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Jun30Let’s not be sidetracked by the global warming debate

The debate about global warming, whether it is occurring or whether it is caused by human activity goes on and will for a very long time to come I am sure. Like the majority of people I think the evidence points overwhelmingly to the conclusion that global warming is real but I believe that the debate is both healthy and necessary. Debate is essential to the scientific process; the cycle of publication of theories and subsequent challenges, correct or otherwise, is important to developing our understanding of all that is around us.

Unfortunately this debate spills over into many other environmental discussions and means that society and governments are often distracted from other important issues. I am CEO of a waste management company that is focused on raising the level of recycling that its customers achieve. I still hear from people in UK businesses “recycling is pointless as global warming is a myth” or similar such reasons for not changing the way waste is viewed. Somehow, for many, the only reason to recycle or adopt other sustainable activities is to reduce carbon foot print.

I am constantly surprised that the notion of managing the world’s finite resources is not a good enough reason in itself to adopt the principles such as reduce, reuse, recycle and improved energy management. The only infinite resource we seem to have is opinion; everything else will one day run out and before that happens the resource will in all likelihood be so expensive as to render it unaffordable for the purpose it is currently employed. Even now many recycled materials are much cheaper than their virgin counterparts; to increase the volumes of these available to manufacturers is a win-win activity. Virgin resources are saved and the price of goods benefits.

The demands on the world’s resources are increasing day in day out with the ever expanding population of mankind. The importance of resource management is only going to grow. Thomas Malthus understood this way back in the early 19th Century in his piece ‘An Essay on the Principle of Population’: “The power of the population is indefinitely greater than the power in the earth to produce subsistence for man”. Whilst he focused on the production of food, his thinking very much applies to resources in general and 200 years on it is odd that society doesn’t seem to be as embracing of the principle as it should be by now.

Perhaps we should hope that global warming and its implications are proved beyond any doubt even for the hardened sceptics. Then maybe the collective desire to behave an awful lot more responsibly than we are now will be enough to address global warming, resource management and any number of other initiatives that are getting far less attention than is necessary to effect change.

Why do we need proof beyond all doubt anyway?
It seems to me that there is a lack of drive to truly commit to harsh action on the issue of global warming that is based on the need for absolute proof of its consequences. Thus governments may refuse to sign up to one treaty or another, or negotiate down emissions targets and companies may decide not to do all they can on the grounds of cost in order to stay competitive.

We are banking a lot on the notion that it’ll probably be okay in the end.

Putting global warming aside for a moment, consider what a company must do these days in order to ensure the welfare and health and safety of its staff. Nearly every activity must be risk assessed for the potential of harm and the company must be able to show that it has taken measures to protect staff against any risks identified.

The risk that a person may trip over the bright yellow cable on the floor that is not near a walk way may be small but you’d struggle to find me a health and safety manager that would not kick up a fuss about it if it was ignored. “It’ll probably be okay” would not wash, the risk would be addressed. The H&S manager does not need proof that it will cause harm to act, the very fact that the risk exists is enough.

Consider the impact of applying the same principles to the risk that global warming may cause sea levels to rise, flooding, drought, famine, hurricanes or any of the other number of effects being predicted. The world might be taking a lot more positive action and we wouldn’t be horse trading our responsibilities. Maybe the Health and Safety Executive should take over the world’s environmental policies!

A sustainable approach; it’s all upside for companies.

Show me a company that doesn’t recycle and I’ll show you company that hasn’t understood the benefits of sustainability.  And as sustainability is about a lot more than recycling, the benefits that they are missing can be wide ranging and significant.

I describe sustainability as minimizing what you use, making the most of what you do use and making the most of what you don’t.  Doesn’t that sounds like something you might hear on a business course?   SWR specialises in sustainable waste management, in other words we primarily help our customers with the latter of those three elements and we are leaders in our field.  Once we have defined a plan with a customer and worked with them to implement it we typically see a minimum of 75% recycling and a significant cost saving which is straight to the bottom line.

Recycling 20 tonnes of cardboard is better than it going into landfill or being  incinerated but without meaning to diminish the importance of what we do,  it does mean that you have had 20 tonnes to throw out in the first place. The first two elements of the above definition would result in the following questions being asked; what are we using cardboard for and why?  And is the way we use it as efficient as it could be. The thought process could result in having suppliers deliver some goods in reusable containers for example, and perhaps reducing the size of boxes for others. Thus recycling 10 tonnes is better than recycling 20 in this instance as the net result is less wastage as a whole.

Just in this example there is a long list of benefits that can be derived. Perhaps better supply prices can be achieved with the removal or reduction of packaging costs, the waste bill would be significantly reduced and there may even be revenue to be derived from the sale of cardboard.  And as the recycling of cardboard ultimately reduces the cost of new card there is a macro benefit here too.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is becoming increasingly important to organisations in terms of director responsibility, shareholder expectations and customer demands. The consideration of sustainability and the environment is a key factor in CSR and at this time there is still a good deal of very positive PR a company can derive from leading the way.  We at SWR always make sure that we shout about the successes of our customers as it reflects very well on both parties and hopefully will convince others to follow our lead.

If you extend this beyond cardboard to all the resources used by a company the argument for including sustainability into any company’s values should overcome a lot of inertia or even the biggest sceptic of global warming.  This includes not just materials but also energy and fuel where there are also huge benefits to me made.  Ask any of my team and they will tell you how often I ask how we can keep the rate of work up and the miles driven down or how often the word ‘thermostat’ passes my lips on a daily basis in winter; and I don’t mind sharing that whilst one eye might be on the green agenda the other is firmly on our P&L.

For further information on how to efficiently plan and manage your waste strategy and help reduce your organisations environmental impact, contact SWR Waste Management on 0800 432 0550.

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