E
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5306W)
EPA530-N-96-001
January 1996
WasteWi$e Update
A
Employee
Education Tips
•Waste Prevention
Checklist • Awards
and Recognition •
Educating Suppliers
Customers
Recycled/Recyclable
Photocopied on paper that contains at least
20% post-consumer content.
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WasteWi$e Update
The ABC's of
This issue of Waste Wi$e Update focuses on a key
element of all successful waste reduction pro-
grams: employee education. Employees not only
understand your operating processes, they often
are in the best position to see how resources could
be used more efficiently. When provided an opportunity to
express ideas, employees often have excellent suggestions on
how to prevent waste. For example, when WasteWi$e part-
ner AT&T Paradyne solicited employee waste reduction sug-
gestions at Earth Day celebrations last year, the company
learned that many unused supplies were thrown away. In
response, AT&T Paradyne established a convenient place for
employees to bring unused supplies for reuse. This sugges-
tion not only reduces waste, it also saves the company
money—more than $16,000 in the first six months. The
experience of many WasteWi$e partners demonstrates that
an educated and motivated workforce is a company's best
resource for building a successful waste reduction effort.
While the details are specific to each company, effective
employee education programs share the following elements:
• Demonstrate management commitment. Once senior
management makes waste reduction a high priority, staff
will too. By articulating your strategy through a formal
environmental policy or mission statement, employees
will understand that environmental concerns are a compa-
ny priority.
• Hold a kickoff event or other special event. Let employ-
ees know how important they are to your waste reduction
efforts by holding a special kickoff event. The event can
be held on any occasion (a special luncheon, meeting, or
as part of Earth Day celebrations). WasteWi$e charter
partner Anheuser-Busch (page 3) holds a "green week"
one week before Earth Day each year where employees
can learn how to prevent waste on organized facility
tours, participate in contests, or attend demonstrations on
composting and other topics.
• Train everyone! Just as you train employees on new
equipment or software, train them on waste reduction.
WasteWi$e charter partner EG&G (page 6) achieves
impressive successes by training employees on company
waste reduction goals and encouraging employees to
brainstorm ideas on improving efficiency.
• Provide incentives and reward participation. Generate
enthusiasm by recognizing achievements and/or distribut-
ing promotional items with the company name and envi-
ronmental logo. Employees of WasteWi$e partner NEC
Electronics (page 4) received frisbees, reusable mugs, and
seeds at last year's Earth Day celebration.
• Compete for recognition from your state, trade associa-
tion, or other organizations. WasteWi$e partners can
attest that winning independent awards and recognition
for waste reduction efforts can boost morale and partici-
pation. For a list of WasteWi$e partners that have recent-
ly won environmental awards, see page 9.
• Make learning fun! The key to learning is making the
education process fun. By creating a video on waste
reduction activities and holding a paper reduction contest
among employees, WasteWi$e partner United
Technologies Corporation (page 7) hopes to dramatically
cut its paper use and increase the use of recycled products.
• Spread the word to customers and suppliers, as well.
Education doesn't end with your employees. Let your cus-
tomers and suppliers know that waste reduction is impor-
tant to you. WasteWi$e partners including Larry's
Markets, Tidyman's, and Stonyfield Farm Yogurt (pages
10-11) are doing just that.
WasteWi$e hopes that this issue of the Update helps you
start or refine a waste reduction education program for your
employees, suppliers, and customers.
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WasteWi$e Update
Making employees aware of environmental goals
and objectives, demonstrating management
support, and providing proper resources is pay-
ing off for WasteWi$e charter partner
Anheuser-Busch Companies, Incorporated.
Since 1991, the company has reduced the amount of solid
waste sent to landfills by 35 percent, half of this in 1994
alone. Besides conserving landfill space, these actions helped
Anheuser-Busch avoid some $6.7 million in disposal fees
between 1991 and 1994. These results would not have been
possible without employees' commitment to waste reduction.
The Three R's
A primary goal of Anheuser-Busch employee education
program is communicating the importance of the Three R's:
reducing, reusing, and recycling. Anheuser-Busch teaches
employees that reducing waste at the source—rather than
recycling it—provides the greatest environmental benefit.
"We use recycling as an introductory lesson in waste reduc-
tion," said Bert Share, manager of pollution prevention. "It's
the best first step to getting employees to think about waste
prevention."
To raise employees' environmental awareness, Anheuser-
Busch illustrates opportunities for both waste prevention and
recycling. At several breweries, employee
teams have actually poked through dump-
sters to catalog what was being thrown
out. They found large quantities of glass
bottles and corrugated cardboard—both
of which were included in the breweries'
recycling programs. This finding galva-
nized the employee teams to remind their
colleagues of the importance of recycling.
Later examinations of dumpsters revealed
that very few recyclables were being dis-
carded.
With recycling integrated into daily
operations, employee teams have turned
increasing attention to waste prevention.
They look for ways to lessen their facility's
impact on the environment. Even simple
items—easy to overlook—are explored for
their waste reduction potential. For exam-
ple, one brewery team examined employ-
ees' work gloves, which were thrown out
when they became too soiled to use. The
team located a laundry service that would sort
and clean the gloves and return them for
reuse. Housekeeping staff placed
bins throughout the facility to collect
the soiled gloves and encouraged
employees to participate in the
program.
Communications Channels
"We make environmental aware-
ness a part of normal communica-
tions channels whenever we can,"
Share says. Employees know and trust
these mechanisms, which include:
"We make
environmental
awareness a
part of normal
communications
channels when-
ever we can."
Bert Share,
Manager of Pollution Prevention,
Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
I Newsletters—Anheuser-Busch ,G^-~~--?
•<^_s
shares environmental information in
its companywide newsletter, the Eagle. It is
sent to all 42,000 employees, as well as retirees. In the past
two years, every edition of the Eagle but one has con-
tained articles on environmental actions within the
company.
I Electronic bulletin boards and e-mail—Anheuser-Busch
encourages employees to communicate their environmen-
tal ideas and concerns to local environmental quality
teams via electronic bulletin boards and e-mail. Not only
does this reduce paper use, but it allows for better and
faster sharing of information.
I Partners in Quality—Partners in Quality (PIQ) is the
vehicle through which Anheuser-Busch employees can
suggest new ideas to save the company money, improve
operations, or enhance customer satisfac-
tion. Through this channel, employees
can suggest environmental improvements
such as reducing waste, conserving ener-
gy, reducing material use, and avoiding
duplication. By integrating environmental
considerations into an ongoing business
program like PIQ, Anheuser-Busch com-
municates the message that preserving the
environment is an important part of each
employee's daily job.
A Special Place for the
Environment
While Anheuser-Busch frequently uses
normal communications channels to edu-
cate employees about the environment, it
also uses special events to increase atten-
tion to environmental issues.
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WasteWi$e Update
• Green Week—Held the week of Earth Day, Green Week
features activities designed to raise environmental aware-
ness among Anheuser-Busch employees. Events include
facility tours contests, and demonstrations.
• Video Screenings—Anheuser-Busch unveiled a new video
entitled "Pursuing Environmental Excellence" during
Green Week 1995. The video explains the importance of
the Three R's and encourages employees to find creative
new ways to reduce their environmental impact. To obtain
a copy of the video, call the WasteWi$e Helpline at
800 EPA-WISE.
• Companywide awards and recognition—In 1995,
Anheuser-Busch began recognizing employees for their
environmental efforts by creating the Pledge and Promise
Environmental Stewardship and Leadership Awards. More
than 60 employee teams entered the award competition in
the first year.
Employees found special events such as Green Week
inspiring: "When I see an effort at the corporate level to
make a difference, it inspires me as an employee, as a con-
sumer, and as a citizen of the earth to make a positive impact
on the future health of our planet," says John B. Smith of
Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida.
Keys to Success
Anheuser-Busch believes that its success in waste reduc-
tion is due partly to early involvement of employees in plan-
ning the initiatives. "It is important to explain what
environmental goals a company is trying to meet and why it
is important to meet them. But most of all, you must
explain how employees can help and ask for that help. Most
employees are flattered to be asked," suggests Share.
Regarding the relative benefits of involving employees in
waste reduction efforts, Share says, "Considering the mini-
mal costs and resources involved in employee education, the
payback in benefits is huge."
Coca-Cola uses table tents
in Its cafeteria to motivate
employeee to participate In
waete reduction activities.
NEC
Facts with Fin
Looking for a fun way to educate employees about
the environment? You might consider the approach
taken by NEC Electronics, a WasteWi$e charter
partner in Roseville, California. To reward
employees for their success in preventing waste,
NEC organized an outdoor festival in conjunction with
Earth Day 1995. At the celebration, employees received a
variety of gifts, such as frisbees and commuter mugs imprint-
ed with the NEC and WasteWi$e logos, as well as flower
and herb seed packets that promoted California's rideshare
program.
NEC Electronics' Earth Day was more than just a day of
fun in the sun—employees learned about environmental
issues as well as the results of their own waste prevention
efforts. Representatives from local environmental agencies set
up booths and gave presentations about how simple business
waste reduction activities, such as materials reuse and recy-
cling, can conserve huge amounts of resources and save
money. One popular exhibit, a walk-through trailer featuring
the "The History of Trash," taught employees about the
growing rate of solid waste generation. NEC employees also
saw the results of their waste prevention efforts in action: the
company donates its used wooden pallets to a birdhouse
maker who displayed his works at the event. Employees also
observed a model of a materials recovery facility (MRF) that
has just been built in Roseville and had a chance to ask ques-
tions of the facility's planner.
According to Lisa Cousineau, the environmental engineer
at NEC who planned the event, the promotional gifts and
festive setting made learning about waste reduction fun for
NEC employees. Cousineau comments: "The celebration
was a huge success, and employees were very grateful that the
company took the time to organize it."
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WasteWi$e Update
AT&T Paradyne Tuns
Errplqyee Ideas into
WasteWi$e partner AT&T Paradyne welcomed
employee waste reduction ideas during Earth
Day '94 celebrations and reported back during
this year's Earth Day events on how the com-
pany had transformed those ideas into action.
One suggestion to reuse surplus office supplies has dramati-
cally changed the way the company handles its extra sup-
plies.
AT&T Paradyne created the Office Supply Depot
(OSD)—a convenient place for employees to exchange and
reuse office supplies. One employee, who checks in at the
depot about once every two weeks, raved that the OSD saves
her time as well as money: "I can walk in, pick up what I
need, and I'm done. I don't have to look in the supply cata-
log, find the items, write a request, have my manager sign it,
send in the request, and wait." Through reminders in their
monthly newsletter and the efforts of an active and accessible
OSD team, AT&T Paradyne encourages all employees to
check with the OSD before ordering new supplies.
The dedicated efforts of the OSD team, an eleven mem-
ber sub-team of the company's all volunteer recycling team,
and the participation of all employees have paid off—AT&T
Paradyne estimates savings of $28,000 for the first year of
the project.
OSD also accepts notebooks that may be broken or unus-
able. The company located a vendor to collect binders for
recycling, regardless of their condition.
One initially skeptical employee imagined the OSD
would offer "dirty used pens, broken desk trays, pencil nubs,
and dried out highlighters." After joining the OSD team and
witnessing its success, he advises coworkers that "the many
unopened boxes received in the OSD should remind us to
buy only what we need." He adds that "the depot may have
to close someday because of a lack of surplus supplies—but
that would truly be our biggest success!"
More information on the OSD and other waste reduction
initiatives at AT&T Paradyne can be found in the company's
Earth Day 1995 newsletter. A limited number of these
newsletters are available by calling the WasteWi$e helpline at
800 EPA-WISE.
In the first 10 months of the project, AT&T Paradyne
employees had reused:
More than 2,200 binders
Nearly 9,500 hanging folders
More than 13,000 file folders
Nearly 1,000 Rolodex cards
560 pens and pencils
1,800 sets of dividers
1,000 binder clips
Nearly 60 overhead projector bulbs
Northern Statee Power
provides t-shlrts to Its
waste reduction team
members as an Incentive to
promote employee
participation.
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WasteWi$e Update
Senrinars Make
Pay at EG&G
tf Waste reduction succeeds when it is
part of the everyday consciousness of
all employees involved
with operations.5*
Bob Tome, Manager of
Waste Management, EG&G
WasteWi$e charter partner EG&G, Inc., head-
quartered in Wellesley, Massachusetts, supplies
an array of high-technology products, scientif-
ic equipment and other products to manufac-
turers and end-users in industry and
government. To keep employees aware and involved, employ-
ee education is now a central component of EG&G's Waste
Reduction Pays (WARP) program.
In the early days of the WARP program, EG&G
employed outside consultants to conduct waste audits and
recommend waste reduction options. While the company
was pleased with the consultants' work, it discovered that the
recommendations were not being implemented. After inves-
tigating the situation, EG&G found that employees resisted
implementing the consultants' waste reduction ideas because
they required the employees to change their behavior without
seeking their input.
EG&G began conducting waste reduction training to
include employees in the decision-making process. "The only
way waste reduction works is if the staff members identify
the opportunities themselves," Tome explains. "Employees
need to experience ownership of waste reduction ideas."
EG&G routinely educates its 21,000 employees through
two-day waste reduction workshops at the company's 45
domestic and 31 international facilities. Approximately 10 to
15 employees attend each seminar. "We encourage employees
from all departments (purchasing, human resources,
accounting) and all levels—line workers to custodians to
managers—to attend the seminars," says Tome, who person-
ally conducts most of the seminars companywide.
Workshops Foster Teamwork
The goal of the workshops is to identify, through team-
work, specific waste reduction opportunities at a facility. The
first day consists of lectures and provides employees with
waste reduction tools. Topics include refining a waste reduc-
tion mission statement, identifying process problems, and
conducting a waste assessment. The lectures also explain the
criteria used by the company to assess waste reduction
options: technical feasibility, ease of implementation,
progress toward reduction goals, protection of human health
and the environment, and cost/benefit analysis.
At the end of the first day, Tome breaks the group into
smaller teams of 5 to 7 people. "I try to maximize the diver-
sity of each team," Tome reports. "For example, if there are
two people from accounting, you can be sure that they will
be on different teams." Each team brainstorms ideas for how
the facility can reduce waste. The teams then identify their
top three ideas and further develop each of these ideas.
Teamwork Pays Off
One team discovered a waste reduction opportunity that
saves its division nearly $100,000 per year. By changing the
purchase specifications for one size of a steel-alloy part used
in manufacturing seals for refineries and petrochemical
plants, the division was able to purchase an alternative mate-
rial that did not require as much cutting and shaping to
meet the buyers' needs. The team identified this opportunity
through discussions between an engineer and a purchasing
expert. Not only did the switch to the alternative part save
money by reducing labor costs (by 33 percent), shipping
costs, and maintenance costs (to clean up waste), it also
reduced metal waste by 66 percent and conserved space pre-
viously used to house the parts.
To assess the usefulness of the workshops, EG&G distrib-
utes evaluation forms to each participant. Tome reviews each
questionnaire and incorporates suggestions as appropriate. To
date, most facilities have immediately implemented at least
one of the ideas raised in the seminar. "We know the semi-
nars are effective because the ideas are being implemented
and saving the company time and money," states Tome.
Univereity of Notre Dame
employeee and 5tudent5
receive a 10 cent diecount on
drink refills when they bring
their own reusable mug to
the cafeteria.
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WasteWi$e Update
Recognizing Employee Contributions
EG&G supplements the WARP training program by rec-
ognizing and rewarding employees, both formally and infor-
mally, for their contributions to waste reduction. Through
the WARP Recognition and Awards Program, EG&G for-
mally recognizes facilities, teams, and individuals that have
made outstanding contributions to reduce waste and attain
corporate goals. The company finds that recognizing accom-
plishments stimulates innovation, promotes peer competi-
tion, and spurs participation in EG&G waste reduction
efforts.
Awards are issued through a competitive process and
nominations are judged by a panel of three impartial experts
from industry groups and academia. Nominees must meet
one or more of the following criteria:
• Eliminate or significantly reduce waste generation or pol-
lutant releases.
• Improve energy efficiency or result in a more efficient use
of materials and resources.
• Develop an environmental solution through innovative
technology.
• Demonstrate savings by avoiding the need for costly pol-
lution control equipment or by reducing operating and
material expenses.
Throughout the year, EG&G managers informally recog-
nize employee accomplishments through the following
activities:
• Publicize employee waste reduction suggestions in the
company newsletter or on bulletin boards.
• Announce the contribution of an individual or team at
company meetings or luncheons and present certificates of
appreciation, small monetary awards, or other tokens.
• Authorize individuals or teams to attend a conference as a
reward.
• Incorporate waste reduction accomplishments into perfor-
mance evaluations.
Tome emphasizes that "employee training and develop-
ment must be followed up by recognition and reward,"
whether formal or informal, to help build and maintain
momentum for waste reduction efforts.
at United
Letting employees know the results of their paper
reduction efforts is just one of the ways United
Technologies Corporation (UTC) educates
employees about the importance of waste preven-
tion. In the summer of 1995, the company's head-
quarters in Hartford, Connecticut, launched a
comprehensive education campaign to encourage employees
to eliminate office waste. The company stresses the environ-
mental benefits of waste prevention and encourages employ-
ees to consider the effect their jobs have on the environment.
Because paper accounts for the largest component of UTC's
waste, the company focused its efforts on reducing paper use
by encouraging employees to use double-sided copying, e-
mail and voice mail, bulletin boards, and paperless faxes and
business transactions. UTC is also increasing its use of recy-
cled content paper.
As part of the educational campaign, UTC created a
video, titled "Closing the Loop: Recycling in the Office."
The video is shown at staff meetings to encourage discus-
sions about office recycling and waste prevention. One mes-
sage of the film—that you are not truly recycling until you
buy products made of recycled materials—describes how the
company "closes the loop" in its recycling efforts.
The company also motivates employees to become more
involved in waste prevention by instituting a "competition"
between floors. Every month, the company tracks how many
cartons of paper are brought to each floor and publicizes
how much paper each floor used. Employees are able to see
how the numbers compare to the month before, as well as
how each floor ranks in respect to other floors. "We think
showing people real numbers makes a strong impression,"
explains Frederic Kaeser, UTC's environmental manager.
"Awareness creates motivation."
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WasteWi$e Update
8
Data Motivate NSP
WasteWi$e charter partner Northern
States Power Company (NSP) of
Minneapolis, Minnesota, sends a consis-
tent message to its staff: participation in
conservation efforts results in cost sav-
ings and less waste. Through training sessions, newslet-
ters, and posters, employees learned that in 1994 NSP
saved $783,000 in avoided costs and through the sale
of recyclables. The training sessions also highlight that
NSP reduced its waste by 1,250 tons—a 35-percent
reduction over 1993 volumes. "Employees become
motivated when they are presented with savings infor-
mation supported by cost and weight data," explains
Jim Kolar, NSP's administrator of material services for
the company's 29 facilities. "Using knowledge acquired
from waste prevention measurements, employees can
see results and room for improvement," says Kolar.
Kolar measures waste prevention progress with the
help of a computer program—Accounting Software for
Pollution Prevention. For more information on ASAPP
software, call the helpline at 800 EPA-WISE.
Maiden IVIIIs Educates
Prevent! or
Having trouble getting upper management to sup-
port your waste reduction ideas? Employees at
Maiden Mills, a new WasteWi$e partner in
Lawrence, Massachusetts, found a solution to this
problem. Maiden employees formed a committee
to educate their managers about the company's solid waste—
and to suggest ways to prevent waste.
After a period of rapid growth, employees of Maiden
Mills, a producer of apparel and home furnishing fabrics,
realized that the solid waste program needed improvements.
To address this issue, they formed a committee to study solid
waste and to determine the value of loss associated with it.
Headed by Walter Bickford, director of corporate environ-
ment, health, and safety, the committee reviewed each solid
waste component and set goals for significant reductions
and cost savings. The committee reported that between
1988 and 1994, solid waste generation at Maiden Mills had
increased disproportionately with the production increase.
The resulting value loss for 1994 was nearly $20 million.
That got management's attention very quickly.
In its Solid Waste Management Report, the committee pro-
posed an action plan for each area of the company and iden-
tified process and procedure changes, such as switching to a
new seaming process that reduces fabric waste, that were easy
for management to accept and adopt. Management has now
begun to implement and track many of the report recom-
mendations. Realizing that all employees are an excellent
source of ideas about how to run the company more effi-
ciently, management encourages everyone to suggest
improvements. Maiden is developing an awards program to
recognize employee contributions, but Bickford says that
employees are so intent on increasing efficiency and reducing
waste that they really don't need any additional motivation.
Central to Maiden's success is the concept of measure-
ment. Prior to the committee's report, no one had quantified
and characterized solid waste generated by the company. By
developing baseline figures, the solid waste committee laid
the groundwork for future reduction efforts. Says Bickford,
"If you have no baseline, you can't motivate people to do
better and you can't compare your achievements to anything.
What gets measured shapes and drives the organization." In
Maiden's case this was certainly true. By measuring the com-
pany's solid waste, and presenting the results to management
in clear dollar terms, Maiden employees have brought on big
changes in their organization. Now everyone sees that good
environmental practices are equivalent to good business prac-
tices, and cost savings are proving it—in Fiscal Year '95,
waste prevention practices saved Maiden Mills $2 million.
Editor's note: Maiden Mills recently suffered significant dam-
age in a fire. Maiden is committed to rebuilding its business and
incorporating the latest pollution prevention techniques in its
operations.
Let Us Know How WasteWiSe Can Help You
To assist you in your employee education efforts, WasteWi$e would
like to hear what your needs are. Please let us know if you would like
us to develop any of the following materials for you to use in educat-
ing company employees. Fax this form to us at (703) 308-8686.
L) Articles for your company newsletter
L) Checklist of waste reduction activities for employees
Q Quick facts on waste reduction
L) Waste reduction fliers
L) Paperless office campaigns
Q Other. Please describe
Company Name
Contact Name
Phone
Fax
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WasteWi$e Update
CONGRATULATIONS!
EPA applauds the following WasteWi$e partners that have recently
been recognized for their environmental achievements:
AlliedSignal, Inc.: Bridging the Gap, a nonprofit organization in
Kansas City, Missouri, presented AlliedSignal, Inc., with
its Environmental Excellence Award for the company's
extensive waste prevention, recycling, and community
outreach efforts.
Anheuser-Busch: Anheuser-Busch's Baldwinsville Brewery
received the 1995 New York State Governor's Award
for Pollution Prevention for implementing practices that
go beyond New York State standards for environmental
compliance to prevent or reduce pollution. In addition,
Eagle Snacks and Busch Agricultural Resources, Inc.,
Robersonville, North Carolina, accepted the 1994-95
North Carolina Governor's Award for Excellence in
Waste Reduction for its commitment to protecting North
Carolina's environment and public health through
innovative waste reduction practices.
AT&T: The U.S. Conference of Mayors National Office Paper
Recycling Project presented AT&T with the Buying
Recycled Award for demonstrating the best effort to
purchase and use paper made from recycled fiber.
Baltimore Gas and Electric Company: The Maryland Recyclers
Coalition presented BGE with its Outstanding
Corporate Leadership Award for the company's exten-
sive and varied recycling efforts throughout Central
Maryland.
Coors Brewing Company: Coors Brewing Company received the
Coalition of Northeastern Governor's (CONEG's)
Corporate Commitment Award for its 30-year commit-
ment to reducing, recycling, and reusing packaging.
Fleabusters: Fleabusters received the Environmental Excellence
Award from Bridging The Gap, a nonprofit organiza-
tion in Kansas City, Missouri, for its outstanding efforts
to use and develop environmentally sensitive pest con-
trol methods.
Florida Power and Light Company: Florida Power and Light
Company earned The Improved Recycling Rates Award,
which is awarded by the U.S. Conference of Mayors
National Office Paper Recycling Project, for establishing
the recycling program with the greatest percentage
increase in rates of paper recovery and recycled paper
purchases from 1993 to 1994.
General Motors: General Motors won U.S. EPA's 1994
Stratospheric Ozone Protection Award in recognition of
its exemplary efforts to protect the ozone layer by phas-
ing out the company's use of chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs).
Kenneth J. Horvath, with General Motors Corporation's
North American Operations, received CONEG's
Individual Achievement Award for his leadership and
commitment to reducing packaging at GM.
General Ribbon Corporation: The Business Technology
Association presented its Advocate of the Environment
Award to the General Ribbon Corporation in recogni-
tion of its in-house recycling accomplishments.
Green Hotels Association: Green Hotels Association won the
Travel Council of the World's Environmental E Award
for its concern and action in the area of environmental-
ly responsible travel.
Herman Miller, Inc.: Herman Miller, Inc., received the U.S.
Conference of Mayors National Office Paper Recycling
Project's Environmental Responsibility Award for the
company's efforts to develop environmentally sensitive
products, provide recycling outreach to the community,
and promote environmental issues to other businesses.
Research Mental Health Services: Bridging the Gap, a nonprofit
organization in Kansas City, Missouri, presented
Research Mental Health Services with its Environmental
Excellence Award for the company's outstanding recy-
cling and community outreach efforts.
Schlegel Corporation: Schlegel Corporation-Rochester Division
received The Industry Award for Outstanding
Commitment to Pollution Prevention Through Beneficial
Reuse for its outstanding waste prevention and recy-
cling efforts from the New York Water Environment
Association.
Springs Industries, Inc.: Springs Industries was placed on the
1994 Honor Roll Award by the National Environmental
Development Association (NEDA) for its highly effective
solid waste reduction process and 33/50 achievements.
In addition, Springs Industries was included on Renew
America's Environmental Success Index, a national
database of model environmental programs represent-
ing public-private partnerships that support the goal of
a sustainable environment.
Texas Instruments: Texas Instruments earned the U.S. Conference
of Mayors National Office Paper Recycling Project's
Environmental Tracking Award for developing the recy-
cling program that best tracks paper recovery and recy-
cled paper purchases.
Walt Disney Company: The Walt Disney Company won the U.S.
Conference of Mayors National Office Paper Recycling
Project's Grand Challenge Award for exemplifying suc-
cessful workplace recycling through strong efforts to
buy recycled and to educate employees. The company
also received the gold award from the Solid Waste
Association of North America for its recycling and food
diversion programs.
Western Resources: The Kansas Department of Health and
Environment recognized Western Resources of Topeka,
Kansas, for its cooperative efforts in pollution prevention.
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WasteWi$e Update
10
Education Doesnft End with Enrplqyees
Not only can companies teach their
employees about waste reduction, they
can teach their suppliers and customers,
too. Working with suppliers can
increase the effectiveness of internal
waste reduction efforts and save money because
packaging used to transport materials from suppli-
ers can be a large component of a company's
waste. Waste reduction also enables suppliers to
reduce their own costs and build stronger rela-
tionships with customers.
To encourage existing suppliers to support
your waste reduction efforts, draft a letter
explaining your waste reduction goals and for-
mally request that your supplier work with
you to achieve those goals. (See sample letter
on right.)
A more informal approach would be to
explain your company's waste reduction
goals to your suppliers, and ask for input to
see what waste reduction practices they
think are feasible. (See Stonyfield article,
below.)
A number of WasteWi$e partners also
seek to educate their customers about
waste reduction. Grocery stores are a
prime example. Just about everybody goes
to the grocery store, and because of this
day-to-day contact, grocers are realizing '
that they can play a vital role in teaching
customers about waste reduction. *
(See articles, next page.) Pit
90,
Stonyfield Farm Z
Yogurt Surveys
Supplier Commitment
When Stonyfield Farm Yogurt, a yogurt manu-
facturer and WasteWi$e partner, realized that
it had little information about its suppliers'
efforts to preserve the environment, the com-
pany developed a four-page survey to learn
more about the environmental practices of its existing and
potential suppliers.
The survey asks questions about the suppliers' waste preven-
tion efforts, use of materials with recycled content in their prod-
ucts, efforts to reduce the use of toxic substances, membership
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Adapted from a letter
sent by a large retailer to its suppliers.
While this sample letter focuses on packaging, it could be
adapted to meet your specific needs.
in environmental programs (like WasteWi$e), and other issues
affecting the environment. Stonyfield Farm Yogurt hopes the
survey will communicate to suppliers that environmental issues
are important to the company while eliciting information
about suppliers' commitment to waste reduction.
A copy of the survey is available by calling the WasteWi$e
Helpline at 800 EPA-WISE.
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11
WasteWi$e Update
Shopping Smart at Tidyman's
Tidyman's, based in Greenacres, Washington,
worked with the Washington State Department of
Ecology to develop a customer education program
called Shop Smart. It centers around two primary
activities: adult tours through a grocery store and
children's tours through pretend grocery stores. The tours are
designed to help customers make more informed purchasing
decisions, ultimately decreasing the amount of waste generat-
ed by households. According to Judi Broderius, the director
of environmental affairs/packaging, the tours are having a
positive effect.
"The most frequent comment we hear during tours is 'I
didn't know that', so it's clear that we are teaching
people new concepts about waste reduction and help-
ing the environment," Broderius explains. She notes,
too, that cashiers hear a lot of comments from shop-
pers who have actually changed their buying prac-
tices. "People are proud of what they are doing."
Through the Shop Smart tour for adults, cus-
tomers learn that ears of corn and other produce
come in their own
natural packaging
and therefore do
not need to be
carried in individ-
ual bags.
Tidyman's teaches
customers what
the recycling
codes on packag-
ing mean, what
materials their
community col-
lects for recycling,
and which products have recycled content. The tours also
help customers in local communities with "pay-as-you-
throw" (unit pricing) programs understand the connection
between reducing waste and saving money.
Children are not only future shoppers, but they also help
communicate environmental messages to adults. Tidyman's
tour for children teaches many of the same waste reduction
concepts as the tour for adults but with a more "hands-on"
approach. The program allows children to push their own
shopping carts and choose food they would like to eat off the
shelves. Then, they evaluate those products for how well they
reduce waste. Tidyman's also distributes fact sheets for chil-
dren with questions that encourage them to think about
waste prevention while purchasing. They help children iden-
tify foods with no packaging, think about why it is a good
idea to use cloth shopping bags, and evaluate the many dif-
ferent kinds of packaging in which one item can be sold.
Less Waste at Larry's
Larry's Markets, based in Seattle, Washington,
believes that it is possible for people to achieve a
harmonious relationship with the environment and
that this relationship can begin at the grocery store.
Waste reduction is a critical part of that vision and
is championed to customers in the form of helpful hints, fast
facts, and reminders about common-sense activities that
reduce waste. Larry's has made waste reduction education
and awareness a top priority, according to Brant Rogers,
Larry's environmental affairs manager.
One of its most successful customer education methods is
its "environmental manager's choice" shelf signs. Periodically,
signs are placed on gro-
cery shelves near products
that Rogers believes are
wise environmental choic-
es, such as those with
minimal packaging, recy-
cled packaging, or in con-
centrated form. Other
signs positioned in gro-
cery aisles provide helpful
waste reduction tips, such
as how to reduce unwant-
ed direct mail and how to
recognize recycled content
in packaging.
Providing guidance about prod-
ucts that help reduce waste has
increased consumer demand for
those products. "We've noticed a
measurable increase in sales of the
labeled products," Rogers
explains. "People are opting to buy
'the environmental choice' over another because of its waste
reduction benefits. We change the labels frequently, pointing
out waste reduction benefits of different products, but the
featured products are usually the ones in demand."
Larry's also has conducted two "Ecology of Your Market"
workshops to educate other grocers about environmentally
sound business practices. Participants gained insights on suc-
cessful waste reduction initiatives and
learned about EPA's WasteWi$e pro-
gram. Everyone who attended the work-
shops implemented at least one new
environmental initiative in their store.
"Whether it was waste prevention, recycling,
or another environmental activity, each of
our attendees took some actions that they
wouldn't have taken if they hadn't attend-
ed the workshop," explains Rogers.
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WasteWi$e Update
12
WASTE
CITGO Strikes It Rich with Paper
Reductions
WasteWi$e charter partner CITGO Petroleum
Corporation has tapped into the rich rewards associated
with educating employees to reduce paper usage. Over the
past four years, the company reduced paper generation by
nearly 5 million sheets per month (68 percent). CITGO
estimates saving $2.5 million a year through the following
activities:
• Eliminating pages separating reports saved
roughly 500,000 sheets per month.
• Placing a phone number on reports to allow
individuals who did not need to be on the dis-
tribution list to call and remove their names
saved nearly 250,000 pages per month.
• Reviewing marketing reports to determine what
reports were necessary saved an additional
250,000 pages per month.
• Training clients and employees to use on-line
viewing techniques and reduce number of
pages printed.
• Enabling managers to view reports on-line and
print them only if necessary.
CITGO promotes these waste reduction ideas in a sec-
tion of its weekly newsletter dedicated to sharing "Words
From WasteWi$e." In addition to practical examples that
individual employees can implement at their own work-
stations, articles illustrate the cost savings benefits (envi-
ronmental benefits of waste reduction) and inform
employees of whom to contact to learn more (e.g., about
on-line viewing techniques).
We'd Like to Hear from You
WasteWi$e would like to hear about your efforts
to educate your employees, customers, and
suppliers. In addition, if you are not yet a
WasteWi$e partner and would like to join,
please let us know. Benefits of membership include technical
assistance on waste reduction, publications, a peer match pro-
gram, workshops, and more. Contact us at 800 EPA-WISE for
more information.
Correction
The Mail Preference Service of the Direct Marketing Association
will remove only consumer addresses from its mailing lists. An
article in the September 1995 Update incorrectly stated that
businesses could use this service to have addresses removed
from the mailing lists. For additional ideas on reducing unwant-
ed direct mail, call the WasteWi$e helpline at 800 EPA-WISE.
ER
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
(5306W)
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use
$300
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