The Waste Management Hierarchy Explained
The key steps to a better environment and the optimal use of resources are Prevent, Reuse, Recycle, Recover and Reduced Disposal of waste. This is the waste management hierarchy.
MBP Solutions works with by-products and waste to move them up in the hierarchy.
The hierarchy sets out preferred order of handling practices, from most to least preferred, for optimal environmental and sustainability outcomes. The premise behind this hierarchy is to show the progression of waste management and how it should be controlled.
At the bottom, we have uncontrolled disposal – this is the worst management option. For example, a company may dump their waste material in standard bins and risk contaminating other rubbish. As we progress up the hierarchy, the methods become controlled, such as recycling and reuse. The aim is to minimise waste and to prevent its occurrence entirely.
Food waste hierarchy explained
Aside from general waste management, there is also a food waste hierarchy. This is a 6-step pyramid detailing the processes involved in food waste – from the disposal to direct prevention. Similar to the waste management hierarchy, the aim of the food waste hierarchy is to illustrate how food waste can be minimised and ultimately prevented.
The bottom step is food disposal, such as households throwing away uneaten food or food manufacturers disposing of waste products. Our recycling and recovery services help prevent food waste during production processes. As an example, we facilitate fish oil by-products for use as both fuel and the production of animal feed. Contact us for more information and how we can support your processes.
The diagram below illustrates the food waste hierarchy:
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