What do we mean by Zero to Landfill?

Eagle eyed commentators have their sights set on zero to landfill claims – how they really apply and what they really mean. As a company focused on diverting equipment towards reuse rather than destruction, we are part of the debate. Can we really say we are zero to landfill across all our operations? And what are the limitations to this? This is full disclosure on both questions.

According to the Carbon Trust, “Zero waste to landfill is a specific goal that can be achieved today and independently verified… all waste produced is either reused, recycled, composted, or sent to energy recovery.” 

For us at Techbuyer, our waste falls into a number of categories. Product waste produced in our processing facilities and goes to a network of recyclers. Operational waste includes the packaging that the products were delivered in – a mixture of plastics, cardboard and void fill etc. – and offcuts from our processing facilities – shavings from our 3D printers, pop outs from our purchased packaging etc. Finally, there is our office/ personnel waste – paper, food packaging and food waste.

We have a complex system of dealing with all this. Our office waste is under contract with the council; our operational waste is under contract with a large recycler; our product waste recycling contracts are closely monitored and developed by our e-waste department and all resulting reports are monitored by both Sustainability and Quality Assurance.

Here is a breakdown of the information and how we substantiate our Zero to Landfill claim:

Office waste

This is segregated by the council. General waste goes to a local Waste Recovery Park, where it is incinerated and used to produce energy. Cardboard goes to a local recycling paper mill. Plastics are delivered to a plastics recycling broker. As such, we have a “zero to landfill” assurance.

Operational waste

Plastics, paper and metals are segregated at the recycling contractor depot. We receive a monthly report with a similar breakdown to the one provided by the local council. Monthly reports have a “zero to landfill” assurance.

Product waste (electronics recycling)

Techbuyer receives an annual audit performed by an independent certified body to ensure compliance to criteria required by SERI R2v3 standard for all of our technical facilities in Europe. This means that a reputable third party has verified that we know where ALL the waste produced in our processing goes. We monitor non-ferrous metal, plastics, toner cartridges and WEEE waste.

The SERI responsible recycling certification was originally developed as a means of verifying data security to the very end of the line. First tier recycling contractors are verified along with their entire downstream partner network. In order to achieve certification, full visibility and assurances throughout the chain of custody are required.

In 2021, the certification was strengthened with respect to environmental considerations. Disposal is not permitted as a management strategy for Focus Materials and is only permitted for Non-Focus Materials when other opportunities have been exhausted. In addition, it requires a detailed management plan for focus materials, a flowchart of the downstream recycling chain and that non focus materials are managed in accordance with the Hierarchy of Responsible Management Strategies.

Chosen downstream partners are assessed annually and evidence collected on full tier movements through to end of life/commodity creation.  All facilities are checked for permits, process and waste transfer documentation. Upstream partners are also monitored – i.e. where a sub-contractor may process for us, we will track and evidence downstream waste routes or request that waste produced is returned to us to take our approved Downstream routes.

Continuous improvement

Becoming a zero to landfill business has financial benefits across sectors. Landfill costs money. The standard landfill tax rate is now £102.70 per tonne in the UK, with a lower rate of £3.30 per tonne for inert or inactive waste. This is passed onto companies by professional waste management companies via fees and is an incentive for them to provide alternatives to make themselves more competitive. However, zero to landfill does not mean all the work has been done on waste management – it’s the first stage on the journey.

A commitment to the waste hierarchy – prioritising reduction over reuse and reuse over recycling – is a big part of our ISO 14001. This is reviewed regularly in order to continuously improve our performance. It is the driver behind building our repairs capacity and exploring closed loop recycling. The ethos also extends to a complex system of contracts developed by our e-waste department.

The financial rational is clear. Recyclers that specialise in the recovery of specific materials, and focus on specific components, do so to make more money. We can increase our recovery rebates and avoid disposal costs by focusing on this. Sometimes we will take a lower rate contract with a new recycling technology in order to support the recovery of critical raw materials. However, in general, a good waste strategy is a clear benefit for the financial bottom line.  

Finding better solutions for waste has other benefits too. Co-developing more sustainable solutions with our suppliers is our contribution to a much larger issue. Our contracts with companies specializing cutting edge technology keep us in touch with developing science on material recovery. Partnerships with charities who can reuse waste for school supplies, craft kits and the like increase community engagement.

Circular Economy teaches us that there is no waste, only materials.