Yesterday we started a series focusing on the Four R’s of Waste Control beginning with a focus on “Reduce” as the first R.  Today we will be looking at “Reuse” and how it can fit into the culture of your business.

Next to reducing your waste amount, reusing your waste is the next best thing for creating a “greener” world.  Reusing an item once its initial purpose has been fulfilled changes it to no longer being waste.

Practical examples of the “reuse” principle are found more frequently in a person’s home however there are still some great ways to incorporate the “reuse” principle into your business.

Printer cartridge and toner reuse – Many printer companies have programs in place to collect empty ink and toner cartridges and refill them at the factory readying them for resell.  This process reduces the number of plastic shells that need to be manufactured by the ink and toner companies, reducing waste.  Some companies are even able to buy ink kits that allow them to fill their own cartridges.

Pallet reuse – Wood and plastic pallet reuse has long been a practice employed by companies to help reduce waste and cost and today there are several programs in place to “pool” pallets that can be shared among many companies without having to incur the cost of using brand new pallets with every shipment.

Reusable transport totes – Like pallets more and more companies are moving toward plastic totes to transport goods within the organization instead of cardboard boxes.  The cost up front is slightly higher, but the savings is huge compared to the waste and cost of using cardboard boxes with only a few uses.

Suppliers that reuse – One of the biggest ways companies can support the “reuse” philosophy is by selecting to do business with and supporting organizations and vendors who are in a position to “reuse” on multimillion dollar scales of volume and economy.  These companies have developed processes and have access to the manufacturing process that allow them to reuse waste savings millions of dollars.  There are thousands of suppliers who have been certified through one organization or another for excelling in this area and can be included when sourcing products.

For more information on SafeSourcing and how we can assist your company with sourcing with companies that have a commitment to “Reusing” waste and/or have been certified as a leader in this area, please contact a Customer Service Representative.

We hope you have enjoyed this week’s series and look forward to and appreciate your comments.

Yesterday we started a series focusing on the Four R?s of Waste Control beginning with a focus on ?Reduce? as the first R.? Today we will be looking at ?Reuse? and how it can fit into the culture of your business.

Next to reducing your waste amount, reusing your waste is the next best thing for creating a ?greener? world.? Reusing an item once its initial purpose has been fulfilled changes it to no longer being waste.

Practical examples of the ?reuse? principle are found more frequently in a person?s home however there are still some great ways to incorporate the ?reuse? principle into your business.

Printer cartridge and toner reuse ? Many printer companies have programs in place to collect empty ink and toner cartridges and refill them at the factory readying them for resell.? This process reduces the number of plastic shells that need to be manufactured by the ink and toner companies, reducing waste.? Some companies are even able to buy ink kits that allow them to fill their own cartridges.

Pallet reuse ? Wood and plastic pallet reuse has long been a practice employed by companies to help reduce waste and cost and today there are several programs in place to ?pool? pallets that can be shared among many companies without having to incur the cost of using brand new pallets with every shipment.

Reusable transport totes ? Like pallets more and more companies are moving toward plastic totes to transport goods within the organization instead of cardboard boxes.? The cost up front is slightly higher, but the savings is huge compared to the waste and cost of using cardboard boxes with only a few uses.

Suppliers that reuse ? One of the biggest ways companies can support the ?reuse? philosophy is by selecting to do business with and supporting organizations and vendors who are in a position to ?reuse? on multimillion dollar scales of volume and economy.? These companies have developed processes and have access to the manufacturing process that allow them to reuse waste savings millions of dollars.? There are thousands of suppliers who have been certified through one organization or another for excelling in this area and can be included when sourcing products.

For more information on SafeSourcing and how we can assist your company with sourcing with companies that have a commitment to ?Reusing? waste and/or have been certified as a leader in this area, please contact a Customer Service Representative.

We hope you have enjoyed this week?s series and look forward to and appreciate your comments.

Last week we talked about how the four R’s of preventing waste specifically affects corporate waste disposal and that we would be starting a 5-part series this week on breaking down each of the 4 four R’s and what they mean to your company.Traditionally the four R’s have referred to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rebuy with equally important recover, replenish and rethink being 3 more that could be added to the list.  Today we are going to focus on Reduce, with the rest of this week focusing on Reuse, Recycle and Rebuy on the other the honorable mentions.

Reducing your waste is arguably the most important of all the R’s as it deals directly with the issue of waste.  The less waste you produce the less you need to worry about the other R’s in this equation.

Reducing waste can come in many forms that include the basic processes of change like having employees bring their own mugs and wash them after use instead of continuing to purchase paper or Styrofoam cups to using both sides of printer/copy paper for simple print jobs that do not require a clean sheet of paper.

As a corporation some of the important ways you can begin reducing your waste are:

Purchase more durable goods – By purchasing goods that last longer and come with stronger warranties you can create fewer purchases of that product which equal less waste.  In the process of choosing your vendors and products these two factors should be as important in the selection as price.  While we are on this topic, make sure you are checking the warranties of products before disposing of them.  Many times this option exercised with a repair can drastically reduce unnecessary waste.

Low-waste packaging – Select products (both for individual items and cases) that have the least wasteful packaging.  Avoiding packaging with unnecessary plastic bubble wrap or double packaged products can significantly reduce the waste generated not only your company but that of your customers too.

Energy efficient electronic equipment – The selection process is your opportunity to ensure you are choosing companies and products that support a more energy efficient mission.  These can easily be specified by you during the RFI, RFP or RFQ process in order to evaluate as another important aspect along with price.

Rechargeable batteries – Using rechargeable batteries instead of normal one-time use batteries will require an initial investment up front but will return a greater savings in the long run and reduce the waste generated by multiple battery purchases. 

Tomorrow’s blog will focus on “Reuse” and for more information on SafeSourcing and how we can assist your company with sourcing with companies that have a commitment to “Reducing” waste, please contact a Customer Service Representative.

We hope you have enjoyed this week’s series and look forward to and appreciate your comments.

Last week we talked about how the four R?s of preventing waste specifically affects corporate waste disposal and that we would be starting a 5-part series this week on breaking down each of the 4 four R?s and what they mean to your company.Traditionally the four R?s have referred to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rebuy with equally important recover, replenish and rethink being 3 more that could be added to the list.? Today we are going to focus on Reduce, with the rest of this week focusing on Reuse, Recycle and Rebuy on the other the honorable mentions.

Reducing your waste is arguably the most important of all the R?s as it deals directly with the issue of waste.? The less waste you produce the less you need to worry about the other R?s in this equation.

Reducing waste can come in many forms that include the basic processes of change like having employees bring their own mugs and wash them after use instead of continuing to purchase paper or Styrofoam cups to using both sides of printer/copy paper for simple print jobs that do not require a clean sheet of paper.

As a corporation some of the important ways you can begin reducing your waste are:

Purchase more durable goods ? By purchasing goods that last longer and come with stronger warranties you can create fewer purchases of that product which equal less waste.? In the process of choosing your vendors and products these two factors should be as important in the selection as price.? While we are on this topic, make sure you are checking the warranties of products before disposing of them.? Many times this option exercised with a repair can drastically reduce unnecessary waste.

Low-waste packaging ? Select products (both for individual items and cases) that have the least wasteful packaging.? Avoiding packaging with unnecessary plastic bubble wrap or double packaged products can significantly reduce the waste generated not only your company but that of your customers too.

Energy efficient electronic equipment ? The selection process is your opportunity to ensure you are choosing companies and products that support a more energy efficient mission.? These can easily be specified by you during the RFI, RFP or RFQ process in order to evaluate as another important aspect along with price.

Rechargeable batteries ? Using rechargeable batteries instead of normal one-time use batteries will require an initial investment up front but will return a greater savings in the long run and reduce the waste generated by multiple battery purchases.?

Tomorrow?s blog will focus on ?Reuse? and for more information on SafeSourcing and how we can assist your company with sourcing with companies that have a commitment to ?Reducing? waste, please contact a Customer Service Representative.

We hope you have enjoyed this week?s series and look forward to and appreciate your comments.

There has long been the concept of the three (and now four) Rs of preventing waste, and some argue that there may be a couple more you could add to that list (i.e. recover, replenish, rethink).  Next week will begin a 5 part series on the Four Rs, but today we are going to focus on how this concept applies to corporate waste disposal and how sourcing professionals can learn more about what some companies are doing in these areas to make a “greener” planet.

With so much trash being generated in the U.S. every day, it is increasingly important that business owners begin to look at what can be done to offset this trend and become more “green.”

Composting – Several Solid Waste Management Departments throughout the nation have introduced compost programs allowing companies and residents the chance to take their green waste (grass, leaves, brush) and have them converted into compost that is then used in the city parks and other city facilities.  These programs not only save landfill space in the process, but also help maximize the soil nutrient value and conserves water needed to maintain these areas.

Biomass energy – A few weeks ago we did a series on new green energies such as biomass energy, the processing of organic material to create energy, are how they are being embraced by the large waste disposal companies.  Waste Management, a leader in the waste disposal industry, has introduced several steps to increase creation of this new energy by supplying residents with recycling bags for them to fill with yard waste that will be turned into energy.

Education – As we move further into a new “green” millennium, it is ever more important for individuals and companies to get more educated on what they can do to become more observant of waste and what it means for our planet.  Companies such as Rumpke, are committed to this process by providing training sessions, videos and other material to help educate the public on what they can do to begin the “green” transition in their homes and businesses.

This list could go on, but the important thing is that there are companies that are serious about the long-term affects solid waste has on the environment and are committed to helping change the mindset and culture to begin protecting our planet.

For more information on SafeSourcing and how we can assist your company with sourcing with companies with this commitment, please contact a Customer Service Representative.

We hope you have enjoyed this week’s series and look forward to and appreciate your comments.