Waste
In 2013, Americans generated about 254 million tons of trash and recycled and composted about 87 million tons of this material, equivalent to a 34.3 percent recycling rate.
Recycling
• Reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators.
• Conserves natural resources such as timber, water and minerals.
• Prevents pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw materials.
• Saves energy.
• Reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
• Helps sustain the environment for future generations.
• Helps create new well-paying jobs in the recycling and manufacturing industries in the United States.
Every bag of garbage your company sends to the landfill generally means more expense, as businesses often pay increasing amounts to have their waste landfilled. Innovating on processes and products that reduce waste will reduce your environmental impact, cut costs, increase employee engagement and showcase your organization’s commitment to sustainability.
- Beginner
Just Getting Started - Intermediate
Going a Little Deeper - Advanced
Transforming Your Organization
- Set printers to print double sided
- Print only necessary documents
- Send memos, quotes and invoices electronically
- Minimize paper usage in meetings
- Provide recycling bins at key locations
- Encourage employees to sort materials into the proper categories through communication and signage if your community doesn’t have co-mingled or single stream recycling
- Subscribe to online newspapers and magazines
- Donate outdated electronics
- Repurpose or reuse office supplies and equipment that remains serviceable
- Donate unwanted food
- Use washable cutlery and plates
- Use kitchenware and utensils that are either recyclable or compostable
- Recycle hazardous waste through the proper environmental compliance resources
- Return used CFL (compact fluorescent) lights to hardware stores that accept them for proper disposal
- For food service businesses, enroll in the Tempe Grease Cooperative
- Conduct a waste audit
- Set waste reduction goals
- Consider alternatives to purchasing products that are disposable and over-packaged
- Review packaging of products with a view to reducing packaging waste
- Establish a food composting station throughout your facilities
- Consider leasing rather than purchasing products
- Develop a policy of purchasing non-toxic cleaning materials
- Send e-waste to an investment recovery process
- Create a 5-year or 10-year ambitious sustainability vision, goals and targets of success
- Set and implement bold goals to reduce waste, emissions, water and resource use
- Implement a policy of zero waste in the office
- Engage employees at all levels in greening the workplace, their homes and communities
- Embed your green goals into your products and services – help your customers Go Green!
- Engage suppliers and business customers in collaborative projects to help achieve your mutual sustainability goals
- Champion sustainable initiatives to your industry association and solve environmental problems together
- Measure and report your progress, share your efforts with others
