County waste minimization programmes: a case study from Northamptonshire, UK

The UK Sustainable Development Strategy requires that society strive to make prudent use of natural resources so as to protect the environment and maintain high and stable levels of economic growth and employment. The Waste Strategy for England and Wales emphasizes the need to reduce the amount of waste produced through the adoption of waste minimization methodology. Waste minimization clubs have been a key element in the UK programme to introduce more sustainable practice into industry and commerce. Northamptonshire, a county in the East Midlands of England, has benefited from 14 waste minimization|resource efficiency projects, within a county programme, that have run between 1998 and 2001. This is the largest number in any county in England. This has been possible because of the formation of a large and inclusive partnership that contains all the key local and regional players. Performance indicators have been developed to direct the county programme as it strives to introduce more sustainable waste management practice. The Northamptonshire model has led to a catalysed uptake of sustainable waste management practice and has resulted in greatly improved competitiveness in some 270 companies, thereby contributing to the maintenance of stable levels of economic activity. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment

Waste minimisation clubs: a cost-efficient policy instrument?

The total amount of solid waste generated in Europe is estimated to grow by 10% every year and there is increased concern over the associated environmental impacts. As a result, the minimization of waste at source in business and industry is a top priority in the European Community's waste strategy. In the UK, regional Waste Minimisation Clubs (WMCs) have been established to promote sustainable waste management in business and industry. The company clusters taking part in these clubs have reported financial savings combined with reductions in environmental impact. These results are disseminated to encourage further savings by the UK industry. This paper examines the savings as well as the costs involved in ten WMCs. It finds that there is a lack of standardization in the reporting of WMC results. This makes it difficult to evaluate the influence of WMCs, whilst also having an adverse effect on the credibility of waste minimization in business. Despite these problems, the paper finds that there is still strong evidence to suggest that these ten WMCs have been efficient in stimulating cost savings by industry, with an average rate of return on investment of 170%. It also finds that the financial benefits for companies are key outcomes of WMCs and that these benefits significantly exceed the estimated social benefits of the reduced environmental burden