier and Benninger textile machinery Suppliers of weft feeders National waste merchants
0171 636 7788 0161 834 7871 01484 450146 01623 440612 01846 689999 0141 226 3262 0161 832 9279
A1
appx
23
The Environmental Technology Best Practice Programme is a joint Department of Trade and Industry and Department of the Environment initiative. It is managed by AEA Technology plc through ETSU and the National Environmental Technology Centre. The Programme offers free advice and information for UK businesses and promotes environmental practices that: s s increase profits for UK industry and commerce; reduce waste and pollution at source.
To find out more about the Programme please call the Environmental Helpline on freephone 0800 585794. As well as giving information about the Programme, the Helpline has access to a wide range of environmental information. It offers free advice to UK businesses on technical matters, environmental legislation, conferences and promotional seminars. For smaller companies, a free counselling service may be offered at the discretion of the Helpline Manager.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE ENVIRONMENTAL HELPLINE
0800 585794
e-mail address: etbppenvhelp@aeat.co.uk World wide web: http://www.etsu.com/ETBPP/