Small firms know that minimising waste makes business sense as well as benefiting the environment. Research has shown that when materials, energy and labour as well as disposal costs are included, a business could be spending up to four per cent of its turnover disposing of waste.
However, small businesses find it extremely difficult to access suitable waste and recycling services as many local authorities do not offer these services to businesses. And due to the small volumes of waste they produce, small firms cannot attract the services of waste management companies, either.
Further to this, the FSB believes the Landfill Trading Allowance Scheme distorts the market for SME waste and recycling services and allows waste management companies to charge inflated prices for their services.
In a new report, ‘The waste review – the small business case', the FSB highlights some simple steps the Government can take to resolve small businesses' lack of access to suitable waste and recycling services and infrastructure.
The FSB is calling on the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to:
- Allow small businesses to use Household Waste and Recycling Centres in their areas as this could be implemented quickly and would provide small firms with greater access to waste and recycling services
- Use the planning system to ensure there is adequate storage space in new and refurbished commercial premises for storing waste
- Work with local authorities to help change negative public perceptions of locating waste and recycling facilities in their areas
- Reform the duty of care regulations for small firms that produce very small quantities of waste
David Caro, Environment Committee Chairman, Federation of Small Businesses, said:
"Small businesses are keen to do their bit for the environment but need to have access to the right facilities available locally. Many small firms produce a similar amount of waste to that of a household, yet they cannot use the same facilities and often find that they are at the mercy of an uncompetitive waste and recycling market.
"Giving small firms access to household waste and recycling centres would be a quick win that would make the lives of so many small businesses easier when it comes to managing their waste responsibly.
"While it is right to regulate how businesses handle their waste, firms that produce very small amounts are still subject to the same red tape as larger businesses and so reforming the duty of care regulation for very small firms would be a step in the right direction."
