Waste management: an obligation that has turned into a value

György Deák

Nowadays it is trendy for companies to be green, but in addition to this changes in legislation have also contributed to making firms manage their waste in a more conscious fashion. György Deák, CEO of Biofilter Zrt. informed us that a growing number of companies share the view that waste management isn’t a problem, but an opportunity.

Norbert Höflinger

Norbert Höflinger, strategy director of HWD Recycling Kft. reckons that the planned modification of the waste law will have great impact on the market: from January stores bigger than 300m² will also have to take back glass packaging waste.

Beáta Gönczi

Storing, managing and disposing of food waste are the obligation of every market player. According to Erik Czinger, country manager of JRK Waste Management Hungary Kft., it is a strengthening trend that companies donate still consumable food to charity. Stopping food waste is a major concern these days in Hungary as well. ÖKO-Pannon Nonprofit Kft.’s main profile is consultancy and performing certain product fee-related tasks on behalf of partners. Managing director Beáta Gönci told us that the Hungarian waste management market is characterised by relatively high secondary raw material prices, growing centralisation on the supply side and an increasing influence of the state.

Erik Czinger

Mr Czinger’s experience is that controls are getting stricter, but at the same time there are also more and more good examples and incentives from the government, such as the Food Waste Prevention Prize of the National Food Chain Safety Office (NÉBIH). The concept of the circular economy is also becoming more widespread. The country manager informed that the GreenGood technology is also available in Hungary. By using this technology food waste is treated on-site in just 24 hours. Ms Gönci underlined that the system for collecting and utilising industrial and trade waste is stable, but the way waste is collected from consumers keeps changing all the time. Players in the FMCG sector need to meet the usual waste management requirements at the places of production, but as far as their products are concerned, they must primarily keep what is written in the product fee law.

Biofilter Zrt. takes over used cooking oil and food waste from restaurants and cafeterias. In addition to this, they also sell cooking oil to kitchens. Greenpro Zrt. is a specialist of dealing with expired food products and by-products from livestock origin. Mr Deák explained that the two companies of the group work in cooperation. Mr Höflinger’s view is that the so-called F-gas regulation (controlling the emission of fluorinated greenhouse gases, e.g. from air conditioning systems) is still a novelty to many in the industry. HWD Recycling Kft. offers services to FMCG companies in the fields of managing cooling and air conditioning systems, faulty non-food and packaging waste, POS and other marketing material waste. On demand they analyse the waste management system of companies and make recommendations for a more efficient operation. //