Waste Management Process and Cost Effective Options - Essay Example

Waste Management Process and Cost Effective Options for a Motor Industry

Introduction

Dynamics of the business sector have prompted corporates to rely upon projects in managing and accomplishing activities. The management team formulates projects or outsource project development personnel to help in designing activities that would yield revenue and steer growth. Such a project is, therefore, a temporary endeavor undertaken by key personnel aimed at achieving a specific objective of business. Normally, the project is time-bound and have objectives that are specific, can be identified and accomplished within a given period (Kerzner, 2013). Project management as a whole encompasses all the processes involved in the formulation, implementation, and the achievement of project objectives. This excerpt predispositions on a project in the motor industry regarding waste management and the cost-effective options that can be adopted to minimize on waste disposal.

The motor industry as an important segment of the economy has encountered a myriad of challenges particularly in its management of wastes. This has been occasioned by the inability to control these wastes effectively as most are non-biodegradable. Some wastes are generated by automotive companies. Such wastes range from paints, plastics, machine lubricants, and coolants (Boehm, 2006). Moreover, scrap metals, as well as aqueous and cleaning systems, form part of these wastes. Office wastes in the automotive industry such as papers, printer cartridges, packaging materials and pallets can be recycled or even reused. However, those from the production plant and warehouses are hazardous and sometimes not possible to be reused by the company. The repercussion to these has yielded extensive use of resources in the management of waste which have drained financial resources of the corporates and as such limiting on profitability. They have also faced the wrath of environmental legislations and enactments that have resulted in payments of substantial amounts of fines.

The discussion analyzes the current waste management strategies that the motor industries can adopt to facilitate their development as well as ensuring environmental sustainability. The aspect of the project would delve into the effective management principles that sponsors of a motor company may adopt to manage on waste and save on cost as well as the environment.

Initiation

A huge change has been noticed in the way in which the vehicle manufacturing industries produce automobiles. The changes are noticeable in the assembly process as well as the materials used for the manufacture. Most importantly, polymer materials commonly referred to as plastics have been utilized. Moreover, non-ferrous compounds of aluminum, copper and magnesium have also been adopted by some of these automotive companies. These products, in turn, yield the release of wastes products some of which are non-reusable while others pose serious risks to the environment (Al-Salem, Lettieri & Baeyens, 2009). The current systems for the management of these waste are numerous and varied. However, selection of a project team in the automotive company to deal with waste management and cost effective options emerges as the best alternative in a bid to ensure sustainability in product waste management.

The project is initiated with various key objectives. Amongst them include the determination and quantitation of the solid wastes generated by automotive industries. For example, scrap metals emerge as among the commonest solid waste in any automotive plant. The projection also aims at assessing the sources of these solid wastes during the manufacturing process. The key objective would stand out in the determination of proper handling of these wastes, collection, and storage as well as disposal methods regarding cost. Moreover, the effect of the automotive wastes on the environment and the community as large also forms another objective.

A team of project management was established to carry out the waste management strategy. The project comprised of a total of ten members to oversee the planning and implementation phases. The team was expected to formulate the project hypothesis with an intent of steering the objective of the project. The whole process was planned take a period of six months with point and process evaluation done on the third month of the project.

The team manager was responsible for designing strategies for other team members to follow so as to meet the objectives of the project. The main aim of the project delved on the reduction of input and waste disposal costs. Also, the project was geared towards improving the general working environment as well as ensuring that the company remains competitive compared to other motor industries (Morselli et al., 2010). Moreover, the project also aimed to provide education to the given automobile company on the appropriate method of management of solid wastes to minimize their effects on the environment. The study outlines the waste efficient options applicable in plastic and metal component fabrication activities during manufacturing such as welding, parts assembly, surface finishing, packaging, and injection molding.

Planning

The ten team members comprised of individuals with different specialties. At foremost was environmental health expert with the responsibility of environmental risk assessment. The expert also had a role in the feasibility studies on the automotive companies and their waste profile. The other expert in the team was mechanical engineer with the role of establishing useable solid wastes from the non-useable in the motor industries. Three garbage collectors as other project participants were tasked with the collection and sorting of different wastes based on degradability. Here, the members were tasked with the role of assembling the plastic wastes and the metal scraps which are non-biodegradable and sorting them from the paper materials that are biodegradable. An accountant and a logistics officer also formed the team to carry out the financial audit for the team. Also on the team, there was an occupational health safety expert mandated to outline the professional safety for the team members during the implementation stage. Two truck drivers as well were indispensable for the project as they were to ferry the collected garbage to the required destinations.

The entire project was designed to last for six months after which the project ended. In the beginning, team members got selected. The process was undertaken by the senior managers who performed self-profiling of the members of the staff for the automotive industry. Therefore, social profiling yielded the required competencies necessary for realizing the project objectives. The selection of these members was based on the level of understanding of the project and that they met the needs of the project during inception. All the members were to be selected from a given automobile industry and must have worked for not less than two years in the corporate. The team members selected were then delegated duties based on their expertise.

The project also needed key input actors. Some of these comprised of garbage collectors equipment and safety devices the team used during the process as well as other logistical factors. At least five waste bins or drums were necessary. Two were used to store scrap metal parts while the other two for the plastic wastes. The single remaining container found extensive usage in the storage of paper wastes (Morselli et al., 2010). In the selection as well, the Spray Booth Filters was required in a larger number. At least twelve of these were utilized to help manage the aqueous paint spillages. Two trucks to assist in the delivery also formed part of the requirement.

In the planning process, all the team members were involved. A selection of an office within the automobile industry was established. This provided avenues for the convening of members and the strategic point for the delegation of duties. All the team members converged at this office before and after the day’s activities. Therefore, all the reports of the day’s work were stored in this section before the members began the next activity.

Executing

The plans of the project were implemented in this step. Most importantly, the team leader spearheaded the supervisory role in ensuring that the activities underway met the original objectives of the project. Similarly, the planned activities were also assessed to confirm that they run smoothly as per the expectations of the project.

During the process, garbage was sorted and stored in the respective bins. The sorting was undertaken with the help of advice from the environmental health expert and the mechanical engineer (Samaras & Meisterling, 2008). The bin that contained the scrap metals was taken back to the factory for recycling. The same happened to the plastic wastes which was cast after melting. The team also assessed the possibility of efficient utilization of the waste products that emerged from the paints (Al-Salem, Lettieri & Baeyens, 2009). The Spray Booths were crucial in managing the wastes from the paints and other adhesive products.

The track drivers delivered these wastes to their respective destinations where appropriate steps were taken to these products. Also, the logistics officer took the particulars of the wastes regarding weight and the form, and reported to the team leader. The hazardous wastes were separated from the least dangerous ones after which appropriate step was undertaken for each.

Wastes from the batteries and radiators were collected in the general purpose bins that were later sold to the recyclers. Depending on their value, the amount yielded was ploughed back into the organization.

All the team members reported their findings to the research manager. The team leader called for a meeting which focusses on pertinent issues that arose during the solid waste collection, sorting, and disposal. Challenges encountered by the team members were also highlighted which provided the basis for the evaluation and monitoring of the entire project activities. The team manager as well provided his view on the project activities with the intention of deliberating on emerging issues.

In the project, metal scrap appeared as the most common waste products that was released during the manufacture of vehicles. These emanated from the welding, casting, and riveting chambers. The total number of waste tended to be higher in automobile factories where the use of robots was least utilized as compared to those using the robots for a range of activities. These metal wastes were then returned to the heating furnaces where they got recycled.

Monitoring and Control

According to Kerzner (2013), efficient monitoring and control entail establishing indicators. They measure the outcomes of the project. The results of the projects are compared with the objectives to ensure effectiveness.

The possible risks encountered in the implementation of the projects was analyzed. The monitoring and control entailed elaborate and multiple meetings to assess the performance of the activities. Proper communication at this segment was necessary for evaluating the effectiveness of the results achieved. Each of the team members provided their feedback and view of the entire process in the garbage collection. The tasks and schedules undertaken by the team members were monitored to meet the goals according to the plans during the initiation process.

Closing

At the end of the six-month period, the project came to a completion. All the deliverables during the waste management period were reviewed by the team members. The activities of the team members during the entire process needed to reflect on the due process in the waste management. The team manager finalized on the administrative closure through conducting a survey of all the participants in the project. The mechanical engineer, environment health expert, garbage collectors, the drivers, the occupational health experts as well as the accounts clerk provided their final feedback regarding the project. The written reports by the team members were stored at the office and would become useful in assessing the performance of such a project. Hence, it would provide the basis for the assessment and evaluation of the effectiveness of the process of waste management by the team. The process evaluation at the end of the process also provided feedback on the level of satisfaction of the clients in a given automobile industry. Moreover, the evaluation also assists in conducting the post-implementation review of the project and affirming its effectiveness for the future adoption (Boehm, 2006).

Conclusion

The project on waste management stands out to be crucial for the automobile industry. As already highlighted, the solid wastes form critical points that may hinder the performance in this sector. In addition, certain wastes can be recycled, and this would cut on cost instead of procuring new items. In the selection of the project team, key concerns about competence must be undertaken. Their expertise needs to meet the project objectives for the amicable results to be yielded. In the project on the waste management, the given automobile company would assess the effectiveness of the findings after which a decision on the adoption or dismissal of the project would be made.