United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Policy, Planning and
Evaluation/Solid Waste
and Emergency Response
May 1996
EPA230-F-96-009
WasteWiSe Partnership
Benefits Global Climate
Change
The atmosphere that surrounds Earth contains many types of gases, including what are
known as "greenhouse gases. " These gases absorb and retain heat from the sun. Without
greenhouse gases, the average temperature on Earth would be 5°F instead of the current
60°F. A buildup of these gases in the atmosphere, on the other hand, could raise global
temperatures, triggering profound changes in the Earth's climate and ecosystems.
The manufacture and distribution of products and the subsequent management of
solid waste can contribute to the formation of greenhouse gases. For this reason, as well
as for other environmental benefits, EPA is encouraging waste reduction efforts.
WasteWi$e is one EPA program helping to curb greenhouse gas emissions by expand-
ing waste prevention and recycling in businesses nationwide.
WHAT Is
WASTE WI$E?
WASTE
ince January
EPA has been work-
i ing in partnership
with American busi-
nesses to reduce municipal
solid waste. More than
420 companies are now
WasteWiSe partners.
Many of these are Fortune
500 service or manufacturing companies.
Partners are located across the country and
represent a variety of business and industrial
sectors. Through die WasteWiSe program,
companies make a voluntary commitment
to implement or expand upon a solid waste
reduction program with three complemen-
tary components:
• Preventing waste. The cornerstone of
WasteWiSe, waste prevention means using
less material to do the same job or produce
the same product, thereby making less
waste. WasteWiSe partners commit to
implementing three significant waste pre-
vention activities of their choice.
• Recycling. By recycling, American busi-
nesses can be instrumental in diverting
materials from disposal. WasteWiSe part-
ners commit to initiate, expand, or
improve company programs to collect recy-
clables. For example, companies may add
new materials to an existing program, or
increase recycling rates by educating
employees or the community.
• Buying or manufacturing recycled
products. Businesses can play a key role in
assimilating recycled materials into con-
sumer markets. WasteWiSe partners com-
mit to increase the overall recycled content
in the products they purchase.
Manufacturers may also increase the per-
centage of postconsumer materials in the
products they make.
WasteWiSe partners design their own
solid waste reduction programs, tailored to
meet their needs and operations. Partners
monitor their progress and report annually
to EPA on their accomplishments. The
WasteWiSe program helps participating
companies discover waste reduction oppor-
tunities and set waste reduction goals.
Partners have access (through a toll-free
helpline) to WasteWiSe representatives,
Printed on paper that contains at least 20 percent postconsumer fiber.
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who provide personalized assistance, and to a wide range of
waste reduction publications. EPA also publicly recognizes
individual companies and program successes.
How CAN WASTEWI$E HELP
REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS
EMISSIONS?
By reducing waste, WasteWiSe part-
ners divert millions of tons of
material from disposal. They
also attain higher levels of
efficiency by only using the materi-
als they really need. Simply put, as
businesses prevent more waste and recycle
more materials, fewer greenhouse gases are
emitted into the atmosphere.
Waste prevention, in particular, greatly reduces
the emission of greenhouse gases by conserving raw
materials and the energy expended to retrieve, process,
and manufacture materials into products. In addi-
tion, waste prevention keeps materials out of
% landfills and incinerators. Overall, waste preven-
tion provides more climate
change benefits than any
other waste management
option.
For more
information
WasteWiSe, call the
WasteWiSe helpline at
1-800-EPA-WISE. For more
information on climate
change and waste reduc-
tion, contact EPA's RCRA
Hotline at 800-424-9346.
By boosting their recycling
efforts, WasteWiSe partners
divert valuable materials from
the waste stream that otherwise
would be disposed of in land-
fills and incinerators where
they would emit greenhouse
gases. In particular, many com-
panies have increased their recy-
cling of office paper and corrugated containers. By keeping
paper products out of landfills, methane emissions from
landfills are reduced. In addition, when used paper is recy-
cled into new paper products, fewer trees have to be har-
vested. Trees take large amounts of carbon dioxide out of
the atmosphere and store it in wood.
WasteWiSe partners are also encouraged to manufac-
ture or buy products made from recyclable materials. This
helps ensure that recyclables, rather than raw materials, are
used in manufacturing processes. Typically less energy is
used during manufacture when recycled materials rather
than virgin materials are used.
How DOES WASTEWI$E FIT
INTO THE CLIMATE CHANGE
ACTION PLAN?
In October 1993, the Climate Change Action Plan was
initiated to strengthen our country's commitment to
reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The plan outlines
more than 50 voluntary initiatives designed to reduce
emissions of these gases to 1990 levels by the year 2000.
EPA is responsible for encouraging attainment of about half
of the reductions under this plan.
WasteWiSe partners arc already playing a lead role in
helping EPA achieve diese goals. In 1994 alone, WasteWiSe
partners reduced and recycled over 1 million tons of mater-
ial. WasteWiSe will be a significant contributor to EPA's
overall Climate Change Action Plan goal.
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