About Waste Awareness Certificate

Target Audience

Those people whose work practices produce waste or those people who need an understanding of waste principles and resource management.

Aims

• To provide a basic introduction to the management of wastes
• To provide the knowledge, understanding and skills to improve the management of wastes and resources.

Objectives

The course will:

• Provide an overview of the size of the waste problem
• Explain why we have to reduce the amount of waste produced/ disposed of and be aware of strategies for helping achieve this.
• Explain that the true cost of waste is often hidden
• Illustrate that the whole lifecycle of a product impacts on the environment and that what happens to a product at the end of its life can greatly influence its impact
• Use simple process analysis to identify waste from any process
• Explain how waste is legally defined
• Identify the different types of waste and explain that there are legal requirements for the storage, keeping and treating of Controlled Waste.
• Explain that some wastes could be considered as Hazardous (Special)
• Introduce the concept of the waste hierarchy and that it has legal, economic and environmental benefits
• Show how decisions in line with the waste hierarchy may have impact on the life cycle of a product
• Discuss how to prevent or reduce waste and identify what questions to ask of suppliers to assist with waste prevention/ reduction
• Consider a range of options available for re-using potential wastes
• Identify options for recycling waste
• Discuss the need to address waste reduction/re-use/ recycling by the application of the hierarchy
• Discuss that recovery of heat/ power may be an option
• Explain that disposal should be the last option and that some legal constraints to landfill apply
• Discuss the key principles fro good waste management
• Highlight the importance of waste audits and the key steps required to complete a simple audit
• Raise awareness of the different types of waste management facilities
• Explain that both employers and employees both have responsibility to ensure operations are safe, carried out within the law and in a manner which is not polluting.
• Discuss how waste materials need to be stored and handled safely
• Explain that correct containment and management of waste is important to reduce the environmental impact of waste
• identify the tiers of law making as it is applied to waste
• Introduce the basic requirements of Duty of Care
• Introduce the requirement to pre-treat non hazardous waste prior to landfill
• Explain when wastes are covered by Producer Responsibility requirements
• Introduce the special requirements for Hazardous Wastes (Special Wastes)
• Identify who the regulators are and the potential consequences for not complying with the regulations
• Identify sources of help and further information.