Volume Number 39 • Spring 2002

In this issue: Spring Cleaning for your Business

Pre-Owned, Refurbished or Just Plain Used Looking to fill-up or free-up some office space? Think used!...... Page 3 Leftovers...Again? NEWSLETTER What can be done with food ? Tips for restaurants, grocery stores and other businesses...... Page 4 Better Landscaping...is Better Business Getting green with your landscaping can save you some money and help the environment...... Page 5 Supplies & Demand Setting up an office reuse system can save you time, money and headaches...... Page 7

Leftover pie: What King County businesses throw HAZARDOUSHAZARDOUS away. See our “pie” chart on pages 4–5.

toto YourYour HealthHealth Call the Green Works hotline (206-296-8800) for information he Surgeon General King County offers free assistance to and free assistance on ways to hasn’t slapped a warning help businesses identify and manage their reduce & recycle pieces of your pie. T label on the side of your hazardous . In some cases, we’ll building, but chances are your even offer you an incentive. The Voucher business could be gener- Incentive Program is available exclusively ating . to businesses that generate small quantities Even if you’re not using of hazardous waste. (See page 6 for an article toxic chemicals in the about this program.) Spring Into course of your business, If you have hazardous waste, you may have cleaning here’s how we recommend Action supplies, paints or pesticides dealing with it. (See the Take a look back at last year’s on site (see the checklist on page list on page 2 for accumulation of unused sup- 6). Basically, once a product contact information plies, unwanted furniture and becomes a ‘waste’, it may on all of the resources hazardous wastes. Wondering be considered hazardous mentioned below.) how to “spring into action” to if it displays a warning deal with it? Check out this Reduce label indicating contents edition of the Green Works The most effective that are flammable, newsletter for useful informa- way to deal with caustic, dangerous, hazard- tion, tips and resources. products that are ous or poisonous. This newsletter can also considered hazardous Although hazardous help you plan ahead. To is to stop using the waste represents only a minimize next year’s “spring materials all together. small portion of the total cleaning” — and reduce your Reducing your use of these products or business waste stream — waste disposal costs —you can: keeping them out of your door in the just four-tenths of one • Set up an office supply first place is called “ prevention.” percent — even relatively reuse program; Pollution prevention helps you comply small amounts of toxic • Reduce use of hazardous with hazardous waste laws — and can save materials can seriously materials; and your business money. It’s worth looking pollute the ecosystem. • Use (or ask your land- at your processes and products to see Furthermore, special rules scaping service to use) where you can reduce regulated apply to the handling and composting and other materials. The price of chemicals and disposal of anything considered resource-friendly strategies their disposal is steadily rising, so any for your organic wastes. a hazardous waste. Since reduction in chemical use should reduce hazardous waste can’t typically Call our hotline (206-296- your costs and the risk of exposure for be thrown in the garbage or 8800) for more information your employees. poured down the drain, what’s a and free assistance on any of story continues inside business to do? these topics. HAZARDOUSHAZARDOUS Hazardous toto YourYour HealthHealth Waste continued from front page Resources Here are a couple of examples: treatment-specific guidance covering the following strategies: carbon “adsorption;” • Replace solvent cleaners with detergent Pollution Prevention cleaners. If you are cleaning parts in a elementary neutralization; evaporation; Local Hazardous solvent-based parts washing tank, switch filtration; separation; and solidification. Program in King County to detergent cleaner in a cabinet Copies are available from Ecology’s www.metrokc.gov/hazwaste washer, allowing you to recapture your Northwest Regional Office by calling 425- 206-263-3050 cleaning solutions and save hundreds 649-7000, or on their website at www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/hwtr/reg_comp_guide/pages/ of dollars a year. Pollution Prevention Resource Center treatment_page.html. • Use alternatives to aerosol spray www.pprc.org cleaners and degreasers. Try a soapy Disposal 206-352-2050 rag instead. It’s often more than You can contract with a permitted haz- enough to do the job. ardous waste management facility, also IMEX (Industrial Materials Exchange) known as a treatment, storage, disposal www.metrokc.gov/hazwaste/imex Recycle 206-296-4899 If you can’t eliminate hazardous or facility (or TSDR). Since the products, your next best option may be business that generates the waste is legally to recycle them. responsible for the ultimate fate of that Recycling & Treatment waste, it’s important to select reputable Some products, like fluorescent lamps, Business Waste Line can be recycled easily. And by recycling companies. www.metrokc.gov/hazwaste/lhwmp/bwl.html them, your hazardous waste handling King County’s Hazardous Waste 206-296-3976 requirements become less stringent. A Directory (a.k.a. The Yellow Book) local Seattle recycler, Ecolights Northwest, provides information on how to handle Hazardous Waste Library recycles fluorescent lights and batteries, each waste type and also lists reputable www.metrokc.gov/hazwaste/hwl as well as mercury thermostats and waste vendors. 206-263-3051 switches. More information is available at Although the Yellow Book is a great www.ecolights.com. resource, individual waste vendors may Disposal You might also find that your trash is become out of compliance with the state How to Choose a Hazardous someone else’s treasure. Through IMEX, from time to time. It is the responsibility Waste Vendor the Industrial Materials Exchange, of each business to audit prospective waste www.metrokc.gov/hazwaste/yb/ybchoose.html businesses can list items they no longer vendors in Washington State by contacting the Records Division of the Department need but which might be useful to another Hazardous Waste Directory company. Accessible on-line or via a of Ecology at 360-407-6040, or P.O. Box (a.k.a. The Yellow Book) printed directory, exchange listings are 47658, Olympia, 98504-7658. You can www.metrokc.gov/hazwaste/yb/ybwdlist.html directed into two categories: Available and request a copy of the vendor’s most recent Wanted. Not all the listings involve inspection report. Business Waste Line hazardous waste, but categories include Shine www.metrokc.gov/hazwaste/lhwmp/bwl.html 206-296-3976 acids, paints and coatings, oils and waxes, Once you’ve identified your hazardous laboratory chemicals and solvents. wastes and started managing them, King Treating Your Hazardous Wastes County can help you shine! EnviroStars Incentives You or your hazardous waste vendor may is a regional program that certifies EnviroStars be able to reduce the volume of your qualifying businesses for their efforts to www.envirostars.org waste or make it less hazardous by treating prevent pollution and reduce hazardous 877-220-7827 it. Treating it can greatly reduce your waste. Certified businesses receive 206-263-3080 costs for disposal. Laboratories are best recognition and marketing benefits in suited for handling waste in this way. the form of awards, Internet promotion, Voucher Incentive Program (VIP) Under certain conditions, the mention in radio commercials, www.metrokc.gov/hazwaste/lhwmp/voucher.html 206-263-3038 Washington State Department of Ecology newspaper ads and other media. Contact (Ecology) encourages on-site EnviroStars and learn more about treatment of hazardous how to let your customers know wastes. Ecology offers six that you’re an environmentally “Focus Sheets” with sound business. Page 2 Pre-owned, Refurbished oror JustJust PlainPlain UsedUsed

et’s face it — furnishing an office is expensive. Sure, sometimes L it’s critical to buy job-specific Refurbishing technology off the shelf, but does that Another option is to refurbish new desk really need to be factory-fresh? your existing office furniture. Read on for help finding better, less- Refurbishing offers financial, expensive options. aesthetic and environmental benefits. Buying Used According to the Office Used office furniture stores offer just Furniture Recyclers Forum, about everything you need to outfit an prices for remanufactured office — lobby chairs, break room furniture typically range from 30 to 50 tables, cubicles, desks, credenzas, file percent less than new furniture — and cabinets and conference tables... some the quality has steadily increased. Recycling Database, select Furniture and even stock various electronics and Quality “systems” furniture is a press submit to run the search. phones. And don’t be fooled into valuable asset, usually built to last. It On the other side of the coin, your thinking this gear looks like the includes cubicle dividers, desktops, company may be looking for a way to equivalent of a rusted-out ‘56 Chevy. shelving, filing and storage units shed some office furniture. Don’t risk With a little hunting you can find integrated into attractive, space-efficient your back dragging old steel desks down equipment maintained in near perfect designs. to the loading dock for recycling! There condition, or refurbished to like-new New fabrics and finishes applied to are better options, including: standards. used systems furniture can enhance and And in the past year or so there has • Offer your pre-owned stock to local update your office’s look, at a substantial actually been a glut of high-quality used used office furniture stores. savings over new furnishings. Work office furnishings available in the Seattle • Visit neighboring businesses to gauge surfaces can be re-laminated, panels area, due to a number of high-tech their interest in purchasing your resurfaced or reupholstered, and metal companies that have scaled back or equipment. fixtures stripped and repainted. gone out of business. • Check with local non-profits looking for a donation of quality used furniture and equipment. • Sell your used furniture through the We can sav classified ads. e • Visit the Green Works website at money & get www.metrokc.gov/greenworks, click on Reuse some gre and Recycling Database, select Furniture at stuff! and press submit. Here you will find businesses and nonprofits willing to accept your old office furnishings Where to Look and supplies. Some restrictions apply, You can check your local Yellow Pages so call ahead for details. under Office Furniture & Equipment– Give used office furniture a second life. Repair & Refurbish and Office Furniture You’ll be doing yourself — and the & Equipment–Used. Or, for a quick list planet — a favor. of sources, go to our website at www.metrokc.gov/greenworks. Click on Reuse and

Page 3 Getting Down & Dirty Leftovers...Leftovers... Again?Again? iners don’t always clean their To find out how, go to www.metrokc.gov/ high-tech systems that can handle up plates. Grocery produce doesn’t greenworks, click on the Reuse and Recycling to 20,000 pounds of a wide range of D always sell before it goes bad. For Database, then check Organics–Pre-consumer food waste per day. In a short time, these these, and a number of other reasons, food waste and press submit. food are turned into high-quality food waste accounts for a whopping 13.4 . For more information on Compost it percent of the waste from non-residential worm bins and in-vessel composting Compost is a natural organic material sources. It’s one of the largest components systems, please call King County Green produced when microorganisms break of business waste ending up in the . Works at 206-296-8800, or visit Seattle down organic materials such as food and (Check out the pie chart below.) Tilth website to find sources for red yard waste. Some haulers collect food But there are better, cheaper ways for worms, www.seattletilth.org. wastes separately for composting. If your businesses to handle their “organic” Food wastes comprise a large amount business is in the southern part of King leftovers. of the waste in our — and can County, you can get pre-consumer food take up a sizeable portion of your Avoid waste in the first place service from Waste dumpster as well. It’s worth the time Those in the restaurant and food industry Management-Rainier (206-243-4050) at and money to look for other ways to should first explore simple, cost-effective lower costs than regular garbage deal with compostable waste. The ways to prevent waste. Besides educating collection fees. Unfortunately, similar environment (and some well-fed employees on rotating produce stock to service for other parts of King County worms!) will benefit, too. minimize loss, look for practical ways to has yet to be identified. For more information on any of the use food more efficiently, such as Hands-on options for recycling food above topics, or for free technical eliminating plate garnishes that won’t wastes include a worm bin or an in-vessel assistance, call the Green Works hotline be consumed. For more information, call composting system. These systems enable at 206-296-8800. Green Works at 206-296-8800 to request you to recycle your food waste on-site, a copy of “Recipes to Prevent Waste in thus eliminating disposal costs while also Restaurants.” providing your own soil amendment. Systems range from very Don’t throw it away—give it away simple 15-gallon Consider donating your surplus to food plastic worm banks and distribution centers. Demand bins to for food donations is up, so your contribution is vital. Food is normally transported in temperature-controlled vehicles and donors are protected from liability by federal and state “Good Samaritan” laws.

Page 4 BetterBetter Landscaping...Landscaping... isis BetterBetter BusinessBusiness n business, sometimes everything’s • Do they test the soil? A core sample • Do they design gardens for the coming up roses, but occasionally can reveal the organic content of your environment? Plants should be suitable I it’s just grass and weeds. Whether soil and provide clues to needed for the Northwest — drought-tolerant, your business is a storefront with a nutrients. pest-resistant, and proper for the planting strip, or a corporate campus • Do they prepare the soil properly with specific site, whether it’s sunny, shady with extensive grounds, you have soil amendments like compost and or sloped. landscaping to manage. other soil amendments? Two to four • Do they provide efficient irrigation Most businesses hire professional inches of compost, tilled down to solutions? Drip irrigation systems and landscapers to maintain their grounds. between six and twelve inches, will keep soaker hoses for planting beds — and But poor landscaping practices can lead your plants healthy and vigorous. timers that water lawns at optimal times to big environmental problems. Ask the • Do they mulch your planting beds? to reduce evaporation —can significant- proper questions when hiring a Leaves, wood chips, bark or compost ly reduce water consumption. landscape firm. help control weeds, prevent erosion, • Do they offer alternative approaches • Do they grasscycle (mulch mow) by keep the soil moist and gradually to herbicides and pesticides? There leaving clippings on your lawn? Yard distribute natural fertilizer. are a number of ways to reduce weeds waste is one of the largest • Do they use natural organic or slow and garden pests without chemicals. components in the business waste release fertilizers? Soluble or “quick Look for a landscaper that can recom- stream, accounting for 4.7 percent release” fertilizers tend to overfeed mend an “organic” or environmentally of King County non-residential totals. plants, with the excess running off into sensitive approach. Leaving clippings improves lawn streams and lakes. Slow release So stop and smell the roses. Whether you health and reduces the use of products don’t run off as easily, and use a professional landscape service or fertilizer and water. last throughout the growing season. manage your own green space, ask the right questions. The right answers and actions can reduce yard waste, improve Pieces of soil heath, conserve water, cut down on hazardous chemicals — and save money. the Pie For more information about why each of these questions is important — and King County how to assess the answers you receive — Non-Residential call the King County Hazardous Waste Garbage: Management Program at 206-263- 3050 to request a copy of “How To Choose A Landscape Company”. Visit • Food Waste 13.4% www.metrokc.gov/soils for information about the • Yard Waste 4.7% • Hazardous Waste .4% benefits of composting. • Wood 10.8% • Other Organics 9.4% (textiles, tires, etc.) • Cardboard 9.0% • Newspaper 3.5% Rake • Other Paper 17.0% • Plastics 11.2% in the • Metals 7.1% benefits • Glass 2.7% • Other Waste 11.0% (ashes, furniture, appliances, etc.)

Page 5 Hazardous Wastes Hazardous Waste GetGet RidRid Checklist ofof themthem You may not think that your business generates hazardous waste. But a Properly,Properly, glance through the list below will reveal just how many commonly used materials and Get Reimbursed! are hazardous. Learn more about proper t ’s staring you in the face. Your handling of each of business generates small quantities of these hazardous hazardous waste, but not too much — wastes —and I less than 220 pounds per month. You many more — at know it’s not safe to dump it, but you improvements in your waste handling. www.metrokc.gov/ figure it will be expensive to handle, Voila —you’re eligible for reimbursement hazwaste/smallbiz assuming you knew how. So it sits there of up to 50% of the hazardous materials • Acids while you fret, worry and wait. management costs — to a maximum of • Adhesives The waste may still be staring you in the $500 per business site. • Antifreeze face, but so is the answer. It’s the Voucher In the past five years, over 1,200 King • Asbestos Incentive Program offered by the Local County businesses classified as SQGs • Batteries Hazardous Waste Management Program’s (Small Quantity Generators) have received • Biomedical wastes (LHWMP). more than $400,000 in reimbursements. • Bleach, cleaners, detergents Here’s how it works. To qualify, your Shouldn’t you get in on this worthwhile and disinfectants • Compressed gas containers business must be located in King County. program, one that protects the • Fluorescent lighting As mentioned above, you can’t produce environment and your pocketbook? • Formaldehyde more than 220 pounds of haz-waste per LHWMP participants include: King • Freon (refrigeration) month, or per batch. You request a site County Solid Waste Division; King County • Fuel and gasoline, used oil visit from an LHWMP field representative. Water and Land Resources Division; cities • Inks and dyes It’s a non-regulatory visit — LHWMP in King County; the City of Seattle; and • Laboratory chemicals doesn’t issue fines or citations. You the Public Health Department of Seattle • Paint agree to implement recommended and King County. • Photographic chemicals For more information about the • Solvents Voucher Incentive Program, call Patrick • Thermostats with mercury Hoermann at 206-263-3038 or e-mail him at [email protected] .

Dumped on at the Office Your A humorous look at the misadventures of a wasteful office worker business is probably generating hazardous waste

The moral of the story — Woodrow had the right intentions, but didn’t know that there are safer, better methods for handling hazardous wastes. See resources on page 2 for help. Page 6 Recycling Setting up an of Recycling fice reuse system... Supplies & Demand t’ s a common occur rence at the office ruler or your scissors, and you can’ . Someone borrows your stapler W , your a t track them down. Or you need some file s & R folders, but the cupboard is bare. What do you do? Y t I e R to order more supplies. ou ask the office manager e e u There is a better du — and cheaper s — way e you may think. T . Set up an office reuse system. It’ c ake it from the King County Solid W s easier than t i a successful reuse program at their King Street Centeraste office Division that provides a model of o — they implemented n efficiency for businesses ever ywhere. Here is how it works for them.

Find your A successful supply of a particular item. Let co-workers “champion” reuse station know they can call the program needs an advocate, someone who believes in the coordinator with questions. concepts of waste reduction and reuse Someone and will make the effort to implement a Maintain needs to program. The office manager is a natural the station regularly choice, but anyone that has the time and tidy the inclination to coordinate the program area. Do some quality control to make can make it work. This program sure the materials available are of good “champion” should become your quality. If your reuse center turns into a company expert on reuse principles and junk heap and usable supplies are difficult information. His or her efforts should be to find, people won’t come back. recognized as the company saves time, Hang a money and resources. Measure us clipboard Most reuse e in your ptable stations reuse station Define acce for people to mark down what types of include materials materials they’re using from the site. Ever three-ring binders, file folders, hanging folders and so often, collect these sheets and makey their tabs, envelopes, scratch pads, desk a tally. Let your co-workers know how organizers, mouse pads, lamps, note cards, many binders, etc. were re-used and staplers, Styrofoam packing peanuts or approximately how much money it saved bubble wrap, rubber bands and the company. calculators. There’s a Display one Get ou reative lot of room t the word attractive, Be C to be inno- printed sign vative and labeling the reuse station. Locate make the office supply reuse concept additional signs in other parts of the office meet the needs of your office. For to point folks in the right direction. example, businesses with more than one Send out an inaugural e-mail or posting location might consider a system of intra- in your internal newsletter office “supply swaps.” Supplies not needed . Let people know the basic ground rules of the station. in one location are shipped out to a Occasional follow-up emails are helpful location that needs them. Or you may to remind staff when certain materials are also want to offer intra-office mail ser vice, running low, or when there is an abundant allowing easy pick up and deliver y of reusable materials.

For more tips on reducing and reusing wast e , call King County Green W Page 7 orks at 206-296-8800. PRSRT STD Solid Waste Division U.S. Postage 201 South Jackson Street, Suite 701 PAID Seattle, WA 98104-3855 Seattle, WA Permit No. 14146

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your questions, story ideas or other suggestions and comments. and suggestions other or ideas story questions, your

sus_build/CDLguide.pdf by the Solid Waste Division or King County. Please send us send Please County. King or Division Waste Solid the by . The directory lists resources and resources lists directory The

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conservation. County Solid Waste Division. Inside Division. Waste Solid County or answers to your questions over questions your to answers or

also provide information and referrals on energy and water and energy on referrals and information provide also

Landclearing program of the King the of program Landclearing landclearing). For a personal copy, personal a For landclearing).

office waste, contact our business assistance team. We can We team. assistance business our contact waste, office

the Construction, Demolition and Demolition Construction, the metals, fluorescent lights, fluorescent metals, recycled content products or finding recycling vendors for vendors recycling finding or products content recycled

cities. If your business needs help reducing waste, locating waste, reducing help needs business your If cities. Directory is available, courtesy of courtesy available, is Directory accepted (i.e. wood, concrete, wood, (i.e. accepted

County Solid Waste Division along with partnering suburban partnering with along Division Waste Solid County

County Construction Recycling Construction County well as by type of materials of type by as well

assistance program for businesses. It is sponsored by the King the by sponsored is It businesses. for program assistance

2002 Seattle/ King Seattle/ 2002 – 2001 The services by geographic area, as area, geographic by services King County Green Works Green County King is a waste prevention and recycling and prevention waste a is

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Building a Recycling Director Director Recycling Recycling a a Building Building Building a Recycling Directory Recycling a Building y

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