Waste Management Plan

Waste Management Plan

            Introduction

A clubhouse being resource-intensive because of the many operations it undertakes; it requires a waste management plan that focuses on eliminating or minimizing waste.  A clubhouse needs lighting and heating in its daily activities. Offices use power to run copiers, printers and computers. A bar and catering service requires several consumables- energy, raw materials, water, food to list a few. It is essential to have re-use or recycle focus to avoid disposal costs in waste management.

General waste can either be liquid or solid. In a clubhouse, examples of liquid wastes include substances ranging from contaminated water, milk, alcohol or soft drinks. It is acceptable to dispose of some liquid waste through the local clubs’ drainage and channelled to the public sewer system for treatment before it is discharged into the environment. It is illegal to dispose of materials such as oils, beer, paint directly into public sewers without consent of discharge. It is essential to plan for efficiency, for this is the first step in waste management.

My waste management plan focuses on cost reduction by planning, avoiding wastage of raw materials, water, energy and consumables. The main goal of my waste management plan is environmental conservation. The second goal is to prevent and reduce the production of waste and its harmfulness. Lastly, create an adequate and integrated network of waste disposal installations considering cost reduction while focusing on the best technology available.

Waste Management Plan

I will execute a Waste Hierarchy model; it offers the best way to prioritize and deal with waste. The benefits of this model are increased environmental benefits and increased cost-saving, both of which are my waste management goals. The model is comprised of five levels- eliminate, reduce, re-use, recycle and dispose of respectively. The top-level offers maximum coast savings and the least impact on the environment. A focus on the different levels of the hierarchy provides exact direction relating to each type of waste.

Elimination

It is minimization or avoidance by waste prevention. Resource monitoring and careful purchasing prevents wastage. Make the most of your heating system to avoid wastages. In the kitchen, ensure energy-efficient boilers are purchased and serviced annually. Poorly maintained systems can raise the heating cost by up to 30%. Lighting can go a long way in saving wastages. Ensuring the unused rooms are not lit, turning off lights when leaving the room and using motion detectors can eliminate waste. In the office, computers should be turned off at night and during weekends for these cuts the running costs by 75%. If monitors are not needed, they too can be turned off. Turning off watercoolers, photocopiers, vending machines at night and during weekends cut consumption significantly. As stated by the Health and safety regulations, the photocopier ought to be more than 3 meters away.

Reduce

The reduction of waste is crucial in waste management. For instance, the use of adopted optimum fertilizer regimes constricts top growth and bulk of arising. In the clubhouse, waste can effectively be reduced by appropriate planning before making purchases. This is mostly relevant when purchasing short lifespan commodities- chemicals and oils which must be classified as Hazardous before disposing of. To reduce waste effectively, it is crucial to look not only at disposal cost but also focus on consumables, water, raw materials, effort and energy. Reduction in all these aspects would reflect a wholesome decrease in waste management costs. For instance, you can reduce energy costs by almost 90% through reduction measures that cost nothing. Like turning all electronic office stationary when not in use, at night or during the weekend.

Re-use and Refurbishment –

Management of end of life machinery parts and electronics is one avenue for waste management. For instance, fairway clippings Dispersersed in weak areas, re-use their nutrient value. In an attempt to minimize waste and costs, repair and re-use of broken machinery, if possible, or salvage parts to be re-used as spare parts can reduce costs significantly.  It is essential to collect rainwater and re-use it for washing purposes, watering plants etc. for this eliminates the use of tap water, thus minimizing waste. Re-using of Greywater from a shower, clean water sinks, wash-hand bins all are acceptable for re-use subject to the source and level of treatment. Re-use of greywater demands the installation of systems to distinguish between reusable and disposable greywater through the drain system.

Recycle and Composting

The value of end of use materials is mainly maintained through composting and recycling. Composting is a practical and viable option within the golf course for value reclamation from organic wastes. A zero-waste loop can be created when providing nutrient-rich organic matter for composting with the catering and kitchen waste to make fertilizers for the course. Recycling of waste paper can be done at the municipal recycling center. Newspapers and scrap paper can either be taken by the uplift company or a tasked employee in association with waste paper collection for recycling. An alternative would be the use of shredded newspaper in compost manure, which would help in liquid absorption from the decomposed grass cuttings. Glass waste can be recycled instead of disposal through the municipal recycling center. Arrange uplift by a recycling contractor to take empty metal cans and glass for recycling. Recycling of Gray water is another vital waste management option. The water can be recycled and used to water the courses. It is vital to ensure the recycling process adheres to Canada’s Environmental Protection Act of 1999. The clubhouse needs strategic recycling bins, a golf cart fitted with bins for recyclable waste and a quick, reliable way to empty the bins into a dumpster at the pickup location.

Disposal

Safe disposal is at the bottom of the hierarchy; this is the costliest and least desirable option. The increased landfill charges discourage owners from disposing of waste. Nevertheless, machinery, oils, oil filters, tires, and batteries are some of the waste that warrant disposal. Oils are used extensively by the golf club. Lubricants, two-stroke oil, petrol and diesel are very harmful to the environment if disposed of in water bodies. There is a need to contact a licensed landfill operator to uplift the oil or collet and recycle the oil. The clubhouse must ensure the oil is never dumped or drained into water sources. If it were to contaminate the water source, it would be in breach of Canada’s Environment Protection Act of 1999. Oils have to be disposed of in agreement with the particular waste regulations, for they are classified as special waste.

For battery deposition, it is recommended that it is taped and insulated before disposal. The clubhouse has an obligation to partner with organizations such as Panasonic and Energizer, for they accept batteries without charge for recycling. Disposition of tyres requires the employment of an authorized and licensed waste tyre handlers. The clubhouse has an obligation to dispose waste tyres while following Duty of Care legal requirements.

In conclusion, a detailed inventory of all inputs, processes and output will be useful in the management of waste. The need for a thorough audit from time to time will give a clear breakdown of product expenditure, efficiency and disposal cost to enable better decision making. It is vital to keep up to date with legal requirements for they change from time to time. A keen focus should be directed to legal obligations and Duty of care regulations.