United States Solid Waste and
Environmental Protection Emergency Response EPA/530-F-92-016
Agency (OS-305) October 1992
Office of Solid Waste
&EPA Environmental
Fact Sheet
MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE
PREVENTION IN FEDERAL AGENCIES
On October 31, 1991, President Bush signed Executive Order 12780 on
Recycling, charging all Federal Agencies with promoting and integrating
cost-effective source reduction and recycling into waste management
programs. This fact sheet highlights the ample municipal solid waste
(MSW) reduction opportunities existing in Federal agencies. Source
reduction is the design, manufacture, purchase, or use of materials or
products (including packages) to reduce their amount or toxlcity before
they enter the waste stream.
Background
Many Federal agencies are setting up a variety of environmental management
programs which include energy efficient practices, modifications to procure-
ment specifications, and chiefly, recycling programs. Source reduction is
another vital component requiring attention. As MSW generators, and as
major consumers and purchasers of goods and services, Federal agencies can
significantly reduce the amount of waste they generate by incorporating source
reduction measures into their comprehensive waste management programs.
Source reduction is the preferred option for handling waste, ahead of recycling,
because it focuses on preventing waste at the source, before it is generated.
For this reason, Executive Order 12780 highlights the need to establish cost-
effective waste reduction programs in all Federal agency operations and
facilities.
Benefits of Preventing Waste
Reducing solid waste can lead to a host of benefits. First of all, the more waste
is reduced the less waste there is to manage. Source reduction practices can
lead directly to lower disposal costs, savings in materials and supply costs, and
increased efficiency in operation.
Printed on Recycled Paper
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United States Solid Waste and
Environmental Protection Emergency Response EPA/530-F-92-016
Agency (OS-305) October 1992
Office of Solid Waste
&EPA Environmental
Fact Sheet
MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE
PREVENTION IN FEDERAL AGENCIES
On October 31, 1991, President Bush signed Executive Order 12780 on
Recycling, charging all Federal Agencies with promoting and integrating
cost-effective source reduction and recycling into waste management
programs. This fact sheet highlights the ample municipal solid waste
(MSW) reduction opportunities existing in Federal agencies. Source
reduction is the design, manufacture, purchase, or use of materials or
products (including packages) to reduce their amount or toxicity before
they enter the waste stream.
Background
Many Federal agencies are setting up a variety of environmental management
programs which include energy efficient practices, modifications to procure-
ment specifications, and chiefly, recycling programs. Source reduction is
another vital component requiring attention. As MSW generators, and as
major consumers and purchasers of goods and services, Federal agencies can
significantly reduce the amount of waste they generate by incorporating source
reduction measures into their comprehensive waste management programs.
Source reduction is the preferred option for handling waste, ahead of recycling,
because it focuses on preventing waste at the source, before it is generated.
For this reason, Executive Order 12780 highlights the need to establish cost-
effective waste reduction programs in all Federal agency operations and
facilities.
Benefits of Preventing Waste
Reducing solid waste can lead to a host of benefits. First of all, the more waste
is reduced the less waste there is to manage. Source reduction practices can
lead directly to lower disposal costs, savings in materials and supply costs, and
increased efficiency in operation.
Printed on Recycled Paper
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Because source reduction uses less material, it can help protect the environ-
ment by slowing the depletion of natural resources, reducing pollution
associated with the manufacture of products, and conserving valuable landfill
space. Some source reduction measures remove hazardous components from
the waste stream, which is also environmentally desirable. These benefits
make source reduction a winner for the economy and the environment.
Principles of Waste Prevention
Federal agencies can reduce waste in a variety of ways. Many practices fall
into one of these three categories:
Reducing the amount or toxicity of materials. Examples include choosing
batteries with reduced mercury, using less packaging, and conserving paper
by promoting copy circulation instead of photocopying and using electronic
transfer of information.
Reusing products to increase their useful life. When a product is reused,
it is kept out of the trash for a longer period of time. Reuse activities include
using durable coffee mugs and dishes, making notepads from used paper,
reformatting used diskettes, and donating or exchanging used office supplies
with other offices within an agency. Reusing products often proves to be
more cost effective.
Repairing or using durable products. A product's useful life is extended if
it is durable and easily repairable. A longer product life means less waste
and less cost. Repair strategies include considering a product's repairability
or durability and checking for extended warranties before it is purchased,
recharging laser cartridges rather than purchasing new ones, and preventing
jams and toner problems by cleaning and servicing copiers regularly.
How Federal Agencies Are Preventing Waste
Even before the Executive Order was signed, EPA and other Federal agencies
had launched a number of significant institutional and individual changes to
prevent waste. These efforts range from the establishment of simple policies
that all employees can follow, to incorporating source reduction principles in
agency purchasing decisions. Highlights of these efforts follow.
EPA Chooses to Reduce!
In August 1989, EPA introduced a two-sided copying policy to reduce
photocopying costs. At that time, the Agency was producing over 300 million
photographic copies each year, translating to over two million dollars for paper
costs alone. EPA has since saved approximately 10 percent of the Agency's
total copying costs, conserved filing space and reduced postage.
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Here are some other examples of EPA source reduction efforts:
• Many offices are using an electronic voice mail system that reduces the
amount of paper used for communication and improves efficiency.
• An information center recently converted from using paper order forms to
a system that transmits document orders electronically to the remote
warehouse where orders are filled.
• Local merchants provide a five cent discount when EPA headquarters em-
ployees bring their own mug for coffee, rather than using a disposable cup.
• The in-house printshop is now using non-petroleum, vegetable-based inks
in an effort to use less toxic chemicals.
• An office supply exchange program enables employees to reuse office
supplies such as binders, manila folders, pens, internal mailing envelopes,
and in-boxes.
• A laboratory in Corvallis, Oregon, has donated 50 boxes of books, journals,
and publications to Czechoslovakia, and 68 boxes to Budapest. This lab also
reuses some organic solvents in laboratories.
• The Regional Office in Chicago found several ways to reuse letterhead
stationery and envelopes when their address changed. The office uses the
old letterhead for "in-house" memoranda, and has printed labels with the
new address to place over the old address on the envelopes.
DoD Cuts Paper Waste!
The Department of Defense is moving away from a paper-intensive mode to a
highly automated way of doing business. Througji a Computer-Aided
Acquisition and Logistics Support system, DoD is eliminating hard copies of
many of the technical documents in weapon system design and support (e.g.,
technical drawings and detailed maintenance manuals). This joint DoD-
industry initiative significantly reduces paper usage for both DoD and its
contractors, and improves work productivity and quality, while reducing costs
associated with making duplicate hard-copies.
USDA's Pood Distribution Program Conserves Materials!
As the largest purchaser of food products in the world, the Department of
Agriculture encourages manufacturers and shippers of food products to
consider the efficient use of raw materials in manufacturing packages or
products. USDA employs a purchasing preference for products with packaging
that create less waste (i.e., using less corrugated cardboard in shipping cases
and less plastic in packages).
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