Waste: A Game of Snakes and Ladders? : Key Regional Findings
Scotland
Scottish industry spends the least amount of money on waste management yet along with the North they are most likely (39 per cent) to think that waste control is a major factor in terms of competitive edge. Scotland leads the country in monitoring the waste practices of competitors (39 per cent) compared with a national average of 25 per cent.
The North
Companies in the North (along with Scotland) are most likely to regard waste control as a major factor in gaining competitive edge (39 per cent). Despite this only 29 per cent actually monitor the waste practices of their competitors and fewer companies in the North (37 per cent) than anywhere else have a formal environmental management system in place. However this is set to change as northern companies are most likely (71 per cent) to be planning one in the future.
Midlands
One-third of companies in the Midlands (33 per cent) believe that waste control is a major factor in terms of competitive advantage - which is in line with the national average of 34 per cent. However the Midlands falls far behind (15 per cent) in actually monitoring the waste costs of their competitors The Midlands also lags behind in recycling: of those companies that do not recycle any material whatsoever one-third (32 per cent) are located in this area.
Wales
Welsh companies are more likely to have a formal environmental system in place (55 per cent) than a quality system (28 per cent): in fact fewer companies in Wales have BS5750 than anywhere else in the country. Yet, despite the commitment to environmental standards, the Welsh are least likely to understand the implications of Take Back Liability (44 per cent) compared with the national average of 66 per cent.
South-West
The South-West is far ahead of all other regions in its knowledge of waste costs. Three-quarters of companies know how much they spend on waste as against a national average of 56 per cent. However the South-West is slow to translate knowledge into action - it has the fewest companies (45 per cent) with a waste minimisation programme currently in place.
London
London companies are strong on dealing with paper and packaging waste: all organisations interviewed recycle paper and card and 71 per cent are examining packaging change. This reflects concerns of the large number of retail outlets in the area. However overall London companies seem unaware of waste problems: only two in five (39 per cent) keep track of waste spend; they are least likely to think that waste costs will rise (33 per cent); and most confident that the tonnage of waste will drop (59 per cent).
South-East
Businesses in the South-East are strong on the implementation of waste management systems. Over six in ten (62 per cent) currently have a waste minimisation programme well above the national average of 53 per cent and 57 per cent have a formal environmental management system in operation compared with just 46 per cent across the UK.
