Aims and Objectives

 

There is an increasing demand for accurate and consistent empirical waste data from policy makers and regulators to enable them to fulfil European waste targets and to undertake strategic planning. In 2003, the National Waste Survey for England and Wales was undertaken to provide much of this vital empirical information. In Wales the survey was conducted by the ESRC Centre for Business Relationships, Accountability, Sustainability and Society in partnership with the Environment Agency Wales. This was the largest waste survey to be conducted in Wales, involving site visits of over 2,000 companies across the country. Participation was voluntary and site based and all information was collected in confidence. The survey collected information on the types and quantities of waste disposed by these organisations, the method of waste management preferred and the destinations of the disposed wastes. Nearly 11,000 waste streams were collected.

13 surveyors travelled across Wales visiting not only large industrial organisations but also small companies with only 3 and more employees. A separate telephone survey was conducted of companies with only 1 to 2employees. The survey spans a broad section of industrial sectors and includes a representative cross section of companies and organisation operating in Wales today. Some of the main sectors included in the survey are: food processing, the manufacturing of parts for cars and aviation, also highlighted are industries revolving around the manufacturing of metals and machinery. Other important areas include biotechnology, public administration, tourism and service industries.

The commercial and industrial waste survey conducted in Wales is a part of a larger national survey being conducted by the Environment Agency in England and Wales and the results from the survey will provide national and regional tonnage figures of waste disposed by commercial and industrial organisations.

  • Collect data on all commercial and industrial waste streams from 2,210 participating businesses and organisations across Wales;
  • Analyse trends relating to waste material production from different industrial sectors and from different locations using collected data and comparative data from an initial waste arising survey in 1998/99;
  • Identify particular problem materials, issues, areas or waste management problems that need to be brought to the attention of the waste management industry, regulators, policy makers and other;
  • Provide waste data to the waste management sector to enable them to plan appropriate waste management facilities;
  • Identify the requirements needed to ensure adequate and appropriate provision of facilities for more sustainable and integrated management of commercial and industrial waste;
  • Establish a waste database for Wales that allows companies to compare their waste production with that of similar companies in their industry sector and link to sources of support for waste minimisation methodologies;
  • Support and inform the Welsh National Waste Strategy, the UK Waste Strategy, and the reporting requirements of the EU.
 
© 2012 The ESRC Centre for Business Relationships, Accountability, Sustainability and Society