Excess weight is quite a taboo in the waste industry.
Many commercial waste service providers do not like to talk about excess weight at all, but we feel that it is important to be transparent as possible and inform our customers about the dangers and consequences of excess weight.
Measuring waste by weight
As you may be aware, bins are marketed and sold by the volume that they can hold. Business waste, however, is not. Thanks to the waste landfill tax, business waste is measured and charged for by weight.
At CheaperWaste, we are fully aware that this can be rather problematic. We understand that most people do not know how much their waste weighs, but unfortunately, the practice of measuring waste by weight is very unlikely to change. We try to advise our customers to avoid ‘overfilling’ their bins and be generally mindful of the weight of the items they are disposing of because of this.
For example, you may have a 1100lt container, with a maximum weight allowance of 70 KG. You could potentially fill this container to the brim with polystyrene packing and be unlikely to reach your maximum weight allowance. Alternatively, you could half-fill your container with rubble and debris and be well over your weight allowance. So, the point is, that just because your waste will physically fit in your bin does not mean that you are not creating excess waste.
Why is this such a problem?
Excess weight may not seem like a big issue, but it can be potentially dangerous for your staff, your service providers and your wallet. We look at the potential problems that could be caused by excess weight.
Health and safety, for you and your staff
Handling heavy loads can be difficult and dangerous. While no law specifies the maximum weight that an employee can manage, the generally accepted maximum weight for a physically fit man is 25kg and 16kg for a woman. Yet, this is set rule and will vary depending on the age, size, strength and general fitness of the person involved.
As an employer, you have a duty of care to make sure you and your staff are safe. If you are producing a lot of heavy waste, you could be putting your staffs’ health at risk by asking them to carry your business’ waste or move an overweight bin to its collection point.
Any injuries that you or your staff suffer could be potentially very damaging for your business, and you may find yourself either liable for injuries, without any able staff left, or both.
Liability for waste collection personnel
As well as for your staff, you have a duty of care for anyone who comes into, or onto your property, such as waste collection personnel. The same recommendations for the maximum weight that they can safely carry still applies, and if they are injured while on your property dealing with your waste you could find yourself liable for personal injury damages, which could impact on your business’s reputation and cost you money.
Extra unbudgeted cost
Exceeding the maximum weight allowance of your bin can not only be damaging to you physically as already mentioned, but it will almost definitely damage your finances!
Excess weight is charged by weight, so every additional kilo will increase your charges. This additional charge will be on top of your usual bin collection rates, and if you are regularly going overweight you will find the cost of your business’s waste management can increase significantly.
How to avoid excess weight
Do an audit on the waste you are creating (here are details on how to conduct a waste audit). Is there anything you could do to reduce the amount of waste you produce? Could some of it be recycled or reused for a different purpose?
Do you need a different type of bin? If you only have a general waste bin, you’re probably throwing away a lot of material that could potentially be separated into a mixed recycling bin, glass bin or a food waste bin. By segregating your waste, you will be making a positive environmental change and it will reduce your excess weight costs.
Do you need another bin? If you’re already separating your glass, recyclables, and food but are still going overweight, it might be that you need an additional bin or more frequent collections. While this may be unappealing at first, you may find that this option will save you money in the long term, and the regular collections will be much easier to budget for than unexpected excess weight charges.
Details of your weight allowance can be found on your duty of care document, if you find that you are regularly being charged for excess please contact us. We will happily discuss your options and provide information about how you can reduce your overall waste management costs.
