Carbon Trust to tackle waste management

The Carbon Trust is to launch the world’s first international business standard to certify the management and reduction of waste.

While it is estimated that around 11.2bn tonnes of solid waste is collected each year globally – the organic parts of which contribute around five per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions – Carbon Trust research has found that only 21% of senior executives of large companies in the UK, USA, China, South Korea and Brazil have sustainability targets for waste and 49% are not yet confident that there is a business case for investing in managing waste.

The Carbon Trust Waste Standard will require businesses to measure, manage and reduce their solid and hazardous waste. To achieve the standard organisations will need to demonstrate that waste streams are being reduced every year, or disposed of more effectively, for example through increased reuse, recycling or energy recovery.

Tom Delay, chief executive of the Carbon Trust commented: “For the past five years we’ve worked with companies across the world to cut carbon emissions and it is now time for us to apply this expertise to the global problem of waste. The new Waste Standard, combined with Carbon Standard and Water Standard, will help organisations take a more stringent approach to resources so they can operate in a more efficient, cost-effective way, as well as preserving global resources.”

The new Carbon Trust Waste Standard will also include a qualitative assessment to show that waste is being managed responsibly or prevented. This will include considerations outside of an organisation’s direct control, such as having a diligent procurement policy for goods and waste management services, or looking at downstream impacts through products and packaging.

The standard will launch later this year.

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