Waste Management Hierarchy:
Moving By-products Up the Waste Management Hierarchy
The Waste Management Hierarchy—Unlocking Value from Bio-based By-products
Understanding the waste management hierarchy is essential for manufacturers, producers and buyers of bio-based by-products. This framework helps transform materials once considered waste into valuable resources, enhancing sustainability performance and creating new business opportunities.
The waste management hierarchy is a proven framework that ranks waste handling options from most to least sustainable:
- 1. Prevention
- 2. Reuse
- 3. Recycling
- 4. Recovery
- 5. Disposal
The higher you move up the hierarchy, the greater the environmental and economic benefits for your business.
Why It Matters to Buyers and Sellers of By-products
For Sellers
- Maximise Value: Move your by-products up the hierarchy—transforming them from waste to valuable raw materials for new industries.
- Reduce Costs: Lower your disposal and compliance costs by finding new uses for your by-products.
- Enhance Sustainability: Meet regulatory and stakeholder expectations for responsible resource management.
For Buyers
- Secure Sustainable Inputs: Source high-quality, recycled, or recovered bio-based materials that support your own sustainability and circular economy goals.
- Strengthen Supply Chains: Build relationships with suppliers who prioritise prevention, reuse and recycling.
- Support ESG Performance: Demonstrate leadership in environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices by choosing materials higher up the hierarchy.
The Waste Management Hierarchy - Moving Up the Hierarchy
The waste management hierarchy prioritises the most valuable and sustainable uses of bio-based by-products.
Top (Most Preferred):
- Human Food: Maximise both economic and social value
- Animal Food: Direct nutritional value, closing resource cycles
Middle:
- Technical Applications: Higher economic returns
- Biofuels: Conversion to advanced biofuels
Bottom (Least Preferred):
- Anaerobic Digestion: Clean energy, creating value streams
- Soil Improvement: Reducing reliance on synthetic fertilisers
Food Waste Hierarchy - A Closer Look
The food waste hierarchy applies these same principles specifically to food and food by-products:
Top (Most Preferred):
- Direct Prevention: Avoid generating food waste in the first place.
- Food for People: Redirect surplus food to those in need.
- Food for Animals: Repurpose by-products (like fish oil) into animal feed.
Middle:
- Industrial Uses: Convert by-products into bioenergy, biogas, or other industrial products.
Bottom (Least Preferred):
- Composting: Turn food waste into compost for soil improvement.
- Incineration & Disposal: Last-resort options with the lowest environmental value.
