Outsourcing waste management

Headnote

Waste management consultants can free up metalcasters time and energy so that they can focus on profit-generating activities.

Environmental regulations in the U.S. affect the day-to-day operations of companies more than ever, considering the ever-changing guidelines at the local, state and federal levels. A significant time and money investment is needed to properly manage waste collection/disposal in-house, and coupled with this are the additional risks to personnel who handle the materials, which opens the company to increased liabilities. However, there are alternatives to managing environmental compliance in-house.

Outsourcing waste management services allows foundries to concentrate on profit-generating activities, such as materials procurement and distribution of products, while trained experts handle environmental waste disposal and the related paperwork.

Economic Benefits

Modern business practices encourage the use of consultants such as accountants and attorneys because of the specialized skills these firms offer on an "as needed basis." The same is true for waste management consultants that staff specially trained people to operate expensive equipment so that clients meet evolving, yet very specific environmental guidelines.

The purchase and maintenance of high-end equipment, along with the on-going equipment maintenance and training cost of personnel, is shared, in effect, when companies hire waste management consultants to handle essential services, such as waste collection, storage, manifesting, labeling, packaging, transportation, disposal, and regulatory paperwork.

A waste management consultant also supplies unbiased objectivity when assessing a company's waste management status. It's recommended that every facility is routinely examined for compliance status as compared to current law, and a third party can objectively audit a facility, and subsequently uncover problems that may already exist so that precautions can be taken to minimize liability. Using a waste management consultant provides an additional layer of protection from unfavorable Environmental Protection Agency findings, as a confidential third-party audit promotes accountability.

This is important when considering the definition of "cradle to grave," as defined by the Resource Recovery and Conservation Act (RCRA). The ominous term means that even after waste has been collected and transported from a facility, the waste-producing company is still liable for environmental clean up if a spill or an accident were to...