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What is zero waste to landfill?

The technical definition of the term 'zero waste to landfill' is 'the diversion of all waste from being land-filled', although the phrase has become increasingly popular in the waste industry for neatly describing an environmentally friendly philosophy towards reducing the amount of waste that ends up in a landfill.

TWC are supporters of both 'zero waste to landfill' and the 3 Rs of recycling (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) which share the common goal of ultimately preserving our environment and making the world a better place to live.

Why supporting zero waste to landfill is important?

By committing to minimising the amount of waste that reaches a landfill site, companies supporting 'zero waste to landfill' are making a significant contribution to:

• Reducing the carbon footprint.
• Having a positive environmental impact.
• Improving resource efficiency.
• Enabling cost savings passed on downstream.
• Saving money on increasing landfill costs.

Reduce, Reuse & Recycle

Also know as the 'three Rs', the term 'reduce, reused, recycle' is widely across all industries in relation to recycling and reducing waste.

The ‘three Rs’ offer a way for us all to minimise the materials we use, the energy we use, the amount of Earth’s resources we use; as well as how we can reduce the amount of waste that we create in everyday life.

Organisations adopting the 'three Rs' are able to see how they can make a positive impact every single day by making a few small changes in their behaviours and operations.

So let's take a closer look at each of the ‘three Rs’...

Reduce

Reduce refers to the way we can minimise our impact on the Earth’s environment. It also makes us aware of the amount of fuel and water that we use.

Here are some practical ways you and your organisation can start 'reducing' today:

• Be aware of buying items that you do not need, only replace them when the other items are beyond repair. If the item is repairable that would be the better option than replacing it. E.g clothes and electrical goods.
• Avoid buying single use products such as drinks in plastic bottles.
• Be aware of packaging when buying a product. Look at any excessive packaging such as plastic or large containers.
• Print out documents on both sides of the paper and use any waste paper to write notes on.
• Walk, cycle or take public transport to reduce car emissions entering the atmosphere.
• Hang washing up rather than using a tumble drier.

Reuse

Rather than throwing away items we no longer want or need that are in perfectly good working order, we can ensure their reuse in a number of different ways, thereby avoiding adding to landfill:

• Selling an item on the internet such as Gumtree, Ebay or Facebook
• Donating goods to a charity
• Upcycling furniture
• Look for second hand goods before buying them new

Recycle

Recycling is all about breaking down an item in order to make something new from its materials.

Here are some examples of effective recycling:

• Materials such as clothing and bedding can be used to make cleaning rags
• Waste paper can be pulped to make new pieces of paper
• Plastics are melted down to make new plastic items
• Glass is melted down to make new glass items
• Electrical items can be broken down and the metal components can be used to create a new item.

To learn more about TWC's operating practices and the work we do to reduce landfill, preserve the environment, and make our services streamlined and efficient, contact our team who are on hand to answer your questions.