Opportunities related to effective industrial waste management
Industrial waste administration is the process of handling waste after it is produced to the time it is disposed of. The activities concerned include waste collection, transport, treatment, disposal, monitoring and regulating. This may be accompanied by an company implementing policies and an action layout that would help it handle the waste produced properly as properly as reducing the amount of waste produced. Some of the waste produced industries include paper products, chemical solvents, digital waste, and radioactive wastes. Although many organizations find it a challenge to manipulate the waste they produce, others take advantage of managing their waste effectively. The paper will discuss the opportunities related with effective industrial waste management that organizations should take advantage of.
Positive outcomes of sustainable waste management
The management of the waste produced in the industries can have adverse effects on the environment and human health. Being socially responsible is one of the expectations from the communities near an industry and also in local and international level. When an organization is committed to protecting the environment majorly by developing a sustainable waste management, this has positive outcomes to the industry/organization. This is because the consumers of the organization's products will be aware that the organization is responsible and this can lead to brand loyalty. This is due to the reputation it develops through handling the waste produced properly and this may, in turn, lead to an increase in profits.
Competitive advantage through waste management
Managing the industrial waste can help a company gain a competitive advantage. This is because the organization uses its waste to make the best out of it. The company can impose a policy which can lead to the reduction of the raw materials produced. Other companies/industries recycle their waste and this reduces the amount of waste produced and released into the environment. For instance, BSL Wood Products in Canada gains its competitive advantage through recycling the wood waste produced. President of the company Gino Ouellet says that "Recycling is the secret of our success and nothing is wasted, we use low-cost material usually reserved for wood chips or pallets and turn it into attractive flooring" ("Green marketing provides competitive advantages", 2017). This is an opportunity which the organization has taken advantage of and gaining a lot from it. The organization also gets revenue from the sale of the products produced through recycling. For instance, it recycles wood scraps to manufacture SmartLog sold for cooking purposes which are said to be more energy efficient than the normal firewood logs. Other industries may take advantage of effectively managing the waste produced to gain the best out of the practice.
Meeting environmental obligations
Implementing effective waste management in an industry ensures meeting of the environmental obligations. The Environmental Protection Agency provides a guideline for industrial waste management to ensure that industries do not illegally dispose their products to the environment. When an industry has policies that guide the employees on how to manage the waste properly and with the guide provided by EPA, it will always be on the safe side. This is because the guide helps managers of the industries to make environmentally sustainable decisions that enable the industry to work as per other regulations such as the state, tribal, and public regulators ("Guide for Industrial Waste Management", 2016).
Conclusion
Although there are challenges associated with the handling of the waste produced in industries, there are different opportunities which as an industry can have from having an effective waste management. The opportunities include building brand loyalty, gaining a competitive advantage, and being able to comply and meet the requirements of the environmental regulations.
References
Green marketing provides competitive advantages. (2017). BDC. Retrieved 6 May 2017, from https://www.bdc.ca/en/articles-tools/marketing-sales-export/marketing/pages/green-marketing-provides-competitive-advantages.aspx
Guide for Industrial Waste Management. (2016). EPA.gov. Retrieved 6 May 2017, from https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-03/documents/industrial-waste-guide.pdf
