Any company that comes up with a meaningful waste reduction strategy can cut back on costs considerably, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. A recent, landmark study composed by the Agency reveals how carbon emissions can be drastically reduced if a real, waste reduction and recycling program is in place. The study, taking place in 2009, considered emissions throughout the lifecycle of events, for the information.
Some of the waste reduction strategy findings by the EPA are quite startling. The agency finds that recycling construction debris could save over 150 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, equivalent to the entire carbon footprint of North Carolina. The study therefore found that increasing the lifespan of products was as important as a solid waste reduction strategy.
The United States government is being pushed to adopt responsibility laws, so that an individual organization is held responsible for a waste reduction strategy according to its portfolio of products. This would ensure that interest does not stop as soon as the product reaches the end of its life, but efforts are made to safeguard its destruction as well.
A product should not be brought to market unless an active waste reduction strategy is incorporated within its lifecycle. This will not only cut the direct costs, but alleviate strain on local jurisdictions, which are reaching breaking point.
Excess waste is responsible for a considerable amount of the greenhouse gas emissions in a developed society. Methane in particular is a byproduct of decomposition. While most attention is paid to the first two emissions scopes, more attention will be paid over the years ahead to the third scope, including supply-chain and afterlife product handling.
When Americans procure, produce, take delivery and dispose of services and goods, 42% of the entire greenhouse gas emission footprint is delivered, according to the EPA. Within this figure, emissions associated with food and product production and land use are lifecycle components.
Sustainability is multifaceted and the company must be aware of the size of its carbon footprint throughout the cycle. This includes supply-chain and waste reduction strategies. More attention is being paid in this area due to the recent insistence by giant retailer Wal-Mart that its suppliers reveal their carbon handling policies.
A waste reduction strategy is an integral part of the company’s push for sustainability. Organizations should reduce to as near zero as possible any materials sent to landfill and should aim to introduce biodegradable products in a concerted push toward recycling.
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