|
Reducing Waste in Your Workplace
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, electronic mail or internet.
► Substitute less toxic materials for toxic materials (e.g.,
vegetable based inks, water based glue, markers, and paints)
► Request that deliveries be shipped in returnable
containers.
► Buy products with recycled content (better yet, develop an
environmentally preferable purchasing policy).
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 (mailing and
shipping stores, for example).
► Return, reuse, and/or 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► Use outdated letterhead for in-house memos.
► Eliminate unnecessary forms. Double-side forms or
re-design them to fit on a half sheet.
► Use narrow-ruled notebooks.
► Seek methods to reduce production errors.
► Save documents on the computer instead of making hard
copies.
► Use central files for hard copies.
► Print more words on each page (e.g., smaller font,
narrower 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.
► Accept final in-house documents with hand corrections.
► 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.
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. Call (91 6) 255-2369 for a free catalog and materials
listing form.
EQUIPMENT
► Use remanufactured office equipment.
► Rent equipment that is used occasionally.
► 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.
► Use rechargeable batteries when possible.
► 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).
► 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.
► 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 cloth towels, tablecloths and napkins, as well as
reusable dishes, flatware and glasses.
► Encourage employees to bring their own mugs and utensils.
Ask for 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).
► Use reusable coffee filters or unbleached disposable
filters.
► Reuse trash can liners or eliminate where possible.
► Consider using cloth roll towels, hot air dryers, large
paper rolls in rest rooms or buy smaller/lighter sized paper
towels.
► Provide condiments in bulk dispensers.
CONSUMER CHOICES
► Encourage customers to bring their own bag(s).
► Offer customers a rebate when they reuse grocery bags,
containers, mugs, and cups.
► Offer customers waste reduction choices such as:
o items in bulk or concentrate;
o solar-powered items such as calculators,
o flashlights;
o durable merchandise;
o repairable merchandise; and
o items in refillable containers.
► Encourage customers to return reusable items such as metal
hangers to dry cleaners.
► Promote waste prevention through advertising.
Adapted from:
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle- It’s Good Business, A Guide for
California Businesses
California Integrated Waste Management Board Publication #
500-94-004
Download
Business Recycling Ordinance Information Booklet to
learn more about the proposed business recycling program
requirements. |
