4 Section I: Waste Reduction Options AND reduce operational costs. Just deciding What is Waste Reduction? to make informed choices about source ny action you take to reduce the amount and/or reduction, waste reuse and recycling strategies toxicity of waste. It includes waste prevention, is a great start! Arecycling and composting, as well as purchasing and manufacturing goods that have recycled content or produce less waste. Did You Know? It doesn’t have to be complicated. You don’t have to get bogged down in a comprehensive plan. A complex With a 64 percent national recycling approach to developing a waste reduction program rate, nearly all the steel made in the would be to review all business operations to identify United States and in the world is made and implement as many opportunities for reducing from scrap. waste as possible. However, the implementation of any strategy will result in economic and environmental Many steel products are recycled at benefits for a business. You don’t have to construct a high rate in North Carolina, though an expensive waste management facility. Just start less than 20 percent of steel cans were somewhere. recovered in 2001. Make a plan to lower waste removal costs. Decide to Look at Appendix B “Recycling A-Z” to lower expenditures on raw materials, office supplies, and see what can be recycled. equipment. Streamline your operations to reduce waste Ways to reduce waste (in order of importance) include: 1 Reduce 2 Reuse 3 Recycle Do anything you can to prevent Focus on reusing materials Use a material again to make waste generation from the source. again in their original forms. another product. Source reduction should be your first Many reuse options eliminate • Turn recycled tires into strategy before recycling, since it will the transportation, energy materials for cushioning save you the most money and have and resource requirements playgrounds the greatest positive effect on the associated with recycling • Turn plastic bottles into environment. For example, you can: alternatives. It’s easy to: clothing or plastic lumber. • Purchase or produce items in • Reuse office furniture • Turn newspapers into just the quantity needed • Re-label file folders insulation • Choose items that use less • Remanufacture toner packaging cartridges • Avoid using a material altogether • Choose items that have a longer life and can be readily recycled .