5 steps to Manage Wastes according to ISO 14001 EMS

Waste management is considered as one of the most significant parts while implementing ISO 14001 EMS certification as the companies and organization are striving hard for it than accumulating industrial waste and dumping it at a landfill. Manufacturing organizations and units habitually use risky and hazardous materials that when handled without care could cause a threat to human health and therefore to the environment. Such materials are found in everyday things including fluorescent lamps, electronic devices, and certain batteries, as well as in substances like oil and solvents.

ISO 14001 Environmental Management System certification process will provide a framework and a structured approach to managing waste. While implementing an ISO 14001 EMS standard will help you identify and analyse the environmental aspects. As a result of it, you will be able to determine what wastes are emerging in your processes and with operational controls, you could define how the waste is treated.

How to manage waste

So What is waste management? Waste management is nothing but the method or process of treating industrial wastes, and it offers a wide range of solutions for recycling or reusing those wastes that don’t belong to the garbage. This is often the most sought process by each and every business and business owner around the globe. Waste management disposes of the product and substances that you just have utilized in a secure and economical manner. ISO 14001 doesn’t impose the steps in waste management. However, each company will approach it in line with ISO 14001 EMS needs for the successful acquisition of ISO certification. Check out some common steps in EMS waste management process:

1. Evaluate your waste disposal

To be able to manage the waste properly, an organization initially has to evaluate whether the waste materials are harmful or not, and also whether managing of that specific waste is regulated by legislation. This step is usually known as classification or categorization of the waste.

2. Storing the waste

Depending on the kind of waste, the requirement might vary in terms of storage facilities. Waste could be in both types of states such as solid or liquid form, therefore it is vital to store those wastes accordingly in line with its characteristics. Harmful and dangerous waste should be stored in a very durable, leak-proof instrumentation or container which should be kept intact and closed when not adding or removing waste. Other forms of waste will be needing different types of storage containers. The instrumentation or containers with harmful wastes should be tagged with the words “Hazardous Waste“ and a clear description of the contents along with the date when the waste was initially placed within the containers. Containers should be stored on an impervious surface with enough space to permit for weekly instrumentation inspections.

Additional needs for storing the waste outdoor:

• Managing access to the containers
• Protecting the containers from the weather
• Storing containers of liquid waste on water-resistant surface and container to prevent accidental leaks

3. Labelling the waste

Nonhazardous waste doesn’t have to be compelled to label the waste in any special approach. But this is not the case with hazardous waste. Because harmful waste labelling is commonly prescribed by law and in most countries, an organization should get a license for even generating some forms of dangerous waste. The label for packed harmful and hazardous waste sometimes contains the following information:

Warning: HAZARDOUS WASTE

Information regarding the organization who packed the waste: name, address, contact, date of waste packed and name of the person qualified to be answerable for that job. Nature and state of the waste: solid, pastes, sludge, liquids and gaseous substances and powder

4. Regular Disposal of Wastes

An organization is always answerable for its harmful and dangerous industrial wastes. To facilitate this, make sure that these dangerous wastes are being transported and disposed properly at regular intervals, and to cut back your liability. Also, opt for the transporter who fulfils the following requirements:

• Should have a dangerous waste identification number
• Should licenced or allowed to transport and dispose dangerous waste
• Must have fulfilled dangerous waste transportation training necessities
• Should maintain liability insurance
• Should carry credentials in the vehicle
• Must transports the waste to a premitted dangerous waste facility

5. Always have a contingency plan

Managing and handling dangerous waste is a daunting task and there are high chances for emergency situations which will be caused by mistreatment of the waste or any other cause. So it is recommend to follow the following steps to set up a contingency plan:

• Prevent spill and establish appropriate emergency response and instrumentation in the storage area.
• Train workers in line with emergency drill and response procedures that are applicable for your organization.

Establish a strategy to improve performance

With the proper support and from environmental and financial perspectives, an effective and efficient waste management system and strategy can completely repay the investment of your time energy and effort you put into it. A proper strategy can incorporate the great degree of flexibility to accommodate changes in raw materials, price differentials, and client expectations.

You will be ready to demonstrate your waste management strategy to the stakeholders that have following benefits:

• It can efficiently save money by cutting back material use and waste generation
• It will improve your organization's waste management and management of materials
• When the strategy is implemented and operational controls pertaining to the waste, then your organization should be ready to yield the advantages.