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Business Guide for Reducing Solid Waste

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This guide provides an overview for developing and implementing a waste reduction program. It includes a series of worksheets designed to help you conduct a waste assessment and devise a program tailored for your company's specific goals. The worksheets lead you through a set of calculations to:

Estimate the types and amounts of waste generated by your company;
Identify potential waste reduction options; and
Determine which options will work in your facility.

Guide:

Cover Page and Acknowledgments (PDF) (3 pp, 3.3MB)
Table of Contents and How To Use This Guide (PDF) (2 pp, 497K)
Introduction (PDF) (6 pp, 3.1MB)
Chapter One: Getting Started (PDF) (PDF File, 3 pp, 677 K)
Chapter Two: Conducting a Waste Assessment (PDF) (6 pp, 1.1MB)
Chapter Three: Selecting, Implementing, and Monitoring Waste Reduction Options (PDF) (7 pp, 1.3MB)

Appendices:

Appendix A: Waste Reduction Ideas (PDF) (2 pp, 208K)
Appendix B: Regional EPA and State Waste Reduction Program Contacts (PDF) (6 pp, 227K)
Appendix C: Glossary (PDF) (2 pp, 290K)
Appendix D: Volume-to-Weight Conversion Table (PDF) (4 pp, 2.3MB)
Appendix E: Common Recyclable Materials (PDF) (4 pp, 206K)

Worksheets:

About the Worksheets (PDF) (1 pg, 398K)
Worksheet A: Facility Background Information (PDF) (2 pp, 667K)
Worksheet B: Records Review - Waste Collection and Removal (PDF) (3 pp, 845K)
Worksheet C: Facility WaIk-Through (PDF) (4 pp, 5.1MB)
Worksheet D: Waste Sort (PDF) (6 pp, 6.2MB)
Worksheet E: Identifying Potential Waste Reduction Options (PDF) (2 pp, 2.3MB)
Worksheet F: Economic and Operational Feasibility (PDF) (8 pp, 2.7MB)
Worksheet G: Monitoring and Evaluation
- G1A: Introduction (PDF) (1 pg, 4.1MB)
- G1: Amount of Waste Reduced (PDF) (3 pp, 3.3MB)
- G2: Avoided Waste Removal Costs (PDF) (2 pp, 2.2MB)
- G3: Revenues and Avoided Purchase Costs (PDF) (2 pp, 1.2MB)
- G4: Gross Annual Waste Savings and Purchase of Recycled Products (PDF) (2 pp, 1.3MB)
- G5: Evaluation (PDF) (2 pp, 46K)

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