Waste Management From Cradle Grave

Introduction

Waste and waste management is one of the essential areas that need attention from different industries. The concept is based on the collection, transportation, recycling or disposal, as well as monitoring waste. Waste and waste management is a scope assigned to material and material waste that is normally produced via the activities of human beings. Based on this, Coffeehouse need to be aware of the waste and waste management and should strive to embrace sustainability and Circular Economy for it to retain a competitive position in the market. The company desires to live to the expectations of the ethical investor, customers, and other stakeholders. This is the reason as to why the company introduced the sign as part of the legal concern as far a waste management is put into consideration. The Board has focused on deducing means of how waste can be managed from Cradle to Grave in the course of ensuring compliance with the relevant legislation. This forms the key objective of this report. As such, the report will touch on the precursor to “”Cradle to Grave”, waste management through Cradle to Grave, concerns over the legality of the sign and finally, thoughtful modification of the sign. For students seeking environmental studies dissertation help, understanding waste management practices in businesses like Coffeehouse can provide valuable insights into sustainable business practices and compliance with environmental regulations.

can be problematic in the future (El Haggar 2010). “Cradle to Grave” is both a concept and a framework that came into being in the mid of 20th century. “Cradle to Grave” simply means from the time the hazardous waste is created, it is transported, treated and the time it is stored before disposal. The idea came at the time where solid waste management became a critical issue that attracted the public concern in dominant area of the United States and partly in United Kingdom where industrialization became more intense. Some of the issues witnessed in the mid-20th century were escalated by increased solid waste generation, rising disposal costs, public opposition and the shrinking disposal capacity (Beaudrie et al. 2013). Same solid waste management issues are still evident today with many communities showing efforts of developing environmental protective and co-effective solutions.

The increase in the amounts of generated waste has prompted development of strategies meant to safely management waste. The environmental agencies have served as comprehensive regulatory programs that foster management of the hazardous waste via “cradle to grave” framework, which constitutes steps to effective waste management (Kumar and Putnam 2008). The framework can still be reflected in the sign, which is a show of compliance to regulations that focus and foster environmental protection and conservation. Apart from compliance, the sign should further show the spirit of the company in embracing sustainable strategies, which ensure safer means of disposing waste.

In the 1960s, history has it that a number of high profile disasters hit the world such as Cuyahoga River Fire, as well as the Love Canal. Such disasters have prompted governments and different authorities to work on environmental statutes as well as regulations such as the Environmental Protection Regulations 1991 and RCRA, which have been paramount in constructive a comprehensive regulatory program that foster management of hazardous waste. Coffeehouse should equally observe the history and reflect on the dangers of the hazardous wastes. The adoption of “Cradle to Grave” strategy is a necessary step in pursuit of the sustainable course (El Haggar 2010). The comprehensive strategy assigns the waste generator the full responsibility of waste management from the time the waste is generated to the time it is disposed. Adoption of “Cradle to Grave” waste management bears a history of 40 years after being incorporated under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and EPA, which bears legislative taste of waste management (Steenmans et al. 2017). “Cradle to Grave” is necessary and equally important to any company that seeks legal compliance and adoption of the sustainable course. This is because the framework touches on significant components of the company’s waste management such as generation of waste, transportation of the waste, testing, treatment, and lastly, disposal of the waste. Coffeehouse can adopt the strategy, which will give room for the company to handle waste in three major angles.

First, “Cradle to Grave” strategy insists that legal compliance starts from the time the facility generates waste. The strategy emphasizes on on-site waste assessment as a means of creating a better waste management program (Lindgren 2018). “Cradle to Grave” supposedly proposes that Coffeehouse should have an environmental recovery partner served with the responsibility of assessing means of reducing the amounts of the generated waste, explore opportunities meant for reuse as well as establishing a disposal plan. Through observation of the waste cradle, Coffeehouse stands a better chance of determining the types of waste, both the hazardous and the non-hazardous. It would be recommendable if the company considers creating a waste profile, which should be generated in line with the Department of Transportation and regulations cited under the environmental agencies (Steenmans et al. 2017).

Secondly, “Cradle to Grave” framework insists on observing means and ways of transporting the waste. The responsibility of waste transportation entails ensuring that hazardous waste is significantly DOT shippable while ensuring compliance to the following requirements. First, the Coffeehouse should adhere to significant requirements concerning labelling. Secondly, the containers used in shipping waste should not have any leaks, bear proper lids and no rusting should appear on the containers (Mahpour 2018). Lastly, containers should be sealed as one way of preventing release of fumes or any contamination. Every truckload should be tested as well as monitored before unleashing the disposal plan.

Lastly, the “Cradle to Grave” indicates the need for waste treatment and disposal. This is referred to as the “grave” step of the entire waste management process. The grave step starts from the reuse as well as recycling opportunities with the central reasons of reducing the deposits. This step is always important and would sometimes include the energy recovery plan, which is also referred to as the waste-to-energy initiative (Winslow et al. 2018). This entails conversion of the non-recyclable materials into beneficial fuel, heat and electricity. Same attention is given to processes of stabilization and solidification. The two are regarded as waste treatment processes with solidification constituting the mini-process of mixing the waste with absorbents before creating a solidified waste. Stabilization includes changing the chemical makeup of the hazardous waste before meeting the key requirements set for the landfill disposal (Kumar and Putnam 2008). However, the company itself depending on competencies, resources and the structure of the facility would largely determine the breakdown of these processes.

Concerns over the legality of the sign

The sign constitutes three pieces of information as far as the legality and compliance of the sustainable course adopted by the company is put into consideration. These include “Free Coffee Waste”, “Good for Plants in Gardens” and “Please Help Yourself”. Perhaps, this reflects the idea of dishing out the waste free, which can benefit farmers (Kumar and Putnam 2008). However, the legality of the sign is still questionable as far as the “Cradle to Grave” waste management process is put into consideration. The legal concern behind the “Cradle to Grave” involves putting the responsibility of transporting, testing, treating and disposing the waste in the hands of the waste generator (Thakur and Katoch 2017). The legality of safe waste disposal demands that any industrial waste, whether organic, inorganic, hazardous, or non-hazardous, should not be disposed before it is treated in a manner that is prescribed by the relevant Authority.

However, the sign has specified the nature of the waste by indicating that it is free, but it failed to indicate whether the same waste is safe or it is not safe. This is a legal concern, as the Authorities would be concerned as to whether the waste is safe or not. As much as coffee waste is organic, Coffeehouse would be thought to have used chemicals in any process, and therefore subject the waste for treatment. The second legal concern entails the transit of waste (Rashid and Yusoff 2015). Regulations would deny the freedom of third parties from picking the coffee waste from the company. Perhaps, it would be preferred that the company transfers, or directly assigns a partner to conduct the transit on its behalf as specified under legal terms. Lastly, the sign notes that people or beneficiaries can help themselves, which are details that may attract more concerns with regards to means of disposing. Coffeehouse should note that it is not helping farmers with their gardens but seeking disposal grounds.

Thoughtful modification of the sign

From the concerns over legality of the sign and the breakdown of the “Cradle to Grave” waste management process, it is evident that the sign would require modification. First, instead of putting it as free coffee waste, the sign should add the “tested and safe” term, which complies with regulations and requirements of disposing industrial waste. The message would first read as “Tested and Free Coffee Waste”. Secondly, the sign should establish the form of transportation of the waste. This would be “Pickup at your doorsteps”, which confirms door-to-door delivery upon placing an order. Lastly, the coffeehouse should establish the costs, which is obviously “Free”.

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References

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