Waste Prevention Ideas
 

Begin by assessing the products and equipment used and the waste generated by your business. Then identify ways to improve efficiency and eliminate waste. The ideas below can help you decide what waste prevention practices to adopt.

Purchasing

  • Establish purchasing guidelines to encourage waste prevention (durable, concentrated, reusable, high quality products).

  • Consider length of warranty and availability of repair services when purchasing equipment.

  • Use optical scanners, which give more details about inventory, allowing more precise ordering.

  • Order supplies in bulk to reduce excess packaging.

  • Order supplies by voice mail or electronic mail.

  • Substitute less toxic materials for toxic materials (e.g., vegetable based inks, water based glue, markers, and paints).

  • Ask suppliers to minimize packaging on orders.

  • Request that deliveries be shipped in returnable containers.

Packaging

  • Eliminate unneeded packaging or layers of packaging.

  • Use lightweight packaging.

  • Use reusable boxes and mail bags for shipping to branch offices, stores, and warehouses.

  • Reuse packaging (e.g., foam peanuts, bubble wrap, and cardboard boxes) or find someone who can.

  • Set up a system for returning cardboard boxes and foam peanuts to distributors for reuse.

  • Return, reuse, and repair wooden pallets and spools.

  • Order merchandise with minimal packaging, in concentrated form and in bulk.

Writing/Printing Paper

  • Make double-sided copies whenever possible.

  • Reuse envelopes or use two-way envelopes.

  • Circulate memos, documents, periodicals, and reports rather than individual copies.

  • Use voice or electronic mail or put messages on a chalkboard or central bulletin board.

  • Make scratch pads from used paper.

  • Use outdated letter head for in-house memos.

  • Eliminate unnecessary forms. Double-side forms or redesign them to fit on a half sheet.

  • Use narrow-ruled notebooks.

  • Seek methods to reduce production errors.

  • Save documents on floppy disks instead of making hard copies.

  • Use central files for hard copies.

  • Print more words on each page (e.g., smaller font, narrow margins).

  • Proof documents on screen before printing.

  • Print drafts on paper already printed on one side.

  • Use same draft of report for corrections by several people.

  • Donate old magazines and journals to hospitals, clinics, or libraries.

  • Keep mailing lists current/one copy per address.

  • Call or mail postcards directly to senders asking that your business be removed from mailing lists.

  • Reduce advertising mail by writing to: Direct Marketing Assoc., Mail Preference Service, P.O. Box 3861, NY, NY 10163-3861. Ask that your business be eliminated from mailing lists.

  • Accept final in-house documents with hand corrections.

Over-Stocked, Exchangeable Items

  • Set up an area for employees to exchange used items.

  • Advertise surplus and reusable waste items through a commercial waste exchange. CalMAX is a materials exchange network in California; services are available at no cost to users. CalMEX, CalMAX's bilingual component serving parts of Baja California was recently launched. Call (916) 255-2369 for a free catalog and materials listing form or check out the CalMAX homepage.

Equipment

  • Rent equipment that is used occasionally.

  • Use remanufactured office equipment.

  • Invest in equipment that facilitates waste prevention such as:

    • high quality, durable, repairable equipment

    • copiers and printers that make two-sided copies

  • Install reusable heating, ventilation and air conditioning filters.

  • Replace incandescent with fluorescent lights.

  • Institute maintenance practices to prolong the use of copiers, computers, and other equipment.

  • Reclaim reusable parts from old equipment.

  • Use recharged or rebuilt fax and printer cartridges.

  • Sell or give old furniture and equipment to employees or donate it to a local charity.

  • Find uses for worn tires (e.g., landscaping, swings).

  • Use retreaded tires on company vehicles. Rotate tires on a regular basis to prolong tire life. Keep tires properly inflated.

Landscaping/Organics

  • Use a mulching mower or retrofit your mower and leave grass clippings on lawn (grasscycling).

  • Compost grass clippings and leaves or ask your landscaper to send trimmings to a composting facility (check with recycling coordinator about any composting requirements).

  • Use compost as a topsoil amendment or request your landscaper contractor to use it.

  • Choose a landscape design that needs low maintenance and generates little waste (e.g., perennials, slow growing shrubs).

  • Buy a chipper and turn tree and shrub clippings into mulch.

Food and Personal Services

  • Use durable towels, tablecloths, napkins, dishes, flatware, cups, and glasses.

  • Encourage employees to bring their own mugs and utensils. Ask food vendor to offer discounts on beverages served in own mug.

  • Buy company mugs; stop providing disposable cups.

  • Encourage customers to take home extra food.

  • Offer smaller portions (e.g., child's menu).

  • Arrange for food bank pick-up of unserved food.

  • Sell or give food scraps to farmers who can process it for feed (check with local health and agricultural agencies).

  • Compost vegetable food scraps. (Check with your recycling coordinator concerning local guidelines or restrictions.)

  • Set up a worm bin at the office to convert your food wastes (banana peels, coffee grounds) into high quality potting soil (vermicompost).

  • Use reusable coffee filters or unbleached disposable filters.

  • Reuse trash can liners or eliminate where possible.

  • Consider using cloth roll towels, hot air dryer, large paper rolls in rest rooms or buy smaller/lighter sized paper towels.

  • Provide condiments in bulk dispensers.

Consumer Choices

  • Teach your customers about the importance of reducing waste. Effective tools for getting across the message include: promotional campaigns, brochures and newsletters (remember to use recycled paper), banners, newspaper ads, product displays, store signs, and labels.

  • Encourage customers to bring their own bag(s) and compliment them when they do.

  • Offer customers a rebate when they reuse grocery bags, containers, mugs, and cups.

  • Offer customers waste reduction choices such as:

    • items in bulk or concentrate;

    • solar-powered items such as calculators, flashlights;

    • durable merchandise;

    • repairable merchandise; and

    • items in refillable bottle.

  • Encourage customers to return reusable items such as metal hangers to dry cleaners.

  • Promote waste prevention through advertising.