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Retail
Waste
Packaging
materials, particularly corrugated cardboard, make up a large
portion of any retail store's waste. Because much of this waste
is generated outside the retail establishment, reduction efforts
must be made in cooperation with vendors.
Incoming packaging such as bags and boxes can be reused as
packaging for customers. However, while this reduces disposal
requirements, it does not solve the problem of unnecessary
packaging. If vendors ship products in unnecessary or
non-recyclable packaging ask them to reduce packaging or switch
to materials that can be recycled or reused.
Restaurant Waste
Restaurants
that use disposable napkins, utensils or placemats can reduce
waste volume by switching to reusable items. Many restaurants
also generate sufficient quantities of aluminum, glass,
steel/tin cans and plastic to justify recycling as a cost
control measure. Some tips for effective handling of restaurant
waste include:
Recycle corrugated cardboard, glass, metals and plastics. If
space is a problem, specially designed equipment such as can,
glass and plastic crushers are available to reduce the volume of
your recyclable materials.
Replace beverage bottles and cans. Most beer and soft drinks can
be served on-tap, reducing both the costs of buying beverages
and disposing or recycling cans and bottles. Even wine can be
stored in bulk in some circumstances.
Replace disposable items (cups, utensils, trays, dishes and
single-serving condiment packages) with reusable items.
Eat-in restaurants and hotels can use reusable napkins and
dinnerware, placemats and tablecloths. Switching from
disposables may add to dishwashing and laundry costs, but will
save on the purchase of paper goods and avoid waste disposal
costs.
For carryout and fast food, select the minimum appropriate
packaging for food.
Buy in bulk to reduce container waste, but avoid buying too much
of a product that might spoil. Buy locally to minimize
transportation costs.
Some fast food chains are operating recycling programs for
polystyrene containers. Contact your container supplier about
the feasibility of such a project.
Ask suppliers to provide you with products that are packaged in
materials such as recyclable or reusable paper, glass, steel,
aluminum or plastic.
Donate useful, outdated stock and leftover foods to food
pantries, charities and shelters.
Collect and send used grease to a renderer.
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Maintenance Waste
Use washable rags for cleaning--commercial laundry services can
provide an economical regular supply.
Use non-toxic or biodegradable solvents and cleaners.
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INDUSTRIAL WASTE
Few
generalizations can be made about the composition of industrial
waste because it is usually specific to the industry that
produces it. Many industrial wastes can be reused or recycled
in-house or off-site. They can also be put on waste exchanges.
Production line workers, foremen and plan engineers can be
helpful in identifying waste that can be targeted for reduction
and recycling. Some ideas for industrial waste reduction
include:
Extending the life of equipment to avoid discarding it.
Negotiate service contracts for equipment and consider
remanufacturing worn-down equipment instead of buying new.
Switching to reusable pallets and containers. Sturdy, two-way
pallets can cost more than inferior ones, but should result in
savings over purchasing new pallets. By
using
reusable pallets, you will avoid disposal costs of broken
pallets.
Reusing wastes through in-house reuse/recycling or waste
exchanges. One department's waste can be another department's or
company's raw material.
Reducing the amount of packaging that is sent to you. Ask your
suppliers to eliminate unnecessary packaging.
In the shipping/receiving area:
Reduce the generation of corrugated cardboard waste by working
with suppliers to provide returnable and reusable containers.
Ask suppliers to provide packing materials that are recyclable,
reusable or returnable.
Distribute your products in returnable containers to reduce your
consumption of raw materials.
Recycle corrugated cardboard, metals, glass, plastics and other
recyclable materials. Compact or bale these materials if
quantities are large and space is limited. Share compactors and
balers with neighboring businesses if your recyclable quantities
are small.
Buy items in bulk where practical and where it will reduce
waste.
Reuse and recycle pallets.
On the production line:
Substitute non-hazardous ingredients for hazardous materials
where possible.
Mix only the volume of material required to fill an order.
Implement
a collection system for recoverable/recyclable materials.
Recover oils, solvents and other cleaning materials.
Purchase efficient equipment, train and motivate employees, and
install quality monitoring systems to reduce production line
rejects.
Educate employees about source separation and encourage employee
suggestions as to how it may be made more efficient.
Reduce production scrap by modifying production equipment and
processes.
Recycle on-site scrap by modifying or adding equipment.
Evaluate
pay-back of the recycling programs in terms of reduced input
costs and reduced disposal costs.
In the maintenance/storage area:
Identify storage needs and segregate and recycle all recyclable
materials.
Use reusable containers that are collapsible,
"nestable" or stackable for efficient storage and
handling.
Use compactors or balers to reduce volume of recyclable
materials. This conserves storage space, reduces transportation
costs and generally increases marketability of the material.
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