09_grand_sujet.qxd
16.10.2006
16:30 Uhr
Page 134
“Cost, quality and safety are all positive effects of good waste management.” Thomas Hoffmann-Resch [>> 132] PROgéna’s waste procedure first analyses the waste fees, then assesses the collection system and the volume and compares them to their benchmark and to European benchmarks. Next they try to consider ways to reduce the waste fees. Where can the company economise? As part of a waste management plan one must convince, sensitise and inform people in a company to follow the waste plan. “We do a presentation to show why it is really easy and important. In big banks in Luxembourg we always have some resistance at first. People recycle at home. Why don’t they want to do it in the office? Eventually, most people adapt to the plan and will never return to their old ways.”
“Do it for the money” Rouach’s company made some major improvements at the Dexia BIL work site at Esch-Belval. The site is now clean with a series of sorting bins for all sort of materials – demolition waste, wood, roofing, solidified paint waste, etc., but this type of application is still pretty revolutionary. “It is not the cultural norm to organise garbage in this way at a work site, but it is starting.” Every administrative company in Luxembourg must file a report at the end of each year to show their garbage production and management, “but even though it is obligatory, how many companies really do produce this report?” asks Rouach. “We encourage companies to do it. You need to benchmark your waste. It helps in a long-term management plan with an objective of reduction.” Passionate about the subject, he says “If you don’t to it for the environment, do it for the money.” Growing eco-consumption and buying “green” is gaining force as an economical and lucrative potential as well as an ecological one. This is a positive. Companies with a policy towards sustainable development are becoming more appealing to potential employees as well.
Valorlux One of the trickiest things about managing waste is ensuring that accepted initiatives are truly effective. The only way to judge that is through continuous research and auditing at each stage. Valorlux is a good idea because it means that the producers of waste, in this case packaging – companies like Auchan, Cactus etc. – pay for the PMC (Plastic bottles, Metal packages and beverage [>> 136] 134
companies in establishing an accurate waste management plan.” SDK will visit a company to analyse its waste free of charge, and the company receives a report. The company may then enter into a contract with SDK who manages the recycling and collection of materials. “The companies that are very good get a specific label,” says Mathieu. Informed consumers are starting to pay very close attention to these labels. A company with good sustainable practices is becoming more attractive than one with a bad ecological reputation. The Ministry of the Environment offers a further education course for people inside a company who want to learn more. This course is given regularly to educate companies on the legal basis, how to analyse waste and how to reduce waste. One part of this course deals with communication, so one person can take the course and then teach others inside the company. Another way this obligation is being imposed is through organisations such as Ecotrel and Valorlux. In both cases, the producers of the waste - electrical and electronic equipment and appliances for Ecotrel, and packaging for Valorlux - must accept responsibility in terms of processing and recycling the waste they produce in the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, once these are no longer in use.
How much are we producing? It is difficult to measure the average Luxembourger’s production of garbage. Figures vary and the problem with these figures lies in what they compare. Is it waste from households and small companies? Luxembourg has a small population but a lot of construction. We increasingly encourage tourism, which in turn creates waste. There is also a huge percentage of cross border workers who come into Luxembourg and produce garbage, which is another reason why company waste management plans are so important. “Waste production is always going up in Luxembourg because more and more people are coming here, but the figures also show that recycling is improving,” says Mathieu. Annually, Luxembourg inhabitants produce over 190,000 tons of “non problematic” waste, an amount that has not fluctuated much between 1990 and 2005 (source: Ministry of the Environment). Thus, the average Luxembourg