Management of packaging waste within warehouses

In search of competitive advantages, companies are increasingly engaging in the proper organization of waste management. Waste is often called the Earth’s greatest wasted wealth. There is certainly much truth in this statement. First of all, the times when waste generated in companies was treated as trash are fading into oblivion forever. Entrepreneurs are consciously and increasingly demanding that waste collection companies pay for the secondary raw materials they represent. This ensures that the collected waste, for which payment was made, reaches the proper place of management, i.e., a recycling plant. The second element changing the approach to material flows in the form of waste is the statutory obligation to ensure the recovery and recycling of packaging waste. This causes companies to ensure that the packaging waste they generate is sent for recovery and recycling – and above all, that these activities are properly documented. Another element influencing the change in entrepreneurs’ attitudes is environmental education and the growing awareness of the need to protect the natural environment. This is directly linked to the greater prevalence of using alternative energy sources, where waste incineration is one of the possibilities. Along with subsequent changes in regulations and the plan to close landfills, these activities will become some of the most profitable in waste management, as is the case in Western Europe, but this requires a change in approach to many issues. Places of origin and types of generated packaging waste Waste generated in individual links of the supply chain differs in terms of type, state of matter, and utility. They can be divided into 6 basic generic groups:
• plastic packaging waste
• aluminum packaging waste
• metal sheet packaging waste
• paper and cardboard packaging waste
• glass packaging waste
• wood and textile packaging waste.

The article comes from the magazine “Logistyka” 5/2006.