How to manage waste effectively

Find organisations to help you deal with your waste

Your local Environment Agency office may be able to tell you about local organisations that reuse and recycle waste. You can call the Environment Agency Helpline on Tel 08708 506 506. Find your nearest Environment Agency office on the Environment Agency website - Opens in a new window.

The UK's three environmental regulators have produced the NetRegs website, which provides free environmental guidance. Find guidance on waste legislation and good practice on the NetRegs website - Opens in a new window.

You can also use an online directory of businesses that are authorised to deal with your waste. Find licensed waste sites in your area on the NetRegs website - Opens in a new window.

Envirowise is a government-funded independent organisation that offers free advice to UK businesses to help them reduce their waste and improve their environmental performance. Envirowise offers a free helpline and an informative website. Find your nearest Environment Agency office on the Environment Agency website - Opens in a new window.

Waste Watch is an environmental charity that offers organisations - including small businesses - advice and training on managing their waste. Read what Waste Watch can do for your business on the Waste Watch website - Opens in a new window.

Computer Aid International is a charity that has supplied over 80,000 refurbished computers donated by businesses to the developing world. The charity will collect your goods and issue you with a certificate. Find out how the scheme for businesses works on the Computer Aid website - Opens in a new window.

Green Works is a registered charity that recycles office furniture. Materials are removed from the furniture and remanufactured into other products, which are sold to schools, charities and start-up businesses. Find out how Green Works can help you recycle your office furniture on the Green Works website - Opens in a new window.

The Environmental Services Association (ESA) is the trade association for waste management businesses. ESA provide information and guidance on waste management. Read about waste management on the ESA website - Opens in a new window.

The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) provides information on waste management issues such as construction waste, retail waste and composting. Read about reducing waste and recycling on the WRAP website - Opens in a new window.

The National Industrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP) is a business opportunity programme that brings different businesses together to become more efficient, creating opportunities such as reusing one business' waste as a resource or product in another. Find out how other organisations could use your waste on the NISP website - Opens in a new window.

You may be able to get waste reduction advice from your waste management contractor. See the page in this guide on how to get the most from your waste contractor.

Subjects covered in this guide

• Introduction
• The business benefits of managing waste effectively
• Create a waste policy
• Conduct a waste review
• Create a waste management action plan
• Choose a suitable waste management option
• Waste reuse, recovery and recycling
• Find organisations to help you deal with your waste
• Get the most from your waste contractor
• Here's how I introduced a waste management policy
• Here's how we managed our waste more effectively (Flash video)

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