Selected Goals of Wastewise Partners
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Planning Tools Selected Goals of WasteWise Partners SELECTED GOALS Ⅲ 1 Introduction Waste Prevention asteWise partners establish waste reduction goals in Waste prevention means using less material to do the same job, three areas: waste prevention, recycling, and buying or cutting waste before recycling. Wmanufacturing recycled-content products. This guide offers Waste prevention (also called source reduction) offers the suggestions to help organizations set quantifiable, achievable goals. The greatest environmental benefits sample goals, combined with partner success stories, illustrate successful and provides substantial cost savings to organizations. methods for reducing waste. Partners may use the ideas in this guide as a Examples of waste prevention catalyst for developing and expanding their own WasteWise goals. activities include using e-mail, reusing office supplies and Prior to selecting waste reduction goals, WasteWise encourages equipment, and reducing or reusing transport packaging. partners to conduct a waste assessment. The assessment will help WasteWise partners commit to partners identify the composition and quantities of waste they generate, as implementing three significant waste prevention activities. well as opportunities for reducing these wastes. The sample goals provided in this guide have been organized into the following function areas: Recyclables Ⅲ Office Setting Collection Ⅲ Cafeteria and Food Service WasteWise partners commit to initiating, expanding, or improving Ⅲ Distribution and Shipping of Products company programs to collect Ⅲ Purchasing and Receiving of Products recyclables. In some cases, Ⅲ Manufacturing and Production companies add new materials to an existing program, or they Ⅲ Maintenance, Housekeeping, Renovation, and Landscaping increase program efficiency Ⅲ General WasteWise Goals through employee education. Additional suggestions for waste reduction goals may be found in the industry sector fact sheets, now available on the WasteWise Web site Purchase or <www.epa.gov/wastewise>. The WasteWise Helpline (800 EPA-WISE) and Manufacture of WasteWise representatives are also available to answer questions Recycled Products regarding goal setting. Nonmanufacturing WasteWise partners commit to increasing the overall recycled content in the products they purchase, either by purchasing recycled products in lieu of virgin products or by increasing the recycled content in those recycled products they already buy. Manufacturers may either increase the percentage of postconsumer content in the products they make or increase the recycled content in the products they purchase. 2 Ⅲ SELECTED GOALS Electronics Challenge Function Area: In 2000, WasteWise launched the Office Setting electronics challenge to encourage the reuse and recovery of this growing aste from offices can account for a large percentage of part of the waste stream. an organization’s waste stream. Most office waste Partners pledged to: Wconsists of various forms of paper, such as stationery, copy paper, computer and printer paper, and cardboard. Smaller Ⅲ Refurbish and/or upgrade existing quantities of other materials such as plastic, metal, glass, and food electronic equipment instead of buying new equipment. waste also end up in office waste. Helpful suggestions for reducing Ⅲ Buy remanufactured equipment waste in the office setting are provided below. instead of new equipment. Ⅲ Buy equipment with recycled WASTE PREVENTION content. Reduce Ⅲ Contract with suppliers to lease Ⅲ Circulate memos, documents, periodicals, and reports rather electronics. than distributing individual copies Ⅲ Contract with suppliers to take back Ⅲ and reuse/recycle equipment as Keep files on diskette or microfiche part of new purchases. Ⅲ Maintain a centralized filing system Ⅲ Donate reusable electronic Ⅲ Communicate using voice or electronic mail equipment (e.g., to schools or other Ⅲ Purchase duplex copying machines and program copy machines nonprofit organizations). to default to duplex copies Ⅲ Recycle equipment from your Ⅲ Replace fax cover sheets with “stick-on” fax transmission organization that cannot be reused. stickers or use a rubber stamp to place transmittal information Ⅲ Sponsor or participate in a on the first pages of faxes collection event or program to help Ⅲ Conduct file transfers via computer others outside your organization Ⅲ Survey current computer reports to identify any unnecessary reuse or recycle electronic products. reports that could be eliminated Ⅲ Seek methods to reduce printing production errors Ⅲ Use smaller envelopes Electronics manufacturers also pledged Ⅲ Use narrow-ruled notebooks to additional goals, including some of Ⅲ Design brochures and advertising flyers with a mailing panel the following: instead of placing them in envelopes Review, edit, and finalize reports and letters on computer screen Ⅲ Redesign an electronic product so before printing that it can be more easily upgraded or remanufactured. Ⅲ Redesign an electronic product so that it can be easily disassembled and recycled at end of life. Ⅲ Use (or increase use of) recycled content materials in your products. SELECTED GOALS Ⅲ 3 Reuse Ⅲ Purchase reusable or refillable pens and pencils Ⅲ Reuse interoffice envelopes Ⅲ Convert scrap paper into telephone answering pads or scratch Kinko's, Inc. leases 92 percent pads of its copiers and printers and 82 Ⅲ Print drafts on the blank sides of used paper percent of its computers and Ⅲ Use an erasable memo or chalk board for messages finishing equipment, which Ⅲ Reuse office supplies through internal waste exchange lessens the environmental burden Ⅲ Repair old furniture and office equipment or donate it to charitable organizations associated with end-of-life Ⅲ Reuse file folders and ring binders electronics equipment. Ⅲ Return laser printer and copier toner cartridges for remanufacturing RECYCLING COLLECTION Blue Lake Rancheria tribe Ⅲ Place a recycling bin in each office conserved 40 pounds of printer Ⅲ Recycle glass, aluminum, and plastic beverage containers paper by reusing single-sided Ⅲ Suspend the use of colored paper if not easily recycled copies for draft printouts and in Ⅲ Establish “clean out your office” days and recycle items no the fax machine. longer needed Ⅲ Locate paper recycling containers near copiers, printers, and other large generators Ⅲ Recycle audio and video cassette tapes Amtrak saved $3,000 and eliminated 500 pounds of waste BUYING/MANUFACTURING RECYCLED by beginning a toner refill Ⅲ Purchase recycled-content office supplies program. Ⅲ Establish a team to investigate effectiveness of recycled-content paper for copiers Ⅲ Upgrade recycled-content paper purchases to include all envelopes, letterhead, and newsletters Ⅲ Increase postconsumer content of paper by setting specific Southern California Edison minimum requirements for postconsumer content purchased more than 45 tons of Ⅲ Commit to printing the organization’s annual report on paper recycled-content products, collected through organization recycling programs including 2,500 chairs with 100 Ⅲ Purchase transparencies made from recycled PET percent recycled content. 4 Ⅲ SELECTED GOALS Function Area: Cafeteria and Food Service Sandia National here are a full range of waste reduction activities that Laboratories prevented 209 cafeteria and food service operators can implement to help tons of solid waste by switching Treduce the amount of solid waste they generate. For to reusable cafeteria dishware, example, food waste can largely be reduced through proper saving the federal facility purchasing, handling, preparation, and storage. (Generation of food approximately $22,000 in 2000. wastes was estimated to be nearly 22 million tons in 1997).1 Other materials that can be reduced in the food service area include corrugated, steel and aluminum cans, glass, and plastics. The list The Los Angeles Unified below highlights many of the activities WasteWise partners have School District began an "offer initiated to reduce food service wastes. versus serve" program in which students can choose the food WASTE PREVENTION they would like to consume, Reduce preventing an estimated 13,646 Ⅲ Purchase food items in bulk containers tons of food waste. Ⅲ Replace individual soda cans or bottles with bulk dispensers Ⅲ Replace plastic coffee stirs with wooden stirs that can be composted Ⅲ The Walt Disney World Reduce plastic by using straw-style stir sticks for bar beverages instead of solid style sticks Company, located in Orlando, Ⅲ Reduce plastic wrap used with catering orders Florida, donated 200 tons of Ⅲ Provide condiments in bulk dispensers prepared food to the Second Ⅲ Give customers the option of straw or no straw with beverages Harvest Food Bank. Ⅲ Decrease weight of carry-out bags Ⅲ Purchase a new kind of butter to eliminate the foil wrapper California Integrated Waste Reuse Management Board Ⅲ Use durable towels, tablecloths, napkins, dishes, flatware, cups, composted 1.5 tons of food waste and glasses Ⅲ in vermicomposting bins located Reduce use of disposable cups by retrofitting drink vending machines to accept reusable plastic mugs outside of the cafeteria. Ⅲ Use reusable coasters instead of paper napkins when serving bar beverages Ⅲ Donate cafeteria food scraps for use as animal feed 1 Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: 1998 Update. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, p.47, 1999. SELECTED GOALS Ⅲ 5 Ⅲ Use reusable plastic trays instead of cardboard or polystyrene Ⅲ Encourage employees