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Prevent Packaging Waste for Your Business and the Environment

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Prevent Packaging Waste for Your Business and the Environment revent.. Packaging. .. Waste. A practical guide for cost savings and environmental benefits of re-evaluating business packaging You'll Learn: Why packaging waste affects your bottom line How packaging trends enhance business and the environment Best ways to cut packaging waste How to get employees and suppliers on your side Snohomish County Public Works Solid Waste Management September 1995 Prevent Packaging Waste for Your Business and the Environment C ommon barriers and solutions: "There isn't anything my business can do."f Businesses can do more than they may realize. Packaging waste makes up one-third of all commercial garbage, making it an easy place for businesses to improve their waste manage- ment practices and reduce the costs associated with waste disposal and packaging. "We already tried this a few years ago." Technology is continually changing. New packaging products are readily available that can save you money by decreasing the amount of material used, using recycled content, and increasing recyclability. Competition among packaging suppliers has also increased. Many of your suppliers may be willing to work with you to design a new package with less material or with recycled materials because they don't want to lose your business. The movement toward products that are environmentally responsible is in full-swing. In the last few years, markets for recycled and recyclable materials have drastically changed and companies want to be viewed as doing the right thing. "Our company recycles, we've already done our part." Recycling is only the begenning of the changes your business can make to save money and be environmentally responsible. Consider eliminating unnecessary routine packaging. Many companies fear that if they change anything about their product the customer will not like it. Throughout this project, we found that many packaging reductions were viewed favorably by customers and often presented promotional opportunities. Further, by purchasing packaging materials that have recycled content you are helping sustain the markets for the materials that you are recycling. The greater the demand for products made with recycled content, the more demand there will be for your recyclables. This helps reduce your disposal, costs and the price of new recycled content products. Prevent Packaging Waste A practical guide for cost savings and environmental benefits of re-evaluating business packaging Snohomish County Executive: Robert J. Drewel Public Works Department: Peter Hahn, Public Works Director Jeff Kelley-Clarke, Solid Waste Utility Director Suellen Mele, Recycling and Waste Prevention Coordinator Rey Sundal, Project Manager Deb Aardahl, Graphic Designer Prepared by: Sound Resource Management Group, Inc. Seattle, WA 206-622-9454 Principal Author: Jim Jensen Acknowledgments: The authors wish to thank the following companies and individuals for their assistance during the project: Dave Stitzel, Full Circle Environmental, Inc. Jennie Carton, Carton Environmental Systems Jim Haberzetle, TR Zetco Doug Dirksen, Packaging Resources Jamie Green, Packaging Alternatives Carol Jenderzak, Packaging Engineer For additional copies of this guide, please contact: Snohomish County Public Works Solid Waste Management Division 2930 Wetmore Avenue Everett, WA 98201-4044 Persons with disabilities may request this information in alternative forms by calling the numbers below. For waste prevention, recycling, and disposal information: Call (206) 388-3425 or 1-800-562-4367, extension 3425. (Hearing/speech impaired call WA Relay Center at 1-800-833-6388.) Contents—What You’ll Learn Packaging Waste Affects Your Bottom Line ................................................................... 1 See what packaging waste costs you Case Study # 1: Composite Materials Chooses Reusable Solution ................................. 3 What is the Problem with Packaging? .............................................................................. 5 Learn how packaging contributes to solid waste and other environmental problems Trends in Packaging .................................................................................................................... 7 Discover how current trends can help you Case Study #2: The Footzone —“Repeat Feet” ............................................................... 10 Packaging Waste Prevention Principles ......................................................................... 11 Four principles to apply in everyday decisions Case Study # 3: Alpine Windows Eliminates Glass Packaging ..................................... 12 Case Study #4: JanSport—When More Means Less ....................................................... 15 Tips for Preventing Packaging Waste .............................................................................. 16 Clues for taking advantage of savings in packaging Case Study #5: Fluke Packaging Committee Leads The Way ....................................... 17 Case Study # 6: Milgard Windows Coordinates Savings In Several Areas ................. 23 Packaging Material Vendors Sources of less wasteful packaging ........................................ 24 Other Resources Books, magazines and organizational support .......................................... ..... 28 References ...................................................................................................................................... 30 This paper is recycled and recyclable. Packaging Waste Affects Your Bottom Line Waste can be easy to ignore. If managers Nonrecyclable packaging increases your consider it at all, they often think of used customer's disposal costs and reflects poorly packaging in their trash as a necessary cost of on your product and company. business. Business people who must choose Litter from fast-food and other kinds of dis- packaging for the products they sell may not posable packaging is a form of environmental take time to leam all the options or consider pollution that creates a negative public image. the environmental costs of their decisions. The realities of business economics and competi- A major challenge for businesses everywhere is tion, however, have a way of making managers to reduce costs and stay competitive. One way see the obvious: to effectively meet this challenge is through careful management of solid waste, especially waste sts packaging which is a large component of the business money. waste stream. This guide provides information for use by managers in engineering, marketing, purchasing, facilities, and solid waste and recycling. The guide provides basic strategies to prevent packaging waste, as well as ex- Costs of amples of companies that have successfully packaging waste implemented packaging changes, resulting in practical and environmental benefits. Look at some of the many ways that packaging waste you receive affects your profitability: The costs of packaging with excess weight or unnecessary materials are passed on to you he Snohomish County through higher prices. T Wasted packaging means more garbage and Packaging Waste higher disposal costs. Recycling old packaging is great, but it can also Prevention Project cost time and money. In 1994, the Snohomish County Public Works Solid Waste Management Division, in Everett, Now, look at some of the ways your own WA, sponsored the Packaging Waste Preven- packaging choices affect your profitability and tion Project. This unique project was developed competitiveness: to match different types of businesses, both Unnecessary, or dual, packaging adds more to large and small, with packaging experts who materials and production costs. could help identify opportunities to improve Extra weight or material adds to transporta- the economic and environmental benefits of tion costs. packaging, while maintaining functionality and Bulky packaging means more storage and han- performance characteristics. dling costs. Disposable or one-use packaging costs more The County contracted with a group of envi- in the long-run because of the raw materials, ronmental consultants to conduct the project. energy, and other resources used in its produc- Led by Sound Resource Management Group, tion, distribution, and disposal. Seattle, WA, the project team also included Full Packaging that won't meet environmental regulations in other states or countries can limit your markets. Circle Environmental and Carton Environmen- guide, except to offer their individual experi- tal Services. The consultants received impor- ences as case studies. Inclusion in the list does tant assistance from a variety of packaging not mean the businesses approved or endorsed vendors, notably Packaging Resources and TR the contents of this guide. Zetco. The project team interviewed several dozen companies about packaging issues and eventu- he opportunities for ally identified 26 companies to receive direct T technical assistance. The participating busi- savings can be enormous nesses included manufacturers, wholesale and Many businesses participating in the distribution companies, retail businesses, and Snohomish County Packaging Waste Preven- service companies. The list provided below tion Project realized significant savings using illustrates the range of businesses involved. simple procedures to look more carefully at the packaged goods they received and sent. Brief Alfy's Pizza, Everett case studies throughout this guide provide Alpine Widows, Bothell details of the benefits to participating Boeing Commercial Group/Everett businesses. Ceramic Arts, Mukilteo Composite
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