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California, as well as the rest of the nation, is slowly coming to the realization that solid waste management is no longer an exercise in just finding new places to put trash. Even recycling, which transforms waste into new consumer products, is not enough to avert environmental and economic problems.
The overall amount of garbage produced in the first place has to shrink. It is that simple.
This straightforward realization, however, is not easily translated into the day-to-day operations of homes and businesses. The good news is that more and more individuals, and companies, have seen the light, and have committed to a comprehensive program of waste prevention -- sometimes called source reduction -- to limit the amount of garbage that ends up going to expensive landfills.
Opportunities for preventing waste present themselves on a day-to-day, hour-to-hour (yes, even minute-to-minute) basis. Here are some suggestions to be applied at home, while shopping, in your yard, or at work.
On the Home Front
Think twice before tossing. Can the item be reused for another purpose? Bags, containers, boxes and envelopes can often live many lives. After washing, for example, empty glass and plastic jars, milk jugs, coffee cans or dairy tubs can be used to store leftovers as well as buttons, nails or thumbtacks. If there is something you can no longer use, donate these items to friends and relatives or charitable organizations. If all else fails, hold a garage sale.
Rent, borrow or share things you use infrequently. These items could include everything from party decorations to audiovisual equipment to chain saws, rug cleaners or garden tillers. You should also consider repairing or maintaining items you already have, particularly large appliances and electronic equipment, large items which take up a lot of space if sent to a landfill.
One note of caution is in order. Do not reuse containers that originally held products such as motor oil or pesticides. Harmful residues can persist. And never store anything potentially harmful in containers designed for food or beverages. Always label containers and store them out of the reach of children and pets.
While Shopping
Since packaging is the leading source of waste in landfills, shoppers should always choose products with the least necessary wrapping. Keep in mind that as the amount of product in a container increases, the packaging waste per serving or use usually decreases.
Consider large or economy size containers for household products that are used frequently, items such as laundry soap or pet foods. Using concentrated products also reduces waste, as does bulk merchandise. Be sure to recognize and support store managers when they stock products with no or reduced packaging.
While waste prevention is typically thought of in terms of reducing the amount of materials going into the waste stream, another critical component is reducing waste toxicity. Many nontoxic alternatives have recently been put on store shelves. Reduced mercury batteries are one example.
In Your Backyard
Sometime using nontoxic alternatives yields fringe benefits. You could plant marigolds in your garden to ward off certain pests, an approach that not only limits the use of pesticides, but brightens up the day of anyone admiring your garden.
Here are some other tips for your backyard. Manage your yard so it creates less waste by "grasscycling" (leaving your grass clippings on the lawn), xeriscaping (planting slow-growing trees and shrubs that require less water and trimming), and mulching (the spreading of clippings and leaves around planted areas to keep down weeds and keep in moisture).
You could also compost yard trimmings and kitchen scraps, start a backyard compost pile or a worm bin to convert food waste into a high quality soil amendment.
At Work
Bring a mug to work for your coffee or tea, a simple act that could save pounds and pounds of paper, styrofoam and plastic waste over the course of a job.
Persuade purchasing departments to choose reusable products, such as recharged cartridges, for laser printers. Apply many of the techniques used at home at work. Also, include the following waste prevention techniques: work with suppliers to minimize the amount of packaging used and to return shipping materials such as crates, cartons and pallets for reuse; use high quality, long-lasting supplies and equipment that can be repaired easily; use supplies and materials for efficiency. For example, switching to double-sided photocopying can cut paper costs by 10 to 40 percent. Reduce hazardous waste by finding out which products in your graphics and maintenance departments -- inks, solvents or glue -- are available with fewer toxic constituents. Ask suppliers about water-based (rather than oil- or solvent-based) products.
If management questions the value of waste prevention, explain to them it makes economic sense. For example, tell them about how about how Fetzer Vineyards of Redwood Valley reduced its waste by 86 percent between 1991 and 1994, saving more than $50,000 in disposal fees. Or tell management about the Hyatt at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, whose waste reduction efforts include donations of used linens and uniforms to the homeless. Total disposal fee savings from their waste reduction recycling programs: $26,000. Or try IBM's Storage Systems Division in San Jose, where innovative environmental packaging has saved more than $4.7 million! And, last, but certainly not least, the AMI South Bay Hospital in Redondo Beach, which has cut its waste disposal tonnage by 50 percent, with cost savings already topping $100,000 since program inception. |
| Author: Lee Young |
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Author Bio:
Maybe you don't have time to thumb through the quarterly catalog, which could be a great read with your morning coffee. If not, try CALMAX On-Line . Want to put a free ad in the CALMAX catalog, get on the mailing list or learn more? Call the California Integrated Waste Management Board at (916) 341-6603 or write the board at 1001 I Street, PO Box 4025, Sacramento, CA 95812-4025. |
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