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Waste Not, Want Not
EPA’s
WasteWise Program Partners to Save Money and Save the Environment
By Charles
Rombeau
Whatever its
form, waste is a drain on resources. Some organizations view the
high cost of materials, supplies, and solid waste disposal as an
inevitable part of doing business. Not so, say the hundreds of innovative
partners in the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) WasteWise
program who have gained a competitive edge through solid waste
reduction.
WasteWise is
a free, voluntary, EPA program designed to help organizations eliminate
costly municipal solid waste while both benefiting their bottom
line and the environment. WasteWise is a flexible approach that
allows partners to design their own solid waste reduction programs
tailored to their own business needs. As a WasteWise partner, your
organization can save thousands of dollars by reducing, reusing,
and recycling solid waste materials.
Spring 2000
marked the launch of the WasteWise federal sector charter period
which coincided with the much anticipated milestone of reaching
1,000 program partners. This monumental achievement occurred when
WasteWise welcomed the United States Postal Service — Sacramento
District as its 1,000th partner on June 26, joining the dozens of
other federal agencies who have already pledged their commitment
to reducing waste.
The WasteWise
program targets the reduction of municipal solid waste — waste
that would otherwise end up in an organization’s (or its customers’)
trash dumpster, such as corrugated containers, office paper, yard
trimmings, packaging, and wood pallets. Participants, ranging from
small local governments and nonprofit organizations to large, multi-national
corporations, sign on to the program for a 3-year period. They then
begin a three-point plan based on a commitment to reducing waste,
establishing waste reduction goals, and tracking progress.
Over the past
6 years the program has grown by leaps and bounds, now encompassing
more than 50 industry sectors. Along the way WasteWise has evolved
to better meet the needs of its partners, but the program's emphasis
on technical assistance and promotion of partner achievements has
remained constant. Moving into the 21st century, the WasteWise program
will continue to challenge partners to seek innovative waste reduction
measures.
Those federal
agencies not already involved with the waste prevention, recycling
collection, and buy-recycled programs that are the heart of WasteWise
should explore the official WasteWise site for further information
on joining. It is possible to still be a charter partner by joining
before September 30, 2000, allowing for your federal agency to be
recognized at the 2000 WasteWise Awards and Recognition Ceremony.
For More
Information:
Official
WasteWise site
About the
Author
Compiled by
Charles Rombeau, an intern with the National
Partnership for Reinventing Government.
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