General waste is a significant contributor to the UK’s environmental challenges. At Mobius, we process over 12,510 tonnes of general waste annually for our customers. This blog explores the scale of the issue, the breakdown of waste sources, and the urgent need to rethink how we manage general waste.
What Is General Waste and How Much Do We Produce?
General waste refers to non-hazardous materials that cannot be recycled or composted. This includes contaminated packaging, mixed plastics, polystyrene, and certain food residues. In the UK, millions of tonnes of general waste are generated every year – primarily from households, businesses and the manufacturing sector.
Households alone account for around 55% of total waste generated, with commercial businesses contributing approximately 24% and industrial sectors, including manufacturing, making up the remaining 21%. Manufacturing facilities, especially in the food sector, contribute heavily through materials like contaminated packaging, spoiled stock, and single-use items that are difficult to recycle.
At Mobius, we’ve helped our customers manage 12,510 tonnes of general waste in the last year. While this figure is significant, it’s a fraction of the total general waste being produced across the UK, highlighting the scale of the challenge ahead.
Why General Waste Is a Problem
Most general waste ends up in landfill or incineration. This is the most resource-inefficient way to manage waste. Landfilling not only consumes valuable land but also releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Incineration, while sometimes used for energy recovery, still leads to emissions and the permanent loss of materials.
General waste is also expensive to manage. Landfill tax continues to rise, and businesses face increasing pressure to reduce waste and demonstrate environmental responsibility. On top of that, valuable resources are often thrown away unnecessarily, which could have been reused, recycled, or recovered.
This isn’t just about bins – it’s about rethinking how we treat materials in the first place.
Moving Up the Waste Hierarchy
- Prevention: The most effective option. This means designing products, processes, and systems that avoid creating waste in the first place. In a manufacturing setting, this could involve reducing overproduction, optimising packaging, or switching to multi-use systems.
- Reuse: Before discarding something, consider whether it can be used again. This applies to containers, equipment, offcuts, or materials that can be cleaned, repaired, or repurposed instead of replaced.
- Recycling:
When reuse isn’t possible, materials should be separated and processed so they can be reintroduced into the supply chain. Quality recycling relies on good segregation and clean input materials, especially in food manufacturing where contamination is common. - Recovery: This includes processes like energy-from-waste (EfW) where materials that can’t be recycled are incinerated to generate power. It’s not ideal, but it’s better than landfilling.
- Disposal: Landfill and uncontrolled incineration are the least preferred options. This is where most general waste ends up, and the aim should always be to minimise or eliminate this category wherever possible.
The closer we operate to the top of this hierarchy, the better the environmental and financial outcomes. To put things in context, recycling just one tonne of plastic saves over 5,700 kWh of energy, the equivalent of powering a typical UK home for six months. That’s the power of resource recovery done right.
Conclusion
General waste is a growing issue that demands immediate attention. It represents a loss of resources, energy, and value while also driving up carbon emissions and waste disposal costs. As volumes continue to rise, businesses and manufacturers have a responsibility to take action, not just for compliance or cost, but for the long-term sustainability of our environment and supply chains.
At Mobius, we believe waste should be viewed as a resource, not a problem. Our mission is to help our partners move away from traditional disposal and towards smarter, circular solutions that reduce environmental impact and unlock value.
If you’re interested in reducing and more effectively managing your general waste, use the contact form on this page to get in touch. We’re ready to help you take the next step.
