Manmeet Poonam Sandhu Comments on New Waste Diversion Validation Services
Online, August 7, 2012 (Newswire.com) - According to The Wall Street Journal, waste diversion programs can now call upon the validation services of UL Environment. Through validation, these programs will be certified as zero waste and promoted to consumers. Manmeet Poonam Sandhu , an environmentalist in Washington, DC, is encouraged by the development of such a certification opportunity; however, she recognizes that high costs and exclusive operations may prevent some organizations from participating in crucial waste diversion initiatives.
UL Environment has created three certifications for which organizations can apply. The first is Zero Waste to Landfill validation, which is awarded when companies divert 100 percent of their waste. Virtually Zero Waste to Landfill validation recognizes organizations that divert 98 percent of their waste. Lastly, Landfill Waste Diversion validation indicates that a company diverts between 80 and 98 percent of their waste.
Manmeet Poonam Sandhu is optimistic about these standardizations, as she believes they will create a reliable scale on which consumers can gauge the environmental impact of different companies. However, exclusive operations on behalf of UL Environment may result in a high cost for validation, which can lead to many organizations opting out of waste diversion initiatives altogether.
"Remember the days when it was the new 'in thing' to say your product was organic?" asks Manmeet Poonam Sandhu. "But because the rules regarding organic claims contained loop holes, the organic identification system was proven to be unsatisfying. This left consumers doubtful and wondering whether the organic foods they were purchasing were really organic. I believe that UL has just discovered a similar phenomenon in the waste diversion industry, and I applaud the organization for taking the initiative to quantify and thereby qualify green initiatives. Hopefully, with this standardization, more companies will be able to identify themselves as zero waste. I do have concerns regarding price and monopoly, though. UL says they put companies through a validation process, but how much does it cost and who else is doing it? Going green or trying to achieve zero waste is already an expensive undertaking for any company. I hope the UL validation process serves as an enhancement to businesses, rather than a barrier that keeps organizations from participating in waste reduction initiatives."
ABOUT:
Manmeet Poonam Sandhu is studying for her Master of Public Health in Environmental Health Science and Policy at The George Washington University. A dedicated student, Manmeet Poonam Sandhu is also a part of the environmental and entertainment industries. Through her work at The George Washington University, Manmeet Poonam Sandhu created Diversion in DC. A waste diversion organization, Diversion in DC aims at increasing awareness regarding the importance of recycling and composting and enhancing the availability of these alternatives at public events.