Draft Business Waste Strategy PDF - london.gov.uk - Greater ...

72 Mayor of London
Making waste work in London The Mayor’s Draft Business Waste Management Strategy
4 Motivating change:
an opportunity to save money
Introduction
4.1 The economic benefit to London’s businesses of sustainable waste
management and the smart use of resources is significant. Whilst
a business will spend a certain amount of time and money per week
disposing of their waste, when the materials, the wasted energy
and wasted labour are also considered, the real price tag of waste
management is often 5 to 20 times higher than simply the cost of
disposal 159 , typically four per cent of the turnover of a business 160 .
Resource productivity is therefore not just an environmental initiative;
it has financial implications for London’s businesses.
4.2 However, cost savings are not a universal motivator. Research 161
undertaken for the London Assembly shows that for small businesses,
the perception is that the additional time and effort required to consider
and change their waste management behaviour is significant and
outweigh any possible financial saving. This can be because waste
management costs are outside their control, perhaps because they
are included in a service charge, or savings from waste reduction and
recycling are too minimal to be of importance as a percentage of their
total (small) waste management budget.
4.3 To encourage change among small businesses, they should be made
aware that environmental management can provide wider benefits
through a general improvement in formalised management procedures
and basic management capabilities, thereby turning it into a positive
driver. Linking waste management into the health and safety agenda
may also be a fruitful catalyst for encouraging small businesses to
re-think their waste practices 162 .
4.4 This chapter sets out ways in which businesses can implement sustainable
waste and resource management systems and techniques. Businesses that
realise the opportunities of more productive resource use will ensure both
their own and London’s continued, sustainable economic growth.
4.5 Sector-specific action plans will be developed with London’s businesses
to sit beneath this strategy. Although they will be focused around each
sector, they will include tailored guidance and support for smaller
businesses. Criteria will be developed by which stakeholders can assess
the principal environmental impacts of the sector and a material-led
approach developed as appropriate. An indication of the actions the plans
might cover is given throughout this chapter. Their onward development
should be business-led.