xvEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5306)
EPA530-F-94-002
January 1994
WasteWise Tip Sheet
WasteWi$e Program
"Road Map"
What Is WasteWise?
How Do I
Participate in
WasteWise?
WasteWise is a voluntary partnership program between EPA and the busi-
ness community. The purpose of WasteWise is to spur substantial pro-
gress in reducing municipal solid waste by working with businesses to
identify and implement innovative and cost-saving waste reduction and
reuse programs. WasteWise participants commit (1) to implement three
significant waste prevention activities; (2) to expand or improve programs
to collect recyclables; and (3) to increase the purchase and/or manufacture
of products with recycled content. Participants establish their own goals
in each of the three program areas, monitor their progress, and report an-
jiually on the results. WasteWise is designed as an ongoing program in
which companies annually set and achieve new waste reduction goals.
Companies may terminate their participation in WasteWise at any time.
EPA provides technical assistance to WasteWise members, as well as
recognition for waste reduction achievements in press materials and pub-
lic service announcements, in case studies featuring exemplary accom-
plishments, in EPA's solid waste newsletter, Reusable News, and in other
EPA reports. Participants also may publicize their WasteWise participa-
tion and use the WasteWise logo. In addition, each company will receive
a WasteWise certificate upon achieving their initial goals.
1. Sign Up. Simply fill out and return the one-page enrollment form.
To do this, you will need to obtain the signature of a senior official who
can commit your company to a waste reduction effort and identify the fa-
cilities that are likely to be included in your initial waste reduction ef-
forts. You can start with one facility or division, or include all company
operations in initial efforts. If you do start with a subset of facilities, you
can always expand your efforts later.
2. Get Started. EPA suggests that you conduct a waste assessment of
company facilities and operations to identify feasible, cost-effective waste
reduction options. Depending on your waste reduction objectives and
available resources, the waste assessment can be as brief as a quick walk-
through in one department, or as comprehensive as a complete review of
all company purchasing, materials use, and disposal practices.
3. Choose Your Goals and Take Action. After determining the
waste reduction efforts your company will undertake, fill out the at-
tached Goals Identification Form and return it to EPA. Please be as spe-
cific as possible in outlining the actions you plan to take. For example, if
one of your waste prevention goals is to reduce paper use, please indicate
the specific types of actions you plan to take, such as instituting a two-sided
Recycled/Recyclable
Printed on paper that contains at least 50% recyc/ed fiber.
-------
copying policy company-wide or using central bulletin boards to post
memos rather than widely distributing them. EPA will provide targeted
technical information, as available, to assist you in meeting your goals.
4. Share Your Results. Many factors will determine how long it takes
to achieve your initial waste reduction goals. You decide what timeframe
is feasible and implement your program accordingly. Regardless of how
far along you are in implementing your waste reduction program, EPA
would like to hear about your progress each year by March 1. WasteWise
members monitor their results during each calendar year and share these
with EPA through the attached Annual Reporting Form. Companies are
asked to estimate amounts of waste prevented and recyclables collected,
and amount of money spent on products with increased recycled content
or (an option for manufacturers) the increased amount of postconsumer
material used in manufactured products.
As part of the Annual Reporting Form, companies are also asked to set
waste reduction goals for the following year. To help minimize the data
gathering and reporting burden, we have made this form as simple as pos-
sible and ask for estimates of waste reduction achievements, rather than
precise measurements.
In addition, EPA has worked with other solid waste reduction programs
to minimize the reporting burden should you decide to join more than
one program. If your company is a member of the National Recycling
Coalition's Buy Recycled Business Alliance (BRBA), you may submit the
BRBA annual reporting form in lieu of Part IV.A of the WasteWise An-
nual Reporting Form, which provides information on last year's activities
in buying or manufacturing recycled products.
If you are a member of the National Office Paper Recycling Project's Of-
fice Recycling Challenge, you may submit the Challenge reporting form
in lieu of Parts III.A and IV.A of the WasteWise form, provided that you
have completed the "optional" information on the Office Recycling Chal-
lenge Form. This information covers the amount of recyclables collected
and amount of recycled products or materials purchased during the calen-
dar year.
Each year, EPA will compile and distribute a report on the collective ac-
complishments of WasteWise companies.
What Assistance Business Guide for Reducing Solid Waste provides detailed information on
Does EPA Offer? different kinds of waste assessments for identifying cost-effective waste re-
duction efforts.
Waste Prevention Pays Off: Companies Cut Waste in the Workplace is a col-
lection of brief case studies on a wide range of companies that have saved
thousands or even millions of dollars through waste prevention efforts
that might also be right for you.
EPA has several tip sheets that describe ways to prevent waste, sources of
information on recycled products, and other aspects of waste reduction.
As we learn more about what WasteWise members are doing, we'll share
case studies based on successful company efforts.
The WasteWise hotline (800 EPAWISE or 800 372-9473) answers your
questions on anv aspect of the program, from enrollment to reporting.
-------
In the future, an electronic bulletin board will provide on-line assistance to
facilitate paperless reporting. EPA is working on other resources that also
might be helpful to you, including reduced-cost access to the Official
Recycled Products Guide. We encourage you to contact us with sugges-
tions on the types of assistance that would be most useful for your waste
reduction efforts.
XA/ASTE WasteWi$e is a partnership between EPA and America's leading businesses.
Participants set their own waste prevention, recycling, and recycled product
purchasing/manufacturing goals. WasteWise supports company efforts through
technical assistance and recognition of participants' successes.
We are always looking for good sources of waste reduction information to share
with companies. To share your suggestions or for more information about any
aspect of WasteWi$e, call 800 EPAWISE (800 372-9473).
WASTE WI$E PROGRAM
-------
------- |