Waste happens in every industry to a greater or lesser degree. The cosmetics and toiletries sectors are not exempt, and it can happen at any stage of the production process. From raw materials intake to branded packaged goods, there is potential for products to be compromised, contaminated or damaged.
The better management of waste streams, although often forgotten about, can have a real impact on the bottom line, winning and retaining business and differentiating your company.
The good news is that there is a new sustainable solution that can enable companies to dispose of branded products and manufacturing waste securely with peace of mind, enabling companies to dramatically up their green credentials by ensuring they reach corporate responsibility targets.
This technology is currently being successfully used in other industries and Warden Agri is bringing it to the cosmetics sector. Based in the UK’s Midlands, Warden Agri is an agricultural business that has diversified into anaerobic digestion, a centuries-old tradition that fell out of fashion, but once again demands interest as corporations look to meet environmental targets and reduce the cost of disposal.
Having helped pet and human food processing and manufacturing businesses, the company recognised a synergy with cosmetics processing. Both industries have raw materials, processing and finished product waste. The materials contain calorific value, which is something we can utilise.
Feeding ‘the cow’
Anaerobic digestion is a very old technology with a very similar principle to a cow’s stomach; for example, when a cow eats grass, the grass is broken down in the cow’s stomach with the help of bacteria, which, in turn, produce methane. The cow naturally expels the gas as a musty aroma. However, with the anaerobic digestion process the gas is captured, cleaned and purified then used as a fuel source.
Most of us can relate to putting diesel or petrol in our car as fuel. Within the anaerobic digestion process it’s very similar. We collect the gas that the bacteria produce inside the digester; we clean and purify it; then we use it as fuel to power an engine that creates electricity. The green electricity is then fed back into the (UK’s) National Grid as renewable energy.
Essentially, the process uses waste products – whether it be food or cosmetics – to create green energy in a completely environmentally friendly and sustainable process.
Each year, Warden Agri processes thousands of tonnes of waste: everything from beer that has gone out of date to lipsticks. We work directly with manufacturers and brands to provide a sustainable waste solution. Our experience, to date, within health and beauty waste has predominately involved oil-based products, such as lipsticks, lip balms, body butters, creams, moisturiser lotions and oral supplements. All have worked exceedingly well, but to ensure waste compatibility we sample and test each product in the lab before commercial use.
The anaerobic digester has ability to cope with ‘naked’ waste, direct from the manufacturer, or packaged waste. The way we deal with packaged goods is really simple; we macerate it for them and the product falls into a collector tray, then this is what we use to ‘feed the cow’. The packaging, if it is recyclable, will go to be recycled. If not, then it goes to whichever avenue is most applicable. But nothing goes to landfill. It is either used or incinerated, if necessary.
A helping hand
Anaerobic digestion is an environmentally beneficial form of waste disposal for companies operating at every level of the cosmetics and toiletries market, be they raw materials suppliers, ingredients manufacturers, testing companies, contract manufacturers, brand owners, retailers, or even customs officials. At any stage during the life cycle there is a potential for things to go wrong, and this is a way of ensuring its safe, eco-friendly and discreet destruction.
In addition to managing waste streams, we provide a ‘secure destruction’ service, where the brand owner can rest assured that any branded or own label products sent to us for destruction will be destroyed and not find their way back to market.
Because we understand the value of brands and the importance of brand protection, we securely destroy the products and document the process with picture and video footage of each batch of products being destroyed. As a result, we can provide reassurance that the product intended for destruction will not reappear in any market.
For Warden Agri, this is more than just a commercial operation; our aim is to help to make a difference and drive the green agenda. Protecting the environment today will help preserve it for generations to come.
Author
Neil Warden, Warden Agri
www.wardenagri.co.uk
