vvEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5306)
EPA530-F-94-003
January 1994
WasteWi$e Tip Sheet
Waste Prevention
WasteWise Program Elements
• Waste Prevention
• Recycling Collection
• Buying or Manufacturing Recycled Products
What Is Waste
Prevention?
What Are the
Benefits of Waste
Prevention?
How Does Waste
Prevention Fit into
the WasteWi$e
Program?
Waste prevention (also known as source reduction) is the design, purchase,
manufacture, or use of products and materials to reduce the amount or
toxicity of solid waste generated. Waste prevention is not recycling, al-
though these two solid waste management strategies are often confused
with each other. Recycling is an effective way to manage waste materials
once they have been generated; waste prevention actually reduces the
amount of material used and therefore the amount discarded.
Waste prevention often results in substantial savings through reduced pur-
chasing costs and more efficient practices. It also can reduce waste dis-
posal costs. In addition, waste prevention has environmental benefits,
including reduced energy consumption and pollution, conservation of natu-
ral resources, and extension of valuable landfill capacity. Practicing waste
prevention can improve customer relations by demonstrating a company's
concern about the environment. It can also enhance employee relations by
involving employees in the company's waste reduction program.
The purpose of WasteWise is to spur substantial progress in reducing mu-
nicipal solid waste by working with businesses to identify and implement
innovative and cost-saving waste reduction programs. Each Waste Wise
participant commits to implementing three significant waste prevention
activities of their choice, monitoring progress, and reporting annually on
the estimated amount of waste avoided. Waste prevention is a critical
component of the Waste Wise program and is the component that most
often provides substantial cost savings. Other elements of WasteWise in-
clude committing to expanding or improving programs to collect recyclables
and to increasing the recycled content in purchased or manufactured products.
Recycled/Recyclable
Printed on paper that contains at least 50% recycled fiber.
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What Are Some
Examples of Waste
Prevention?
What Are Some
Examples of Waste
Prevention
Opportunities
Available to Most
Companies?
Waste prevention includes a wide variety of activities to reduce the
amount of waste generated. Some examples include:
• Using or manufacturing minimal or reusable packaging. Work
with suppliers to minimize the amount of packaging used and to return
shipping materials such as crates, cartons, and pallets for reuse. To re-
duce waste in your shipping department, you can reuse packing
material, use less packaging, and ship merchandise in returnable/reus-
able containers. In restaurants and cafeterias, using bulk food and bever-
age dispensers instead of individual serving containers cuts down on
waste.
• Using and maintaining durable equipment and supplies. High
quality, long-lasting supplies and equipment that can be repaired easily
mean fewer discards. These items will stay out of the waste stream
longer. In addition, the higher initial costs are often justified by lower
maintenance and disposal costs. Since these items are replaced less fre-
quently, further cost savings can be realized. Renting or leasing needed
equipment might be another option.
• Reusing products and supplies. Using durable, reusable products
rather than single-use materials is one of the most effective waste pre-
vention strategies. A one-time investment for reusable items ends the
frequently expensive cycle of discarding and reordering. Consider adopt-
ing simple, cost-effective measures such as washing and reusing ceramic
mugs in place of disposable cups. Encourage employees to reuse com-
mon items such as file folders and interoffice envelopes.
• Using supplies and materials more efficiently. Changing company
policies and operations to increase efficiency, reduce waste, and con-
serve materials is an important way to achieve waste prevention. For
example, switching to double-sided photocopying can cut paper costs by
10 to 40 percent.
• Exchanging, selling, or giving away unneeded goods for reuse.
Donate excess food, used furniture, and other materials to local organiza-
tions such as homeless shelters or charities. Check to see if a local ma-
terials exchange exists that can accept and distribute these items to
non-profit groups. A growing number of companies are also success-
fully selling or exchanging unneeded materials directly with other com-
panies that can use them in their manufacturing processes.
• Reducing the use of hazardous constituents. Find out which prod
ucts in your graphics and maintenance departments (such as ink, sol-
vent, paint, glue, and other materials) are available with fewer or no
hazardous constituents. Ask your suppliers about water-based (rather
than oil- or solvent-based) products.
Reducing paper usage and reducing packaging/shipping materials are two
waste prevention opportunities that most companies can implement easily
and effectively:
Reducing Paper Use
• Use both sides of the page. Draft reports can be printed on the back of
paper that has been used once. Set aside such paper for printers and
copy machines.
WASTE PREVENTION
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• Make double-sided photocopies. Reports can be copied on both sides of
the page.
• Print only the number of copies necessary. Limit the distribution of corre-
spondence and reports to only those who really need " hard copies."
• Route one hard copy to several readers.
• Use electronic mail or bulletin boards for sending and receiving informa-
tion.
Reducing Packaging/Shipping Materials
• Eliminate unnecessary layers of packaging.
• Ask suppliers to take back pallets or switch to more durable pallets
that can be reused.
• Investigate other reusable packaging, such as boxes.
• Reuse received boxes and packaging for outgoing shipments.
• Shred or crumple waste paper for use as packing material.
What Additional To order the following EPA documents, call the EPA RCR A/Super fund
Information on Hotline at 800 424-9346 or TDD 800 553-7672 for the hearing impaired.
Waste Prevention Is For Washington, DC, and outside the United States, call 703 412-9810 or
Available From EPA? TDD 703 412 3323.
Business Guide for Reducing Solid Waste (EPA530-K-92-004). This is a
comprehensive how-to guide on assessing your facility's solid waste and choosing
cost-effective waste reduction actions.
Waste Prevention Pays Off (EPA530-K-92-005). This collection of brief case
studies describes how companies have cut costs substantially through a variety of
waste prevention actions.
Sources of Additional Information
Coalition of Northeastern Governors Source
Reduction Task Force (CONEG), 202 624-8450.
CON EG provides information and a challenge program
on reducing packaging waste.
Think Green: A Retailer's Environmental Idea
Book, 1992. $15.00 for retailers, $25.00 for
non-retailers. This 40-page guide presents retailers with
ideas on waste prevention actions for every area of their
stores. It also provides detailed, "how to" instructions on
implementing these waste prevention activities.
Illinois Retail Merchants Association
36 S. Wabash Avenue, Suite 1226
Chicago, IL 60603
312 726-4600
Institute of Packaging Professionals, 800 432-4085.
This group offers a variety of publications on waste
prevention and packaging design for the environment.
Call for a free copy of their catalogue of publications.
Source Reduction Now by Minnesota's Office of
Waste Management. For a copy, call the
WasteWise Hotline at 800 372-9473. This 120 page
manual provides information on how to implement a
waste prevention program in any organization. It
identifies actions that reduce waste at the source and
gives information on how to measure product and
behavior changes that prevent waste. This manual
includes case studies and sample graphics and
complements a training video.
WASTE PREVENTION
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Business Guide to Waste Reduction and
Recycling, 1992. $25.00. This 110 page guide
comprehensively describes all the steps involved in
implementing workplace waste reduction programs,
including forming waste reduction teams, performing
waste audits, implementing waste prevention, contracting
vendors, and launching recycling programs. The guide
includes numerous resources, such as waste conversion
charts, recordkeeping forms, and key contacts in North
America.
Xerox Document and Software Service
Xerox Corporation
701 South Aviation Boulevard
El Segundo, CA 90245-9935
800 445-5554
Reducing Office Paper Waste by Robert Graff and
Bette Fishbein, 1991. $18.00. This 28-page booklet
describes the role of the individual office in national
paper production and disposal. It also provides
conversion tables, technology reviews, and other sources
designed to help companies implement office paper
reduction programs.
Inform, Inc.
381 Park Avenue South
New York, NY 10016-8806
212 689-4040
WasteWi$e is a partnership between EPA and America's leading businesses.
Participants set their own waste prevention, recycling, and recycled-product
purchasing goals. WasteWi$e supports company efforts through technical
assistance and recognition of participants' successes.
For more information about any aspect of WasteWi$e, call 800 EPAWISE
(800 372-9473).
WASTE PREVENTION
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