Summary
Acclaro Advisory was asked to help a major UK University understand its current waste activities and provide a range of options to help meet the University’s waste reduction targets. We developed an approach around realizing the commercial value of the waste and proposed a solution that would reduce the total cost of waste disposal by 50% initially (75% in the longer-term), reduce waste generation and uphold the strong environmental reputation of the University.
Client: UK University
Location: UK
Date: 2016
Project Info
Background
Continuously rated as one of the top universities in the UK, the University is a residential collegiate occupies 320 buildings, with 17,500 students and 3,000 staff.
In 2016 the University was in the process of re-tendering its waste services. These had been contracted for a number of years based upon a traditional rigid approach for general waste and recyclables. The existing service did not adequately provide environmental monitoring data, limiting the University’s ability to tackle waste generation as part of its environmental commitments.
As part of the re-tendering exercise, the University intends to adopt a new approach to waste management, aiming to:
- reduce the overall cost of waste incorporating the equipment, labour, transport and disposal
charges; - reduce waste generation at source; and
- enable informed decisions to be made on waste management, based on clear data
Our Role
Acclaro Advisory was chosen by the University to develop a structured waste management programme to form the basis for the new waste contract. Activities included:
- Developing a baseline of performance, against which progress can be measured, based on an analysis of the current waste disposal activities and associated costs, within the context of the constraints posed by the heritage location
- Interviews with individuals across the University to understand how waste management considerations affect the procurement of goods and services, use of materials and disposal by the University and students;
- Reviewing local market capabilities for waste management, recycling and disposal;
- High level gap analysis to identify barriers to reducing waste generation and costs;
- An options appraisal to assess short term and longer term opportunities in line with the University’s objectives; and
- Developing a new commercial model with costed recommended actions.
Benefits
Acclaro Advisory has delivered a waste review and options appraisal, which has helped the University understand current waste activities and provided a range of options to meet their targets:
- Defined the concept of waste as a resource to generate a revenue stream, rather than a cost for disposal, which has changed how waste services are perceived;
- Developed a commercial approach and waste management structure to help meet the University’s objectives to reduce costs, recycle more and generate less waste;
- Identified cost savings that would reduce the total cost of waste by over 50% from an original annual cost approaching £300,000; and
- Recommended longer term cost savings that would help reduce the total cost of waste by 75%.
