Small Business Waste Reduction
The Office of Solid Waste staff are available to provide businesses with assistance in their waste reduction efforts. If you want to "talk trash", and need some hints about waste reduction, disposal and "greener" business practices or to schedule a waste audit call 858-6370 or email us at recycle@erie.gov!
Use the following information to increase recycling and reduce waste at your place of work or business. An important step is to involve employees by encouraging ideas for waste reduction and improved energy efficiency. By setting goals and keeping employees and co-workers involved you will not only increase your success rate, but by publicizing your cooperative effort you can create some excitement too! Set goals, provide incentives, create some excitement and watch as your business evolves into a "green" business. It's great for the environment, can save you loads of money, and can be used as a wonderful public relations tool.
Waste Audits - If your school or business is interested in having a waste audit done, contact the Erie County at 858-6370. The audits are FREE, and can help you get a great head start on improving your waste management and saving money!
Ideas for Decreasing the Waste Paper You Create:
To eliminate unnecessary copies, notes and memos:
- Post office announcements in central locations on bulletin boards;
- Share and circulate a single copy of documents office-wide;
- Set up a central filing system or a shared electronic filing system on a network;
- Reformat faxes to eliminate cover sheets;
- Edit on the computer before printing;
- Store files on computer hard drives and portable discs;
Use all paper on two sides whenever possible:
- Require two-sided copying;
- Print rough drafts and informal memos on the unused of draft papers;
- Reuse draft and computer paper for notes and scrap paper.
Other Methods of Reducing Waste Paper:
- Single space documents where possible;
- Use e-mail rather than paper or inter-office memos;
- Set margins narrower for drafts;
- Change margins to avoid pages with little text;
- Use a smaller type/font for drafts;
- Reuse file folders;
- Using two-way envelopes if regular correspondence occurs with other facilities;
- Target specific audiences for direct mail;
- Avoid duplication on mail lists.
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Environmentally Preferable Purchasing
Environmentally preferable purchasing is the purchase of "products and services that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared to other products and services that serve the same purpose." For more information regarding Environmentally Preferable Purchasing, call Erie County OSW at 858-6370 or click here to go to the EPA's Environmentally Preferable Purchasing homepage.
By starting a recycling program at your business or place of work, in combination with purchasing products that are made from recycled products or have recycled content you are "closing the loop." Remember, your business is not really recycling, unless you are buying recycled products! For more information you can also visit our Purchasing Recycled Products page.
Encourage the office manager to buy:
- Laser printers that can make double sided copies;
- A program that allows faxing from the computer, rather than printouts;
- Fax machines that use plain paper;
- Narrow lined note pads;
- Modern cotton towel systems rather than paper towels for bathrooms;
- Reusable calendars that are hard surfaced, perpetual calendars that can be wiped clean and reused (water markers);
- Choose suppliers that sell recycled content products;
- Improve purchasing and inventory management to prevent overstocking supplies that are not used within one month or have a short shelf life;
- Buy products or materials with recycled content;
- Reuse materials that would normally be disposed of after one use;
- Buy mechanical pencils and refillable pens;
- Buy refillable tape dispensers;
- Refill laser cartridges and re-ink typewriter ribbons;
- Use solar powered calculators and rechargeable batteries;
- Use undated, reusable wall calendars.
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Waste Reduction in the Mail Room
- Choose a company that will provide recyclable packaging and packing material containing recycled content;
- Reuse shipping/packaging materials;
- Reuse envelopes with metal clasps;
- Use reusable envelopes for interoffice mail;
- Remove company name from direct mail lists;
- Reduce the number of paper copies of receipts and use recycled copy and register papers;
- Save polystyrene "peanuts" to return to suppliers for reuse or donate to a school, etc.;
- Shred non-recyclable paper items for packing material;
- Ship your offices materials in reusable containers;
- Enclose a note in all packages asking people to reuse packing materials.
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Waste Reduction in the Lunch Room
- Do not use disposable tableware like mugs, silverware and plates;
- Use cloth towels in kitchens;
- Buy reusable filters for coffee machines;
- Encourage employees to reuse lunch bags;
- Consider purchasing a water cooler to eliminate individual bottles.
Many disposable lunchroom, break room, or cafeteria items can be reused!
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Environmentally Friendly Office Equipment
- Buy or lease durable and repairable equipment such as photocopiers, fax machines, computers, typewriters, and coffee makers;
- Consider length and coverage of warranties and service contracts when selecting products;
- Recondition or repair older office furniture or donate it to local charitable groups;
- Give or sell outdated computer systems to a computer reconditioning/repair business;
- Buy sturdy desk supplies, such as bookends, file holders and staplers;
- Use longer lasting light bulbs;
- Encourage the building manager to install reusable air filters in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems;
- Donate old furniture and other materials to local organizations, homeless shelters or charities.
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On-Site Fluorescent Lamp Collection & Disposal
Click here for local fluorescent lamp recyclers.
- Place waste lamp in original box or in a special cartons provided by a lamp recycler;
- Designate a safe, well marked location to store waste lamps to avoid breakage or accidental mixing with other waste;
- Separate and put broken lamps in heavy plastic bags inside a rigid container and handle as a hazardous waste;
- Do not place broken fluorescents in metal containers. Metal containers will absorb the mercury and become hazardous waste itself.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sponsors a "Green Lights Program" which provides free regulatory and contractor information on lamp and ballast waste disposal if a business is considering a lighting system up-grade. For more information contact your nearest EPA Regional Office or click here.
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Get Everybody Involved!
Success at your place of work or business is going to take a cooperative effort from everybody. From the CEO and ownership on down, everybody has to pitch in. Here are some strategies for success!
- Make recycling easy for staff and patrons by providing separate bins for trash and recyclables;
- Create a list of waste items, laminate it, and hang it in clear view to tell people the destination of each item;
- A fundamental rule of all business recycling programs is that management must support the program by allocating staff time and supporting ideas generated by employees;
- Share newspapers and magazines;
- Organize swaps of unnecessary items from home with co-workers or other businesses;
- Select a lead person to be the program manager by planning, implementing, and monitoring responsibility and authority;
- Involve employees by encouraging ideas for waste and energy reduction;
- Share source reduction efforts among co-workers;
- Support the use of e-mail and suggestion boxes for on-going communication;
- Keep employees involved;
- Publicize attained goals and reward efforts by using promotions and incentives
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Cooperative Efforts:
Another way to increase waste reduction efforts and recycling rates at your business is to work cooperatively with other committed organizations in your area. Sharing and pooling resources will achieve your goals!
- Join other businesses for cooperative hauling of trash and recyclables. Sharing trash and recycling bins and disposal costs saves money and fosters cooperation;
- Donating useable wastes and recyclables to community groups fosters goodwill, protects the environment, and is a positive marketing strategy;
- Donate recycled aluminum cans to a school's environmental awareness program. The money can go to teach students about the environment;
- Contact area or local recycling companies about possible free pick up of recyclables on a regular schedule;
- Work with city, county, or state solid waste officials to get contacts and ideas for reuse and recycling programs. These agencies can provide technical and possibly financial assistance for starting a program;
- Use a phone book and network with other businesses to learn about their programs;
- Local business and/or government organizations frequently recognize these efforts by sponsoring awards and recognition programs.
Reduce your bottom line - waste reduction and recycling efforts save money!
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