PRIORITY #1: Waste Reduction

Transcription

1 PRIORITY #1: Waste Reduction Produced for Oregon s Future by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Solid Waste Reduction & Planning Section

2 50 Ways to Reduce the Waste Your Business Generates ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS & DISCLAIMERS This handbook was prepared by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) in the Fall of Portions of this document may be reproduced upon request. Please credit the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality when using information contained in this document. The listing of any products or names of businesses in this guide shall not be construed as an endorsement for a product or a business, nor shall any list be considered exhaustive. Special thanks to Michelle Ann Shepperd for her illustrations and to the Commercial Waste Reduction and Recycling Review Group for their time and input on this handbook: Genya Arnold, Metropolitan Service District Charlotte Becker, Association of Oregon Recyclers Lori Cozzetto-Small, Metropolitan Disposal Corporation Joan Grimm, Washington County Recycling Holly Halvorson, Washington County Recycling Suzanne Johannsen, Bend Recycling Team Larry Lehman, The City of Seaside Marie Nelson, Metropolitan Service District Gary Steerman, Tektronix Lissa West, City of Portland, Bureau of Environmental Services REFERENCES AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION SOURCES Some of the information in this handbook came from the following sources: Reducing Waste in Your Business 1990, Washington Department of Ecology Commercial Waste Reduction and Recycling Manual, 1990, Washington Department of Ecology Recycling Awareness Program. An In-House Waste Reduction Handbook, 1990, Idaho Dept. of Health and Welfare, Div. of Environmental Quality Business Recycling Manual, 1991, INFORM, Inc. and Recourse Systems, Inc., New York Getting at the Source: Strategies for Reducing Municipal Solid Waste, 1991, The World Wildlife Fund and the Conservation Foundation 2

3 INTRODUCTION Waste reduction is Oregon s highest priority in solid waste management. Because Oregon businesses generate approximately half of Oregon s solid waste stream, they have a tremendous opportunity to reduce their waste volumes. By practicing waste reduction, businesses can take proactive steps to improve and preserve Oregon s environment. Ideally, waste reduction activities should be integrated with recycling programs. Currently, recycling is more widespread than waste reduction. With your help, this will change! A key ingredient to success in waste reduction is adopting a corporate ethic that encourages environmentally sound practices, whenever possible. Take a look at how your business produces waste each day and then look for ways, both big and small, to reduce that waste. Every little bit helps. And the more you reduce, the slower our landfills will fill up and the less we ll use of our natural resources. Reducing your waste may even cut your purchasing and disposal costs! This handbook was written to assist Oregon businesses, industries, public agencies, institutions and any other organizations that want to go beyond recycling. As you read through the following waste reducing suggestions, look for ways to adapt them to your use. The steps in this handbook can be used by your business regardless-of its type, size or geographic location. WHAT IS WASTE REDUCTION Waste reduction is any activity that reduces, avoids or eliminates the generation of waste. This handbook also uses the term source reduction, which is a method of waste reduction and refers to any action that avoids the creation of waste by reducing waste at the SOURCE due to design, manufacture and reuse of materials. As a solid waste management technique, waste reduction can have lower environmental, social and economic costs than other forms of resource recovery or landfilling. Reducing waste at its source can result in reductions in the costs of solid waste collection, transportation, processing and disposal. Three methods of waste reduction are: redesigning products or packaging so that less material is used in the manufacturing process; behavioral changes in the use of material (e.g., using old memos as scratch paper instead of a new sheet of paper); increasing the durability or reusability of materials. CREATING A WASTE REDUCTION PROGRAM Consider the minor changes in your business practices that will reduce the amounts of materials that are used and discarded. It is better to make a comprehensive list of options and to include some hat appear to be long-shots in order not to overlook an idea which, upon further inspection, may turn out to be useful. After your initial list of options is complete, you can evaluate the feasibility and cost of the options for each material. Materials should be targeted for reduction if they: appear in your waste stream in significant quantities; have a low product to package ratio; are likely to have a negative impact on the environment. EXAMPLE: Waste Reduction Technique The DEQ s Hazardous and Solid Waste Division reused more than 80 reams (40,000 sheets) of office paper that had printing on one side. Instead of being recycled, the paper was reused to print rough drafts. 3

4 STEP 1: DEVELOP A CORPORATE ENVIRONMENTAL ETHIC develop an environmental ethic statement for your company (see example below); share this ethic with your owners, management and staff; set an example: practice activities that reduce waste! STEP 2: WASTE REDUCTION ACTIVITIES FOR YOUR BUSINESS Look around your office and production areas. There must be many ways you can reduce the amount of waste you generate. Think creatively, brainstorm with staff. The ideas listed below do not exhaust the possibilities for waste reduction, but they give you a place to start. General Guidelines: look for more efficient uses of your company s waste materials; identify waste materials that still have useful purposes for reuse in-house, or for donation to others; institutionalize (make official) all reuse activities. 1. Office Supplies: Purchase supplies that are both recycled and compatible with your recycling program. Choose items that have higher recyclability, such as white paper note pads. Stop purchasing or limit the purchase of yellow legal size note pads, green steno note pads and self-sticking notes which, because they are colored, are a lower grade than white ledger paper. 2. Mailings: Evaluate and limit your direct mailings. Be sure to use recycled paper and make sure it can be recycled. Use fewer self-sticking pressure labels for addressing mail. They make the process of preparing paper for recycling more difficult. 3. Communications: Use alternatives to paper communications, such as electronic and voice mail. 4. Executive Summaries: Prepare executive summaries for lengthy documents. Provide entire document only upon request. 5. Routing Slips: instead of making copies for everyone in the off ice, route memos and other information using a standard routing slip with a place next to employees names for them to sign off. 6. Direct Mail: To stop direct mail, write to the Mail Preference Service. Tell them that you want to receive less advertising mail and to please send a name removal form to you. The address is: Mail Preference Service Direct Marketing Association Box 3861 Grand Central Station New York, New York Double-sided Copies: Make double-sided photocopies to reduce the amount of paper used. There are double-sided copiers on the market. Save on paper used for multiple copies by routing memos, etc. around the office or by posting non-urgent communications on a bulletin board. 8. Central Filing: Use centralized filing instead of having sets of files for each employee. 9. Paper and other Office Supplies: Before recycling paper that has been printed on one-side only, save it for reuse as scratch paper for drafts and notes. Save used manila envelopes and file folders for in-house reuse. Establish a convenient collection location for each work group. 4

5 10. Printing: Do not ask for more printed copies than you need. Establish and maintain an accurate list of the number of copies needed for each routine or common piece of communication and post it above all copy machines. 11. Overstocked and/or Exchangeable Supplies: Work with your suppliers. Whenever possible, resell or exchange your overstocked goods. If this cannot be done, donate them to a community group or school. 12. Going-Out-Of Business or Outdated Letterhead: Donate old letterhead, envelopes and any other office supplies to non-profit and community groups. 13. Landscaping and Grounds Maintenance Debris: Work with your landscaper or maintenance staff to build a compost pile or arrange to send yard debris to a commercial composter rather than a landfill. 14. Waste Exchange s: These organizations provide materials wanted and materials available lists to help match waste generators with waste consumers. Industrial Materials Exchange (lmex) th Avenue Seattle, WA Telephone (206) Fax (206) Pacific Materials Exchange S Godfrey Blvd. Spokane, WA Telephone (509) Cafeteria and Lunchroom Choices: Provide china or reusable plastic plates, cutlery, glasses and coffee mugs in the lunchroom instead of disposable items. Invest in a set of glasses and mugs for visitors. Encourage employees to bring mugs from home, or supply free mugs imprinted with the company logo. Provide dish washing soap, hand towels, and scrubbers for cleaning these items. If your company is large enough, you may want to purchase a dishwasher and rotate responsibility for running it. Provide lunchroom recycling containers for glass, tin, aluminum, plastics, newspapers and magazines. 16. Caterers and Vendors: Arrange with caterers to supply foods/coffees on reusable trays and tablecloths, and to provide reusable flatware, cloth napkins and coffee mugs. Ask machine vendors to minimize packaging and wherever possible, to use recyclable or reusable packaging. 17. Shipping Materials: Use permanent/reusable shipping containers instead of cardboard. When cardboard is the preferred option, buy used cardboard boxes from outlets. Use shredded paper or cardboard sections instead of Styrofoam packing. Reuse packing materials such as bubble wrap and Styrofoam peanuts and blocks, or find a mailing and packaging store that will accept and reuse the materials. 18. Painting: Try using only one color of paint. Donate leftover paint and other building materials to community groups. 19. Janitorial Maintenance: Include the janitorial staff in your waste reduction activities. They might have some ideas, such as reusing plastic garbage can liners in offices that generate only dry waste, buying bulk cleaning supplies and using plastic refillable spray bottles. 20. Hygiene: Install cloth towel rolls in the restrooms and employee lounges instead of paper towels. 21. Quality Control: Enhance quality control systems. This not only cuts down on waste disposal costs, but also reduces your inventory costs. 22. Use Efficient Equipment: Where possible, have equipment refurbished or remanufactured. Follow a regular maintenance schedule as recommended by the machinery manufacturer or as recommended by your maintenance staff. 23. Company Store: Sell overstocked or obsolete supplies and equipment through a company store to your employees and their families and friends. If your business has large volumes of overstock, consider selling to the public. 24. Company Potlucks: In the announcement for your company potluck, notify participants to bring their own plates, cups and flatware. 25. Magazines: Collect and give away used magazines to hospitals, clinics or retirement centers. 26. Documents: Store documents on computer disks or microfiche and minimize the number of hard copies made. 27. Blades and Knives: Some manufacturing processes use special blades and knives. Instead of throwing these out, purchase a sharpener, or use a sharpening service to resharpen your blades. 5

6 STEP 3: WASTE REDUCTlON THROUGH PROCUREMENT Your purchasing agent can reduce the volume of waste, especially packaging waste, that comes to your business through selective product procurement. The following ideas can be employed by your purchasing agent and others responsible for buying materials and supplies for your business: 28. Buy Recycled Products: Purchase products made from recycled materials that are compatible with your recycling program. Buying recycled products stimulates markets for recycled items which in turn strengthens the whole recycling loop. The more the demand for recycled products, the more businesses will manufacture recycled products, and the more demand there will be for recyclable materials. Work with your suppliers to make more recyclable products. The following is a list of some recycled product guides and procurement policies: American Recycling Market Guides: 1991 Directory/Reference Manual Recycled Products Guide American Recycling Market, Inc. P.O. Box 577, Ogdensburg, NY Call Toil Free: (800) or (315) These are expensive guides. Call the DEQ for more information (503) , or toll free in Oregon (800) Metropolitan Service District (METRO) Guides (call ): 29. Packing Material: Ask your suppliers to limit the amount of packing material used in your orders (i.e., no shrink wrap around each product unit). Request that cardboard or shredded paper be substituted for packing Styrofoam. 30. Shipping Containers: Have your suppliers ship your orders in returnable, reusable pallets and returnable, refillable drums. If reusable containers are not available, ask for containers that are recyclable. Check with other businesses to see if they could reuse your pallets. Put an ad in the paper, signs in your yard, or notices on community bulletin boards letting people know you have shipping containers and pallets for reuse. Check your yellow pages under recycling for wood waste recyclers. 32. Equipment Life and Maintenance: Buy equipment and durable goods with longer warranties and service contracts, even if the initial cost is slightly higher. Maintain your equipment properly; repair instead of replace it. 33. Purchase Remanufactured Products: Buy equipment and products that have been remanufactured. These products usually come with a maintenance warranty. Many rental companies regularly sell equipment that is in good shape. Have your copy machines and laser printers serviced by toner cartridge refilling and/or remanufacturing companies. Reink computer printer and typewriter ribbons, where possible. 34. Borrow, Share or Rent Equipment: Rental shops lend just about any type of equipment. If you frequently need equipment but cannot afford or justify its purchase, check with neighboring businesses or similar businesses to see if you can set up a sharing or borrowing agreement. 35. Buy Reusable Supplies: Use refillables and rechargeables instead of disposables (i.e., cartridge pens, rechargeable batteries, etc.). 36. Procurement Guidelines: Establish procurement guidelines, for example: Whenever feasible, company XYZ will purchase products: 31. Ordering Materials: Buy in bulk, larger sizes, or in concentrated form whenever possible. Request that less or no individual packaging be used in your shipments. 6

7 STEP 4: WASTE REDUCTION THROUGH PACKAGING Your purchasing agent can make special arrangements or agreements with your suppliers to reduce the volume of product and distribution packaging used in your shipments. This might even influence your suppliers to begin this activity with all of their customers. On the other hand, if your business generates product and/or distribution packaging, you may want to address the issue of redesigning your packaging to reduce volume and weight and/or to make it recyclable (refer to STEP 5 for more information): There are three types of packaging you ll see in your business: 37. Packaging Wastes from 38. Product and Distribution Items Consumed in your place Packaging: Product and distribuof Business: Examples of this tion packaging generated in your type of waste are beverage or food facility by unwrapping products containers, chemical packaging and components made and and office supplies. packed elsewhere. Examples are pallets, plastic film, strapping, Reduction Strategy: Your crates and corrugated cardboard. purchasing agent can request a reduction in the volume of this type Reduction Strategy: Your of waste through contract specifi- purchasing agent can work coopcation or through a special ar- eratively with your suppliers to rangement with your suppliers. reduce the volume of packaging Buying in bulk often reduces the waste. For example, request that volume of individual packaging, but all Styrofoam block packing be make sure you request less substituted with cardboard or packaging when you place an shredded paper. order. 39. Packaging Wastes Originating from Your Own Products: Examples of this are misprinted containers, film bags or boxes. Reduction Strategy: The management of your company has the most control over this type of packaging. It may be possible to introduce process alternatives that reduce the amount of materials used and that improve efficiency of production. Even so, when errors are unavoidable, this type of waste is likely to yield a clean, recyclable material. Henry Ford had transmission shipping crates built to his specs, including drilled holes. When knocked down, they provided him with custom fit floor boards for his Model A.

8 STEP 5: SOURCE REDUCTION THROUGH PRODUCT AND PACKAGING REDESIGN When faced with the decision to redesign a product or packaging for source reduction, manufacturers have several issues to consider. The first is to avoid compromising quality and customer satisfaction. Manufacturing costs due to changes in production and marketing are also important factors. Redesigning a product or packaging for source reduction and/or recyclability is a bold step, and one whose time has come. Consumers are demanding that products be environmentally kind. When you redesign your product and its packaging to reduce waste, you will attract new customers. For example, vendors of health and beauty products have begun bottling their products in recyclable and/or reusable containers, and have stopped using unnecessary boxes or bags. Retailers of these products have begun offering recycling and refilling programs for these product lines. In many instances, business has increased as customers become aware of the recyclability and reusability of these products. The following suggestions can help you rethink your product and packaging designs and manufacturing processes. 40. Produce a concentrated product. 41. Produce in bulk or in large sizes. 42. Combine functions of more than one product. 43. Produce fewer models or styles. 44. Increase your product s lifespan. 45. Remanufacture and/or repair your product for resale. 46. Produce your product so consumers can reuse the container. 47. Use environmentally preferred materials or processes. 48. Offer a recycling and/or refilling program for your product and its container and/or packaging. 49. Design your product and its packaging to be easily recycled (e.g.: avoid non-water soluble glues, don t mix plastic resins, and reduce the amount of glue used on labels and carton seals). 50. Ask yourself if your product really needs a package. The money you save by not producing an extra layer of packaging could make the effort worthwhile. 8