The Environmental Protection Expenditure by Industry Survey 2003 states that industry spent a total of 3.4 billion on environmental protection measures in that year.
Of this, the biggest proportion of this – 46% – was spent on solid waste. The next biggest cost to industry was on wastewater, which took up 27% of environmental protection spending.
Decline
The research, carried out by URS Corporation on behalf of Defra, suggests the amount being spent on environmental protection has fallen from the levels seen in previous years – 4.2 billion was spent in the year 2000, for example – but puts this down to the decline in UK manufacturing.
Of the 1.56 billion spent on solid waste by industry, the study estimates that about 51 million was spent on capital costs, with the remainder on operating costs.
Defra said the spending on environmental protection was off-set by estimated income of 178 million from the sale of by-products, as well as estimated cost savings of 265 million from environmental protection measures undertaken during the year.
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The study surveyed about 8,000 companies, but the results do not include the environment industries such as the waste management, water and sewerage industries.
The biggest spenders on environmental protection included the food and beverages sector, power companies and the chemicals industry.
Environmental protection expenditure is defined as spending incurred where the primary aim is to reduce environmental pollution caused during normal operations – including emissions to air or water, the disposal of waste materials, land, soil and groundwater protection, noise and vibration prevention, or to protect the natural environment.
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