The costs of waste

Waste has costs that are usually stated in terms of monetary loss to the organization. Most organizations rarely calculate the true monetary cost of waste. The Environment Agency considers that the actual cost of waste can be as high as 5 – 10 per cent of company turnover (Source: The Environment Agency; www.environment-agency.gov.uk June 2002). Businesses regularly underestimate the cost of waste to their business and in doing so have no clear picture as to real loss of profit.