Cost, meanwhile, is the sector’ s most significant barrier. Half( 49 %) say the cost of making changes prevents them from being more sustainable, while a further third( 32 %) cite increased costs of products and services. Outside of financial strain, a lack of clarity on sustainability metrics( 30 %) and a lack of company and team commitment( 28 %) also pose issues.
It’ s therefore no surprise that reduction of general waste is the primary focus area for two-thirds( 66 %), as the more waste that can be recycled, the cheaper a business’ waste management costs.
Just 1 % of industrial manufacturers say that no support is needed for the sector to be more sustainable; robust data and reporting( 48 %), innovation and technology investment( 42 %) and product life cycle and circular supply chain analysis( 41 %) were named by manufacturers as the most valuable support types, showing a demand for innovation and investment to drive sustainability for the industry.
To support the sector with its green ambitions, Biffa has released a new whitepaper –‘ What iff you could unlock value from manufacturing waste?’ – to coincide with the launch
of its refreshed Manufacturing Waste Solutions proposition.
The guide advises manufacturers on unlocking value from waste to achieve sustainability and commercial goals amid the sector’ s pressures. It examines the lifecycle of manufacturing waste, from design to disposal.
Under the proposition, Biffa’ s sector experts will embed themselves into an organisation to craft a data-led customer improvement plan based on a detailed business audit, which is guaranteed to deliver savings and added value over the first two years.
Commenting on the findings, Mark Slattery, Manufacturing Waste Expert, Biffa Specialist Services, said:
“ 2025 is set to be a big year for waste legislation, so it’ s more crucial than ever that manufacturers collaborate with their waste management and supply chain partners to prepare for changes like Simpler Recycling.
“ The good news, though, is that these bills typically give businesses the chance for cost savings. Material segregation and general waste reduction – which industrial manufacturers are already focusing on – offer serious cost efficiencies.
“ Our new whitepaper explains how manufacturers can unlock the value of their waste, from packaging tweaks to rebates in trading waste as a commodity. We’ re driven by the opportunity to enable the UK’ s circular economy, and manufacturers can find their place within it through effective collaboration and optimisation of internal processes.”
If you’ d like to book an audit or learn more about how Biffa’ s Manufacturing Waste Solutions can help you, please email manufacturingwastesolutions @ biffagroup. onmicrosoft. com with‘ MWS audit request’ as the subject line or populate this entry form.
2025 is set to be a big year for waste legislation, so it’ s more crucial than ever that manufacturers collaborate with their waste management and supply chain partners to prepare for changes like Simpler Recycling.
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