6 Reasons Why Your Company Should Have A Waste Minimization Program

In 2002, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) instituted the National Waste Minimization Program. It has several aims, one of which is to reduce and eliminate the amount of waste created by various industries in the United States. Under the program, waste is a lost resource; it is a “manufacturing cost variable that must be optimized with both direct and societal costs in mind.”
The program in particular pushes for the reduction and elimination of 31 priority chemicals. It is estimated that around 90% of these 31 chemicals leave factories via industrial and consumer products. These everyday products include mercury thermometers, naphthalene mothballs, cadmium batteries and electronics with lead solder.
Apart from the risk of exposure to these chemicals while using consumer products, they also pose a great risk to the environment. The chemicals from these products may leach out into the soil and groundwater when disposed at a landfill. When incinerated, these products may release the chemicals out into the air through the creation of smoke; the remaining ash can also be contaminated.
But apart from these environmental reasons, there are other several “soft gains” that can be gained from implementing your own waste minimization program in your workplace.
Product Quality – Imagine you’re a parent buying toys for your child. Of course, you don’t want any harmful chemicals in the toy you want to purchase – especially if you’re getting a toy that a child would keep in close contact or even bite. Consumers only want the best and the safest products, and if you can give that, then your name’s going to be the first choice on their minds.
Good Community Relations – Remember the case that made Erin Brockovich famous? Pacific Gas & Electric was forced to pay around $ 333 million for damages after one of their facilities contaminated drinking water. If your company uses toxic chemicals, it’s bound to affect neighboring communities and have class action suits delivered to your doorstep. No company wants that.
Employee Participation Morale – Would you want to work in a place where toxic chemicals are used everyday? Most likely, the answer is no – you wouldn’t want to work in a place where there is a risk of getting sick or even dying from exposure to these chemicals. If employees know that they are safe because the risk of working with those kinds of chemicals have been significantly reduced, then they would be willing to take an active role in your company.
Production Efficiency – Simply put, higher employee morale can result in employees being more productive.
Profits – With good community relations and outstanding product quality, consumers will not think over their decision to buy your products.
Overall Environmental Performance – As stressed in the earlier part of this article, the main benefits of implementing a waste minimization program is related to the environment. In a paper published by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation of Canada in 2004, a large amount of business research based in North America indicates a positive or neutral correlation between environmental and financial performance. While a conceptual framework to rigorously support this claim is still being formulated, all indicators point to the fact that what works for the environment may also very well work for your business.