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Non-hazardous waste disposed represents total non-hazardous waste
generated minus the non-hazardous waste that has been reused, recovered
or recycled. At GSK, most non-hazardous waste is general site waste.
Biohazardous waste rendered non-hazardous after treatment by processes
such as autoclaving is also considered a non-hazardous waste.
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In 2001, we reported that GSK disposed of 89.1 million kilograms
of non-hazardous waste. During a review of the 2001 data and
reporting classifications, it was determined that there had
been an error in classifying an aqueous waste stream generated
by one large manufacturing facility incorrectly incorporating
it into non-hazardous waste. The aqueous waste stream has
now been included in the wastewater section resulting in a
revised 2001 baseline of 77.4 million kilograms of non-hazardous
waste disposed. In 2002, GSK disposed of 69.0 million kilograms
of non-hazardous waste representing an 11% decrease in the
amount of non-hazardous waste disposed. Site waste represents
over 75% of non-hazardous waste disposed in 2002, demolition/construction
waste more than 22% and other (non-infectious, bio-hazardous
waste) the remaining 3%.
A target has been set to decrease non-hazardous waste disposed
by 8% by the end of 2005 on a per unit sales basis.
In 2002, 73.9% of all non-hazardous waste was sent to landfill
essentially unchanged from 2001 (74.4%). Given that overall
non-hazardous waste disposed has decreased by 11%, it could
be expected that the amount sent to landfill would decrease
proportionately. The percentage of non-hazardous waste undergoing
treatment to obtain beneficial energy or resource recovery
has increased from 9.7% in 2001 to 12.3% in 2002. These numbers
may indicate that while we are treating more waste in ways
that provide energy or resource benefit, we have to do more
to identify and utilise options for non-hazardous waste that
do not involve landfill. Many sites continue to look for ways
to reduce waste and have undertaken reviews of their operations
to find ways to reduce the amount of non-hazardous waste that
must be treated or sent to landfill.
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GSK Bogotá, Colombia is a small site that makes
consumer products, primarily oral liquids, for the Latin
America market. A variety of wastes (solids and liquids)
are generated at the site. They come from quality assurance
laboratories, production lines, or from refunds, expired
medicines, rejects and even office activities. To address
the situation Bogotá initiated a waste management
system to find the best and most appropriate final disposition
for each waste material generated by the diverse processes
carried out on site. The system calls one or more of
the following processes into play: research and investigation,
selection, carryout treatment, recycling, disabling
and destruction. With the implementation of this system
GSK Bogotá has decreased the quantity of wastes
that are sent to landfill or incinerated. Fully 71%
of the waste formerly incinerated or sent to landfill
is now reused or recycled.
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Read
about our waste generation and management
performance
Read about our special
commendation for waste
management
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