United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5305)
EPA530/N-94/006
October 1994
WasteWiSe Update
Honored in Ceremony
WASTE
WkE
Over 280 of America's leading
businesses were welcomed to
EPA's WasteWiSe program at a
kickoff ceremony at the Na-
tional Press Club in Washing-
ton, DC, last July. Joining representatives from
these charter member companies were individu-
als from trade associations and the press. In all,
over 200 attendees honored the charter members
at the event.
EPA Administrator Carol Browner, in her
remarks at the ceremony, stated that "eco-
nomic prosperity and environmental protec-
tion can—and must—go hand in hand." She
emphasized that WasteWi$e gives busi-
nesses the flexibility to design waste prevention,
recycling, and buy-recycled programs that make
sense, offer real cost savings, and promise a
big return for the environment.
Testifying to the benefits that can
be gained through the WasteWi$e in-
itiative were speakers Julia Chang Bloch,
Group Executive Vice President of Bank of
America, and William Blackburn, Vice President
for Corporate Environmental Affairs of Baxter
International. Bloch
commented that
the WasteWiSe initiative
"can generate very real eco-
nomic and environmental
benefits." She said that one
way Bank of America will
realize these benefits is by
reducing paper use
throughout the organiza-
tion. Bank of America
aims to cut paper waste by
25 percent in the next two
(Continued on p. 4)
Dear WasteWiSe
Partner,
Welcome to our first issue of the
WasteWi$e Update.
In July, EPA officially inaugu-
rated the WasteWiSe program—a
voluntary partnership between EPA
and America's businesses to foster
waste prevention, recycling, and
buying or manufacturing recycled
products. I am happy to report that
at press time, over 340 companies
have signed on to the initiative.
To help companies achieve their
waste reduction goals, EPA will be
(Continued on p. 3)
EPA Administrator Carol Browner congratulates WasteWi$e members
during July ceremony.
WAST!
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WasteWi$e Update
A WORD FROM OUR PARTNERS
Aetna Takes a Second
This WasteWi$e
Update feature
spotlights waste
reduction
experiences and
thoughts from
WasteWi$e member
companies.
by Kathleen A. Murray
Vice President, Aetna Life & Casualty
Hartford, CT
hen the invitation to join
WasteWi$e arrived at our offices, our in-
itial reaction was that there was little need
for us to participate. Aetna, a financial serv-
ice company, had already implemented a number of ac-
tivities to reduce waste in our organization. For example,
we were already collecting white paper and newsprint for
recycling. We were using reusable cups and napkins
made from recycled content in our cafeterias. And com-
municating via electronic mail, rather than on paper,
had become popular among employees. Best of all,
many of these ventures had reduced costs while improv-
ing the services that we provide.
But then we took a second
look at WasteWi$e—and at our-
selves. The voluntary nature of
the initiative was appealing. The
EPA brochure on the initiative
and other materials were self-
explanatory, and the reporting
requirements minimal. Although
we had taken steps to reduce,
reuse, and recycle, we acknow-
ledged that there was more we
could do.
Although we
had taken steps
to reduce, reuse,
and recycle, we
acknowledged
that there was
more we could do.
Aetna signed on as a WasteWi$e charter member in
April 1994. We then set up a team of volunteers to over-
see our renewed effort. The team will assess our current
waste-reducing and recycling initiatives; evaluate poten-
tial new initiatives; and create internal communications
to monitor and share the results of the effort. The
WasteWi$e materials provided by EPA as well as oppor-
tunities to learn from other companies are helping to
facilitate the team's planning efforts.
While team members represent company functions that
are important to environmental projects (such as purchas-
ing and facilities), all members are participating because
they are interested in finding ways to better utilize re-
sources throughout our organization. As this endeavor is
in addition to their regular Aetna work, the team members'
efforts need to offer them the rewards of achieving results,
as well as the opportunity to have some fun!
What the WasteWi$e initiative means to Aetna is
the ability to revitalize our current waste reduction
program and to generate interest in new activities. It is
with renewed vigor that we begin this venture with
WasteWi$e.
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WasteWi$e Update
Reducing waste makes good business sense.
Here's proof!
Environmentally Improved Packaging Pro-
gram aims to reduce product packaging waste at
least 50 percent by the year 2000. Of the 740 million
pounds of packaging materials the company shipped
in 1 992, DuPont and its customers
reused 180 million pounds of wood
pallets, boxes, and other packaging
materials. What's more, DuPont customers returned
50 million pounds of packaging to selected centers
for recycling. All told, this program reduced the
amount of waste that DuPont disposed of by 30 per-
cent and saved more
than $1 5 million in
1992!
Martin Marietta has taken steps to cut waste in its
facilities around the country. In 1 988, its Internal Infor-
mation Systems branch in Denver began a project to
reduce waste from computer printouts. The company
educated employees about the costs of printing and
the benefits of online editing and other paper reduc-
tion techniques. In four years, the project avoided
over 1 3 million sheets of printout paper with a cost
savings in supplies of over $4 million. In several
northeastern facilities, paper time cards and travel ex-
pense forms also have been eliminated, and the cafe-
terias at these plants now provide a
five-cent discount on coffee when
employees use their green, company-
provided reusable mug.
Dear WasteWi$e Partner...
(Continued from p. 1)
providing technical assistance to member companies,
as well as recognition for their efforts. One way EPA
will share information and ideas with WasteWi$e
partners is through this newsletter. In this premiere
issue of the WasteWi$e Update, you will find high-
lights of our July ceremony honoring WasteWi$e char-
ter members. This issue also shares some of the ambitious
waste reduction goals established by WasteWi$e compa-
nies, and discusses the types of technical assistance that
members have requested and which EPA plans to make
available.
In particular, please pay attention to page 5,
which requests your participation in the WasteWi$e
peer exchange. This information exchange network,
which is in the early stages of development, will link
companies that want to share expertise in a certain
area with those that are seeking such advice. This di-
rect exchange of expertise among member companies is
something that members have requested and which we
see as an important service of the WasteWi$e program.
Similarly, we see this newsletter as an ideal way
for WasteWi$e partners to exchange information and
real-life experiences. In this newsletter, we would
like to present case studies and "how-to" information
that is valuable to you. If you have case studies or in-
formation to share, or suggestions for articles you
would like to see in future issues of the WasteWi$e
Update, please let us know by calling 1-800-EPA-
WISE.
We look forward to
working with you.
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WasteWi$e Update
Charter Members Honored in
Ceremony
(Continued from p. 1)
years by reducing the number and volume of forms, us-
ing electronic mail, and performing double-sided copy-
ing. (Additional examples of WasteWi$e members' goals
are presented on page 7.)
Blackburn said his company, an international supplier
of health care products, has already saved $24 million in
1993 by reducing packaging and other materials. Like
many of the participating companies, Baxter International
began waste reduction efforts prior to becoming a
WasteWi$e member. Many of these companies plan to ex-
pand their current efforts under the initiative.
Speakers at the ceremony also expressed satisfaction in
the partnership ap-
proach exemplified by
WasteWi$e. Browner
said that WasteWi$e
represents a new way
for EPA and businesses
to work together. "The
Clinton Administration
believes that we must
move beyond one-size-
fits-all environmental
regulation," she added.
Bloch remarked that the
WasteWi$e collabora-
tion "is government at
its best."
In the Market
for Recycled
ver wonder where to buy fax paper with
post-consumer content? Looking to purchase floor tiles
made with recycled materials? If so, you're in luck.
WasteWi$e is pleased to announce that a condensed
version of the Recycled Products Guide will be delivered
at no charge to member companies! In addition, the
complete Guide is available at a 50 percent discount
price of about $140 to WasteWi$e members.
Published by American Recycling Market, Inc., the
Guide provides over 4,000 listings of manufacturers,
distributors, and merchants of products containing re-
covered materials. The condensed version of the Guide
contains a sampling of listings from the complete
Guide. It will give readers a sense of the diversity and
quantity of recycled products available in various geo-
graphic locations, and should help you decide whether
the full Guide would be of value to you.
A special rate is also available for WasteWi$e mem-
bers on RecycleLine—an online computer network of
information on recycled products and markets. The
network is continuously updated and easily accessible
by modem. RecycleLine users have access to
the same recycled product information listed
in the complete Guide, including more than
4,500 listings of products with recycled con-
tent, 700 different product classifications,
and 1,100 regional merchants. In addition,
RecycleLine includes a calendar of events relat-
ing to recycling and recycled products, recy-
cling markets and equipment, a resource
library of relevant publications, news bulle-
tins, and more.
WasteWi$e Members will receive their free
copy of the condensed Recycled Products Guide
in the mail, along with ordering information
for the complete version of the Guide and addi-
tional information on RecycleLine.
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WasteWi$e Update
V\£isteV\J$e • nfcm-ation Exchange
In response to interest by WasteWi$e partners, EPA will set up a WasteWi$e "Peer Exchange" in which member compa-
nies can contact each other directly to share experiences on waste reduction programs. To participate in the Peer Ex-
change, identify up to five topic areas on which you would like to either share or receive information. For each topic area,
check the first box if you have information to SHARE with other WasteWi$e members; check the second box if you would
like to RECEIVE information from other WasteWi$e companies. Once we receive your form we will contact you to help
match you with one or more companies. We expect that the first exchanges will occur in March 1995. To participate in
the first round of exchanges, please mail this form to EPA by February 15, 1995.
UJ
§
= 1
1 Waste Prevention
Reducing Paper
Two-Sided Copying
Two-Sided Printing
Electronic Communication
Scrap Paper Reuse
Paper Distribution Reduction
Reducing Packaging
Product Packaging
Transport Packaging
Other ____________
(please specify)
Reducing Cafeteria/Food
Service Waste
Food Scrap Reduction
Reusable Dishware
Other
D D
DD
(please specify)
On-Site Composting
Yard Trimmings
Food Scraps
Materials/Equipment Reuse
Donations
Materials Exchange
Reusable Supplies
Toner Cartridges
Binders/Folders
Refillables
Other _____________
(please specify)
Educating Employees on Waste
Prevention
Corporate Policy Statements
Establishing a Waste Reduction
Program/Team
Waste Prevention Measurements
Other ______
% | Recycling Collection
| S Programs
Paper and Paperboard
D D High Grade White Paper
D D Low Grade Paper
D D Mixed (High and Low Grade)
D D Newspaper
D D Magazines
D D Corrugated Containers
Plastics
DD PET
nn HOPE
DD Stretch Wrap and LDPE
D D Polystyrene
D D Other
(please specify)
Metals
D D Aluminum/Nonferrous
D D Ferrous
D D Glass Containers
Off-Site Composting
D D Yard Trimmings
D D Food Scraps
D D Wood (e.g., pallets)
D D Textiles
D D Educating Employees on Recycling
Collection Programs
D D Measuring Collected Materials
DD Other
(please specify)
(please specify)
Name
Company
Phone
g| Buying Recycled
11 Products
D D Educating Employees
on Recycled Products
D D Revising Product Specifications
to Allow Recycled Content
D D Revising Purchasing
Policies/Procedures
to Emphasize Recycled Products
D D Addressing Real or Perceived
Quality Issues About Recycled
Products
D D Working With Vendors to Supply
Recycled Products
D D Measuring Recycled Product
Purchases
Information on specific recycled
products that are available in your
area can be found through a variety
of sources. One such source is the
Recycled Products Guide, which you'll
receive information on soon. For
other sources of information on recy-
cled products, call the WasteWi$e
Hotline at 1-800-EPA-WISE.
How would you prefer to
exchange information?
LJ By phone
LH In person
(at my company's facility or another facility)
Fax
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WasteWi$e Update
Mfeste*AI$e Tally
To better meet the needs of member companies, EPA recently
asked WasteWi$e charter members what technical assistance pro-
grams they would find most valuable. Technical assistance needs
identified by 41 companies are listed below, along with the initial
steps EPA is taking to address these needs.
Seminars. Almost all (93 percent) of the respondents would at-
tend a WasteWi$e seminar that would offer (1) information on
waste reduction alternatives and program implementation; and (2)
an opportunity for members to share results, problems, and solu-
tions. Companies liked the idea of seminars specific to their busi-
ness sector. The WasteWi$e program will sponsor a series of
workshops in the coming year with an emphasis on interactive sharing
of "how-to" information among companies. Stay tuned!
Peer Exchange (Benchmarking). Most companies (98 percent)
expressed interest in providing or receiving assistance from other
WasteWi$e companies. Many would prefer to share information
over the phone rather than in person, though some companies
would prefer on-site assistance. There is a form on page 5 of this
newsletter to help EPA begin facilitating this type of exchange. Take
a moment to fill it out—it will be worth the time.
Publications and Tip Sheets. Seventy-six percent of the respon-
dents prefer shorter written pieces (3-4 pages) over longer in-
depth materials. More companies prefer information materials
targeted to specific business sectors. EPA will develop a series of
"tip sheets" on specific materials and waste reduction practices
(see p. 8).
On-Site Waste Assessments. Just under half of the respondents
expressed interest in on-site waste assessments at their facilities.
Some would prefer to have an industry peer conduct the assess-
ment, while others preferred a nonprofit organization. Sixty-one
percent of the companies interested in on-site assessments are
willing to share all or some assessment results with other companies.
Fold and seal
Electronic Bulletin Board (EBB) and Fax-Back. Seventy-three
percent of the respondents indicated that they would use an EBB if
WasteWi$e were to establish one or link up with an existing EBB. The
bulletin board would allow companies to (1) download materials;
(2) send messages to companies or WasteWi$e staff; (3) obtain up-
dates on WasteWi$e activities; and (4) hold conferences with other
WasteWi$e members. Eighty-eight percent of the companies respond-
ing would also use a system that would automatically fax materials that
companies selected from a menu of options chosen over the phone
("fax-back"). EPA plans to investigate different methods of communi-
cating electronically with WasteWi$e members. We'll keep you posted
on these efforts in future issues.
Promotion. When asked which media venues would be most valu-
able if EPA conducted program promotion centered around mem-
ber companies, the first choice was local media coverage, followed
by national media coverage. Public service announcements and ar-
ticles in business and trade journals were the third choice.
0>
Technical Assistance Preferred
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(5306)
401 M Street SW.
Washington, DC 20460
Attention: WasteWi$e Peer Exchange
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WasteWi$e Update
\Afeste\A! $e
Partners Aim
You might be wondering about the
types of goals companies are estab-
lishing for WasteWi$e. Here is a sam-
pling of approved goals from member
companies. In a future issue of this
newsletter, we'll take an in-depth look at some of
these goals and how companies are achieving them.
Waste Prevention Goals
• Print customer telephone bills on both sides, with a goal to
reduce total bill paper usage by 25 percent.
• Wash operator vinyl gloves for reuse rather than discarding
them.
• Recondition air filters used in heavy equipment instead of
discarding them and purchasing new ones.
• Increase the repair and reuse of telecommunications
equipment.
• Use cafeteria food scraps for animal feed.
• Shred nonrecyclable waste paper and use it as packing in
outgoing shipments, eliminating the need to purchase new
packing materials.
• Purchase only reconditioned toner cartridges for printers
and institute a program to return spent cartridges in ex-
change for reconditioned ones.
• Leave grass clippings on lawns.
Recycling Goals
• Recycle portable rechargeable (NiCd) batteries.
• Expand office paper recycling programs.
• Initiate a plastic shrinkwrap recycling program.
• Use old telephone directories as a feedstock for producing
company billing envelopes.
Buying or Manufacturing Recycled
Products
• Increase the amount of recycled fiber in office bond paper
to 50 percent total recycled fiber and 15 percent post-
consumer fiber.
• Increase the postconsumer content of paper used in tele-
phone directories.
• Increase the purchase of retread tires.
WasteWi$e Business Sectors
A diverse range of companies, large and small, have
signed on to be WasteWi$e partners. About half are For-
tune 500 or Service 500 companies. Here are some of the
business sectors represented by WasteWi$e members:
Aerospace
Airlines
Banking/Financial and Savings
Beverages
Building Materials
Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals
Communications
Computers/Office Equipment
Consulting and Research Services
Education
Electronics and Electronics Equipment
Entertainment
Food and Grocery Stores
Forest Products
Furniture
Hotels and Restaurants
Industrial and Farm Equipment
Insurance
Medical Services
Metals and Metal Products
Mining/Crude Oil Production
Motor Vehicles and Parts
Petroleum Refining
Printing and Publishing
Retail
Rubber and Plastic Products
Scientific and Photographic Equipment
Soaps and Cosmetics
Textiles
Toys and Sporting Goods
Transportation
Transportation Equipment
Utilities
Waste Management
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WasteWi$e Update
Give Us Some Tips!
WasteWi$e is developing a series of "tip sheets" for mem-
bers on specific waste reduction activities. The tip sheets
will take a closer look at some effective ways to cut
waste, with emphasis on the experiences of WasteWi$e
partners. If you ha ve experience or information on any
of the following topics that you would like to contribute
for use in one or more of the tip sheets, please call the
WasteWi$e Hotline at
1-800-EPfi-WISE.
• Reducing paper use.
• Reducing waste in food service operations.
• Finding a new home for used equipment and supplies.
• Reducing transport packaging.
• Measuring waste prevention.
Thanks!
EPA
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
(5306)
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use
$300
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