Waste Reduction Self-Evaluation Manual for Manufacturers

Three Rs for the 90s: Reduce Reuse Recycle
Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control

Prepared by:
Delaware Pollution Prevention Program
Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
Division of Air & Waste Management
P.O. Box 1401, 89 Kings Highway
Dover, Delaware 19903
(302) 739-3822

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the following sources of material used in this manual:

"Waste Reduction in Your Business", November 1989, by the Waste Reduction, Recycling and Litter Control Program, Washington State Department of Ecology.
"Profiting From Waste Reduction in Your Small Business", 1988, Produced under a grand from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation by David Wigglesworth, Alaska Health Project.
"New York State Waste Reduction Guidance Manual", March 1989, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
"Pollution Prevention: Strategies for Wastewater Treatment", Center for Hazardous Materials Research, University of Pittsburgh Applied Research Center.

We would also like to thank the following for their assistance in the development of this manual:

Jeffrey Acker, Kraft General Foods, Dover, Delaware.
Sydney Johnson, James River Corporation, New Castle, Delaware.
Bob Rys, James River Corporation, New Castle, Delaware.
Dana Thuresson, Rodel, Inc., Newark, Delaware.

Preface
Introduction

What is Waste Reduction?
Start Your Waste Reduction Program

Step 1: Form a Waste Reduction Evaluation Team

Management's Role
Creating Your Evaluation Team
Waste Reduction Goals
The Waste Reduction Evaluation Team

Step 2: Review Business Plans and Procedures

Your Business Procedures and Waste Reduction
Business Plan Evaluation

Step 3: Conduct a Waste Reduction Evaluation

The Waste Reduction Evaluation
Task A. Identify the Wastes Generated and Processes That Generated Them
Task B. Conduct a Facility Walk-Through
Task C. Make a List of Waste Reduction Opportunities
Task D. Document and Communicate Your Findings

Step 4: Evaluate and Implement Options

Task A. Screen the Preliminary List of Options
Task B. Evaluate the Remaining Options
Task C. Implement Your Options
Task D. Evaluate and Follow-Up

Appendix A: Some Common Business Processes and Waste Reduction Options
Appendix B: Example - ABC Manufacturing, Inc.
Appendix C: Resource Directory Pollution Prevention/Recycling

Preface

With increasing concern about controlling pollution and reducing the generation of hazardous and solid wastes, Delaware businesses are increasingly realizing that preventing pollution and wastes from being generated in the first place makes a lot more sense than trying to clean them up after they are produced.

Pollution Prevention makes environmental sense because it is usually much more effective and requires substantially less energy and other resources to prevent pollution from being generated than to clean it up after it is produced. Not only is this approach likely to provide better protection for the environment, but it is likely to make the work place safer and more attractive for your employees as well.

These savings, in turn, can make economic sense to the business owner in a number of ways:

Pollution Prevention can lead to savings in the cost of pollution control and waste disposal;
Pollution Prevention can result in savings in the cost of raw materials by reducing the amount of these materials that are used.
Pollution Prevention can improve the public image of a company, attracting more customers who want to do business with companies that demonstrate an environmental ethic;
Pollution Prevention can increase the moral of your workers an increase their productivity;
Pollution Prevention can reduce a company's liability both by reducing risks to the environment and to its employees and customers.

In short, pollution prevention can mean increased profits as well as improved environmental protection.

The purpose of this manual is to help Delaware businesses identify some of these potential savings for themselves. It is one of several types of assistance being offered by the Pollution Prevention Program established by Delaware's Department of Natural Resources and Environmental control.

We hope this manual is useful, and welcome any comments you might have on how to make it and the entire program more helpful. And thank you for taking an interest in helping us find better ways of protecting Delaware's environment. Remember, Delaware's good nature depends on you!

Edwin H. Clark, II

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Introduction

What is Waste Reduction?

Waste reduction is the reduction in quantity and/or toxicity of wastes. Wastes appear in many forms: solid wastes such as paper, boxes, and other refuse; spills; vapors and fumes that may cause pollution outdoors or within the workplace; wastewater discharges; energy waste; and hazardous wastes -- to name just a few.

There are three basic methods of waste reduction: source reduction, recovery and recycling.

1. Source Reduction - is achieved through action that lessens or eliminates the generation of waste within a process, including the following:

Improved operation and maintenance of existing equipment.
Material substitution or process and equipment modifications which result in reduced quantity and/or toxicity of waste generated within a process.
Energy and materials conservation.
Product modification that results in reduced quantity and/or toxicity of waste generated.
In-process recycling of materials.

2. and 3. Recovery and Recycling - involves recovery of materials from waste which are reusable in a different process or which may be recycled by another facility.

Techniques for reducing waste vary in terms of complexity, effectiveness, and costs. Simple housekeeping improvements to control material losses, repairing system leaks, and preventing spills are very effective methods and cost little or nothing to implement. Other measures, such as upgrading to the latest recovery technologies, may require more time and money, and a detailed engineering analysis to determine their cost effectiveness. However, such high-tech waste reduction options can have relatively rapid pay back periods, which enhance their overall value.

Promoting waste reduction in your business requires a fundamental change on the part of business managers and employees, to view these wastes as a potential resource rather than just something thrown away or lost during the production process. This goes for all wastes, not just hazardous wastes and those that are regulated by local, state, and/or federal laws. Conserving water and energy, reducing paper waste, and saving raw materials should be a part of your overall waste reduction goal.

By focusing your attention on all types of waste, you will ensure maximum returns for your waste reduction efforts. These returns can include:

Reduced operation costs by using less raw materials, and conserving energy.
Savings from reduced need for pollution control equipment and monitoring.
Eliminating of waste transportation, storage and disposal costs.
A healthier work force and community from reduced exposures to hazardous wastes and chemical materials.
Reduced costs for compliance with waste disposal regulations.
Improved public image from taking positive steps toward your community's waste problems.
Revenues from the recovery and sale of reusable wastes.
Reduced liabilities through the elimination of waste.

Examining losses from the handling of materials and wastes is often overlooked during business planning. No matter what kind of business you do, you will most likely have financial, operational and marketing plans and procedures. Waste reduction can fit almost anywhere in these plans and procedures. For example, when developing a financial plan for your business, you should factor in waste management as a cost of doing business. Accurate figures on how much waste is generated will help determine this cost. The more you can reduce wastes, the more money will be available for other business investments.

Start Your Waste Reduction Program

This manual is based on a four-step method designed to help you and your employees identify waste reduction possibilities within your business. The following section is an overview of the processes providing a preview of the program before you and your employees get started.

Step 1: Form a Waste Reduction Evaluation Team

There is enormous potential for waste reduction in all aspects of your business operations and procedures. Forming a Waste Reduction Evaluation Team and getting ideas from everyone in your company is crucial . A good waste reduction program can work only if both employees and managers:

Are committed to the idea and implementation of the waste reduction program.
Realize that waste reduction can improve the business' overall profits and the health and safety of employees and the community.
Agree on a common process for identifying waste reduction opportunities in the business.
Faithfully execute the methods determined to promote waste reduction in the business.

Step 2: Develop/Review Business Plans and Procedures

Good business planning is critical in both starting a new venture and maintaining an existing one. Business plans normally include such things as marketing schemes, procedures for operations such as:

purchasing inventory,
facility design, and
financial and operational recordkeeping.

Step 2 involves reviewing your existing and/or proposed business plans with a critical eye toward waste reduction. For example, purchasing procedures can include a review of the waste reduction potential for any new materials or equipment and substitutes for current materials prior to purchase. It pays to buy equipment and raw materials that generate the least amount of waste.

Step 3: Evaluate Business Operations

It is necessary to evaluate your actual business operations and processes to identify potential waste reduction opportunities. Step 3 involves taking a look at your company by conducting a waste reduction evaluation. Some of the information collected in the previous step will help you do this.

During the evaluation you will:

collect information on the types and quantities of wastes you produce and identify the processes that create them.
determine where they go: i.e. out the stack or out into your facility (air), down the sewer (water), or into a disposal facility (land).
collect information to help evaluate your waste reduction options from a technical and economic point of view.

Step 4: Evaluate and Implement Options

Utilizing the information gathered in Steps 2 and 3, you can make some important decisions on the best methods to reduce wastes in your company. Your decisions need to consider the unique conditions of your business, financial and human resources, health and safety, etc. Remember that anything you do to reduce your waste generation will benefit you, your business, your community, and your employees.

The time it takes to develop a waste reduction program will vary from business to business. Just completing one of the steps in the process, however, is valuable and may significantly improve waste reduction in your business. Some companies may skip some steps thereby shortening the process. The Delaware Pollution Prevention Program (302) 739-3822 or the Delaware Waste Reduction Assistance Program (DELWRAP) at the University of Delaware (302) 831-8522 can provide assistance to anyone needing help completing these tasks.

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Step 1: Form a Waste Reduction Evaluation Team

Successful waste reduction requires teamwork. If managers and employees work together and are committed to the goal of reducing waste, you will see positive results. This section shows you how to form an evaluation team to direct this effort. The evaluation team can also:

Education managers and employees about waste management issues in general.
Enhance communication between managers and employees about business processes and procedures
Encourage employees and managers to voice their opinions and suggestions about waste reduction.

Management's Role

Management's role is to give direction and support, to set the tone and direction of the waste reduction effort. A good way to start is to write a formal environmental policy for the company that includes waste reduction as an essential element. For example:

(Your Company's) Environmental Policy
(Your Company's) is committed to operating in a way that protects the environment. This is a management responsibility as well as the responsibility of every employee.
In keeping with this policy, our objective is to reduce waste and achieve minimal adverse impact on the air, water, and air through excellence in environmental control.

The Environmental Guidelines include the following points:

Minizing or eliminating the generation of waste is a prime consideration in all business activities.
Reus and recycling will be given first consideration when classifying materials for disposal.
Environmental protection is a measure of employee performance.

Modify this example policy as you feel best suits your business. Have it attractively typed or printed, then distribute it to employees and also post it in a public area of your business.

Creating Your Evaluation Team

Each area of the business should be represented on the evaluation team. For a small business, membership could be just the owner/operator and an employee. In a larger business it might include management, production, maintenance, environmental, engineering, sales, purchasing, etc. Include individuals involved in each stage of your business operations. This will increase employee awareness of waste reduction and promote broad based input and support for your program. Moreover, you may be able to reduce waste at any stage in the business process, so it's important to get everyone's thoughts and ideas. Even those employees who are removed from the actual processing or production in your business may have helpful suggestions. Counter clerks and receptionists, if encouraged, may come up with winning ideas to reduce waste and save money.

General rules to follow in forming and running an evaluation team are:

Select a motivated, knowledgeable employee to be the team's leader.
Hold regular, scheduled meetings. This promotes progress through deadlines and also allows sharing of new ideas and information.
Keep records of meetings and activities. This will assist in developing procedures for an ongoing program.
Communicate progress throughout your company.

Waste Reduction Goals

Goal setting is the next step. The evaluation team's goals should be in agreement with overall company goals. They can be qualitative, like "Our goal is to significantly reduce our waste stream", but quantitative goals are better because you can see when you reach them. An example could be "Our goal is to cut the waste volume from the plant in half." In some businesses goals could be as ambitious as "We will have zero discharge of hazardous waste from our business." "We will have zero discharge of hazardous waste from our business." Be practical, but use a little vision and optimism.

Record your evaluation team goals on the Waste Evaluation Team membership form along with each team member's name. Give a copy to each member that post one copy in an appropriate public place.

The Waste Reduction Evaluation Team

Date: _____________________________

Evaluation Team Goal:
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________

All employees with questions or suggestions regarding waste management and waste reduction are encouraged to contact any one of the people listed below.

Team Leader: ___________________________________________________
Title: ___________________________________________________
Team Member: ___________________________________________________
Title: ___________________________________________________
Team Member: ___________________________________________________
Title: ___________________________________________________
Team Member: ___________________________________________________
Title: ___________________________________________________

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Step 2: Develop/Review Business Plans and Procedures

After you have obtained management's support, created the evaluation team, and set the team's goals, the next step is to take an overall look at your business' plans and procedures. This section can help you do that.

Business plans and procedures need to be designed to promote waste reduction. Care must be taken not to "build into the system" procedures that cause excess waste to be generated. This section helps the evaluation team examine the marketing, operations, and financial areas of a business to see how each one can influence or be influenced by waste generation.

A checklist is at the end of this section to help organize your thoughts as you read through the following sections.

Your Business Procedures and Waste Reduction

If you are starting up or expanding a business, it is especially important to consider waste reduction in all planning. By doing so, you can avoid many waste related problems, making your business more efficient and competitive.

Each section of your business either affects or is affected by the quantity of waste your business generates. This includes all business activities, not just the production area. The way you plan and conduct your marketing, operations, and financial activities will have either a positive or negative effect on your waste reduction effort.

Here are some methods for promoting waste reduction in the various parts of a business. This manual does not discuss all such options, but should provide guidance for the evaluation team to conduct a thorough review of the company business plan.

Marketing

Successful business managers know what goods and services their customers want. They also know who else in the community is supplying the same goods or services -- their competitors. Managers will often use this knowledge to develop marketing strategies for their company. In a competitive economic climate, consideration of waste reduction in your marketing plan can help you maintain a competitive edge over other businesses providing similar services.

A successful waste reduction program can be used to generate publicity and give your business valuable recognition by both in public and your business peers. An article i the local newspaper or a trade journal portraying your progressive, forward-looking approach to waste management, can give your business name recognition and create a favorable public image.

Waste reduction will reduce your waste management costs. Funds and efforts can be directed to more pressing areas of your business, giving you a competitive edge over another business still saddled with high waste disposal requirements.

Operations

Operations, as defined here, is a brand category that includes all activities directly involved with making the product or providing the services. Most wastes are generated in this area and it usually has the greatest potential for waste reduction. Let's divide operations into several functions, then look at how each affects waste generation. The functions are:

Processing
Purchasing
Receiving
Delivery
Inventory
Personnel

1. Processing When evaluating the processes of your business and in maintaining existing equipment, the evaluation team should consider the following:<>

Source Reduction: Design or redesign the process to control waste generation at the source, or to recover any wasted raw materials. For example, dry cleaning processes can be designed to trap solvent emissions and return the solvent to the cleaning process.
Material Recovery: Modify process equipment and operations to enhance recovery or recycling of materials.
Equipment Design: Redesign equipment or production process to reduce or reclaim waste.
Waste Segregation: Keep wastes separate. This promotes the possibility of recycling. It also can reduce the volume of hazardous wastes makes all of the waste hazardous.
Maintenance Programs: Initiate a preventive maintenance program to ensure efficient operation of equipment and elimination of leaks, and to monitor for additional waste reduction opportunities.

2. Purchasing Changes in purchasing procedures can control potential losses before they enter your shop. The evaluation team should consider the following when reviewing company purchasing procedures:

Pre-purchase Review: Evaluate materials prior to purchase to ensure that you are using non-toxic (or the least toxic) materials that are least costly to handle. Remember to consider recyclability of materials when making purchases. Contact the Delaware Pollution Prevention Program (302) 739-3822 or DELQRAP at (302) 831-8522 to help your evaluate your materials.
Centralized Purchasing: Channel all material purchases through a central person or department to eliminate all unnecessary purchases and ensure that all waste reduction purchase policies are followed.
Equipment Purchases: When evaluating new equipment, make reduced waste generation as important a criterion as technical considerations, safety and price.
Expansion Plans: Always consider waste reduction when planning for new construction or purchase of existing sites. Avoiding waste is the most cost effective waste management practice. Carefully examine any prospective property purchases for hazardous wastes such as previously spilled materials, asbestos, or PCBs. If you purchase a property that has environmental problems, you could liable for their cleanup.

3. Receiving All materials entering your business site go through receiving procedures. Proper procedures will promote worker safety and minimize waste generating problems such as broken or leaking containers, damaged merchandise, and spills from tank car and tank truck unloading. A few good practices to consider are:

Designate a Receiving Area: All materials should be received through designated receiving areas. This will allow you to control materials as they enter and maintain thorough receiving records. A receiving area can also be designed to prevent and control wastes from spills, etc.
Train Employees: Employees should be trained to properly handle shipments to prevent property losses, injuries, and costly waste disposal. They should also be trained in procedures in the case of a mishap.
Use Quality Suppliers: Don't buy from just anybody. While the lowest bid is important, the quality and reliability of your supplier is equally crucial. It may be worth paying a little more for your products if your supplier delivers those goods intact and according to your specifications. Check the track record of your supplier to determine whether this or her performance meets your standards. You can do this by asking other companies in your area, or by requesting references from the supplier.
Inspect Incoming Goods: Immediately check all incoming goods for damage, leaking containers, quality specifications, etc. Quick actin when a problem is discovered can save you the costs and trouble of spill cleanup. It also helps relieve you of the responsibility to pay for contaminated or off-specification material.
Excess Packaging of Materials: If supplies are overpackaged, it adds to the amount of waste you must handle. Specify the reduction in packaging to your supplier. Suppliers are in business to provide materials. They want your business and should be willing to ship on your terms. In not, find another supplier or change products if you can.

4. Delivery The same methods for controlling mistakes during receiving can be applied to the delivery aspect of your business plan. When making deliveries, you may want to make arrangements with your customers that include the following:

Designated Receiving Area: Have customers designate a single area for receiving shipments, with measures to reduce accidents and spills.
Train Your Customer's Employees: Train customer's employees to properly handle and store your products. This can be done through careful training of your delivery employees.
Customer inspection of your product: When the customer inspects your product before signing the receiving papers, later returns are greatly reduced. You also get immediate feedback on shipping or quality problems with your products. Off-specification or damaged products returned long after shipment tend to be considered "odd balls" and are harder to recycle or reuse.

5. Inventory Inventory represents your business' money tied up in goods. Extra stock and too many different items can lead to safety problems and excess waste generated. Stocking up on a "good buy" can end up costing more money if the unused materials must be disposed of. When reviewing your inventory procedures, consider:

Materials Inventory: Excess inventory of reactive, toxic and ignitable materials increases chances for material damages and for exposures to workers and safety problems associated with these losses will certainly outweigh the costs of waiting for a resupply shipment.
Material Shelf-life: What is the shelf-life of the material that you intend to purchase? Unused inventory with a limited shelf-life will have to be disposed or sent back to your supplier at your expense. Moreover, simply leaving out-dated stock in your inventory may overcrowd your storage space and increase the potential for fire, worker exposures, and regulatory violations.
Emergency Controls: Decisions on the amount of hazardous material you keep should include an evaluation of your emergency control systems. Can your fire suppression system handle large inventories? Are storage areas designed to handle spills and other mishaps associated with large chemical inventories? Is the spill kit readily accessible? Failure to consider emergency issues may result in increased waste, and financial and even human losses.
Container Size: Purchasing material in the appropriate sized container can save you money and promote more efficient use and handling of chemical materials. Packaging size may have a direct bearing on the amount of waste your company generates.
Storage Areas: Consider the area that you store your materials in. Is it designed for easy cleanup and to contain spills? Are incompatible chemicals stored next to each other (like acids and bases or ammonia and bleach)? Separate locations may be necessary for reactive materials (like peroxides).
Product and Process Changes: When a product or process is changed, raw materials already in inventory are sometimes no longer needed. Suppliers will usually charge a restocking fee if they will take back the materials at all. Finding another user for the materials is a good, cost effective solution, but be sure that the user properly manages your materials. You may be liable for any mismanagement of your material.

6. Personnel The success of your waste reduction efforts depend, in part, on your employees. Employees must be trained to properly handle raw materials and carry out your program. Your personnel policies should include ample opportunity for staff development and training in this regard. With adequate training and education employees will handle materials properly, and reduce their exposures while at the same time support company waste reduction efforts.

Finances

Creating a sound financial plan is an important element in any successful business venture. Maintaining a profit can be difficult for a small business owner. Even seemingly small losses will add up year after year. Therefore it is essential to include waste generation and reduction as a cost of doing business. Profit and loss statements will be inaccurate if they do not include waste management expenses and any waste reduction savings.

This type of planning requires a business to maintain accurate figures on the types and quantities of industrial wastes, along with their associated management costs. These costs include:

waste disposal,
transportation,
management overhead,
regulatory compliance,
insurance, etc.

What may seem like a cost-efficient waste management approach may not be when considering it within the context of your company's overall financial picture. Thus waste management cost information can help you develop an accurate profit nd loss statement and create a realistic financial plan. In addition, this information is crucial when evaluating the cost effectiveness of any planned or existing waste reduction measures.

Recordkeeping

Keeping accurate records of business operations is not an easy chore, particularly for a small business. However, sound recordkeeping is important in maintaining your business plan and thus is an important step in setting up a waste reduction program.

Keeping accurate records on the types and quantities of waste is important for determining how they can be reduced. With this information, you can calculate material losses from spills, system leaks, etc. Moreover, these records will allow you to evaluate the economic and technical effectiveness of any waste reduction program you implement.

In addition, attention to paperwork and records will help you document your waste management programs, and assist you in complying with complex federal, state, and local regulations. As we mentioned earlier, maintaining MSDSs will help you comply with worker and community right to know laws. Reviewing these MSDSs will also help you identify potential hazardous waste streams. This can be a low cost method for initially identifying wastes that can be reduced or eliminated. Product manufacturers and distributors are required to provide you with MSDs, which in turn, need to be available to your employees.

Business Plan Evaluation

The checklist [see below] will help the evaluation team review company business plans, complete Step 2 and prepare for Step 3. The form is divided into four parts, corresponding to the major categories of a business which were covered in this section:

Marketing,
Operations,
Financial, and
Recordkeeping.

After completing the checklist, the evaluation team should save this information and use it to periodically evaluate your business plans and complete the remaining steps to setting up your waste reduction program. In addition, evaluation teams are encouraged to contact the Pollution Prevention Program (302) 739-3822 for help in interpreting responses to the checklist.

Step 2: Review Business Plans and Procedures Business Plan Evaluation

Company: ________________________________________________
Date Completed: _________________________________________
Person Completing Form: _________________________________

Instructions: Check the appropriate answer for each question.

Yes means your business plans are promoting or could promote waste reduction.
No means your plans are not encouraging waste reduction.
Not Sure means you need to further evaluate your plan in that area.

Questions specific to Marketing; Yes - No - Not Sure
1. Do you and your employees recognize the importance of proper management of hazardous materials and waste reduction?
2. Do your marketing strategies incorporated the positive public image related to waste reduction?
3. Do you publicize your company's efforts to reduce waste?
Questions specific to Operations:
1. Do you know the quantity of waste (liquid, solid and gaseous) produced by each process in your business?
2. Are employees and management developing a program to promote waste reduction in your company?
3. Have you looked at your procedures to promote source reduction?
4. Are you recycling every waste you can?
5. Do you keep your shop clean and orderly to enable you to keep track of chemical handling and process operations?
6. If you produce waste air emissions, have you determined if the raw materials in them can be reclaimed?
7. Do you segregate process waste streams?
8. Do your employees know which processes produce wastes?
9. Does your operations plan include periodic waste reduction evaluations?
10. Do you ask for MSDSs to evaluate raw materials prior to purchase to ensure you are using the least toxic materials possible and to identify possible waste streams?
11. Do you limit your inventory stock to prevent possible spills, avoid overpurchasing, and other waste?
12. Do you have spill control kits readily accessible?
13. Do you request information regarding the types and quantities of waste generated by equipment you plan to purchase?
14. Do your purchasing agreements include provisions for inspecting shipments prior to acceptance to ensure they are not leaking or otherwise damaged?
15. Do you attempt to exchange with other companies those wastes that cannot be reduced?
16. Can you fire suppression system handle a major emergency involving the chemical and hazardous materials you have?
17. Are your storage areas designed to control spills and other mishaps?
18. Are all of your employees trained on what to do in the event of a hazardous materials incident?
Questions specific to Finances:
1. Do you consider the cost of waste disposal when developing profit and loss statements?
2. Do you know the costs associated with waste generation for the various processes in your business?
  If yes, do you "charge" the cost directly to the process when figuring prices?
3. Do you monitor raw material costs for price increases and/or compare existing raw materials to new, less harmful substitutes?
Questions specific to the Recordkeeping Plan:
1. Do you keep records on the amount of raw materials used per process to monitor process efficiency?
2. Do you maintain logs on the types and quantities of waste produced by your company so that you can target certain waste for reduction opportunities?
3. Do you keep written policies to document standard plant operation procedures?

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Step 3: Conduct a Waste Reduction Evaluation

In the last step you took a general look at each area of your business for its potential to generate waste. This section focuses on your production processes to complete your waste reduction evaluation.

Step 3 is comprised of four tasks:

Identify the wastes generated and the processes that generate them.
Do a walk-through of the production area.
Create a preliminary list of waste reduction options.
Document all of your findings.

A set of forms at the end of this section will help you complete your evaluation.

The Waste Reduction Evaluation

The size and type of your business determines how much effort must go into a waste reduction evaluation. The owner of a small, uncomplicated business might complete an evaluate alone is less than a day. Large manufacturing businesses could require a team of skilled professionals to do extensive waste stream analysis, engineering studies, and economic analyses.

Task A. Identify the Wastes Generated and Processes That Generated Them

This task involves identifying the type, quantities, and rates of generation of waste produced by various business operations. Your first step should be to gather and analyze as much of this information as possible. Some of this information you may already have. Other pieces can be collected from your suppliers and vendors. You may also want to contact equipment manufacturers for operating manuals, which will have specs and operating efficiency levels.

Some sources to search for information are:

Waste manifests
Documentation on any shipping or processing of wastes
Permits
SARA Title III Section 313 reports
Lab analyses
Annual reports to state or federal agencies
Past inspection reports

Process and equipment information can be obtained from:

Operating manuals
Process manuals
Blueprints and drawings
Equipment specifications
Employee interviews (especially those from production or maintenance)
Operating logs
Suppliers
Material Balance Studies

Raw materials usage and analysis information comes from:

Inventory and purchasing records
Production records
MSDS sheets
Package labels
Suppliers

Determine the cost of raw materials, product manufacture, and waste disposal, using purchasing and accounting records. This gives you an idea of how expensive a loss of raw material or product is. It also lets you know how much you can save by eliminating each pound of waste.

The following is a list presenting the range of waste types that may be associated with business processes. The intent of this list is to provide the evaluation team with clues on what form your wastes may take. They include:

Air emissions
Evaporative wastes
Hazardous wastes (reactive, ignitable, corrosive, toxic)
Heat and/or energy loss
Maintenance and cleanup waste
Obsolete, out-dated stock
Overspray
Solid wastes (paper, boxes, palates, plastics, trash)
Spills and container leaks
Spoiled production runs
System leaks (pipes joints, etc.)
Wastewater

Four forms are provided at the end of this section to assist the evaluation team in recording the information required under this task. Review the assembled information with the evaluation team. Make sure that the information is as complete as possible. It might help to draw a process flow diagram showing the types and quantities of all raw materials going into the process and all outgoing products and wastes. This visual aid will help make the balance between quantities of input and output materials easier to do.

While discussing the collected data with the evaluation team, it would be useful to review the general types of waste reduction opportunities that are available. In the last section, these opportunities were grouped according to your business organization. Let's now put them into two categories:

source reduction and
recycling.

Source reduction techniques have the highest priority in waste management. If you don't make a waste, you don't have to deal with it later. They include:

1. Source reduction techniques have the highest priority in waste management. If you don't make a waste, you don't have to deal with it later. They include:

Good operating practices: A change in how you run your business may be the easiest, least expensive, most cost effective way to reduce waste. These practices include:
- Management and personnel: employee training, incentives and bonuses, and other programs can encourage employees to conscientiously strive to reduce waste.
- Material handling and inventory: reduce loss of raw materials due to mishandling, expired shelf life of time-sensitive materials, or improper storage conditions.
- Loss prevention: avoid leaks, spills etc.
- Waste segregation: do not mix hazardous and nonhazardous wastes, because this makes the whole mixture hazardous. Also, keep different types of hazardous wastes separate to promote treatability and the possibility of recycling.
- Cost accounting: allocate waste treatment nd disposal costs directly to the departments or groups that generate waste, rather than charging these costs to general company overhead accounts.
Technology changes involve process and equipment modifications to reduce waste. They can include:
- Changes in the production process
- Equipment, layout or piping changes
- Use of automation
- Changes in process operating conditions
Raw materials changes can reduce or eliminate hazardous materials entering the production process. Generation of hazardous wastes is then reduced.
Product changes can reduce the waste generated from a product's use. An example is the substitution of waste based paint for solvent based plaint. Flammable solvents, messy equipment cleanup, and volatile organic vapor emissions are eliminated.

2. Recycling techniques take a waste and either reuse it or reclaim it. Wastes ar put to a beneficial use rather than disposed of.

Use/reuse: This means returning the waste to its originating process or using it in another process as a raw material to make a new product.
Reclaim: Reclamation is the necessary of a valuable material from a waste. The material could be used in the original process or sold to another company. Examples include the recovery of lead from spent batteries, the regeneration of spent solvents by a reclaimer, and recovery of solvent from film processing.

Task B. Conduct a Facility Walk-Through

Before you start your walk-through, make a plan for the tour. Make sure your agenda covers all areas of the plant site. You could begin at shipping/receiving, then continue on through the process until you get to product storage and waste disposal. Be thorough and actually look at everything yourself. You might feel that you know the area well enough to skip it, but it is important that the whole evaluation team actually see the entire process.

Schedule the walk-through at a convenient time for all members of the evaluation team. Try to tour when your most important activities or processes are in operation, not when they are shut down. If the plant has an evening or graveyard shift, consider making a second or third plant tour on these later shifts. Maintenance, supplies, and supervision are usually less available then. This sometimes leads to different operating procedures tan on the day shift. Don't forget to look at waste disposal operations, eg. if you have one, spend sometime at your compactor.

It is important to record your visual observations and discussion held during the walk-through. Form 3.6 provides a space to sketch a schematic diagram of the business. Drawing a simple diagram will sometimes provide you with ideas on how to modify your business operations to reduce waste. Remember to keep tuned to finding and where and how waste it being generated.

Refer to the "Questions to Consider" list, also at the end of this section, to assist you during your walk-through. If you need additional help, contact the Pollution Prevention Program at (302) 739-3822, or DELWRAP at (302) 831-8522.

Task C. Make a List of Waste Reduction Opportunities

Now comes the creative part of the evaluation process. Turn the observations and information you have collected into a list of possible options for waste reduction. List all options that are generated, no matter how impractical or costly. Let your imagination run freely. Be creative and think independently. The longer the list the better. Forms 3.7 and 3.8 are provided for use in listing and describing options. Appendix A contains a list of common process and possible waste reduction techniques which may help you get started.

Discuss options among yourself. The more you work at it, the more options you will come up with. When creating this preliminary list of options you may want to contact some of these resources:

Pollution Prevention Program (302) 739-3822
DELWRAP - University of Delaware (302) 831-8522
Vendors and Suppliers
Trade Journals
Business Associations and Professional Organizations
Delmarva Power and Light's Energy Exchange, Information for Business People (302) 429-3254

(A more thorough Resource Directory is included in Appendix C).

As you generate options, list them in the order of those that:

Reduce waste generation at the source
Recycle within the waste generating process
Recycle outside of the waste generating process
Treat or process to reduce volume or toxicity, to enhance recyclability
Other

Environmentally, the higher on the list, the more desirable the option. The goal of waste reduction is to not make waste in the first place. Waste-to-energy incineration and some kinds of treatments fulfill the goal of reducing the amount of waste to be landfilled, but they are not as beneficial as true waste reduction.

Task D. Document and Communicate Your Findings

File all evaluation team findings, data and meeting records. This will serve a variety of functions including:

Documenting the activities of the evaluation team.
Serving as a record of the good faith efforts of your company to control pollution and protect workers and the community.
Providing baseline data to allow the evaluation team to determine if selected waste reduction efforts actually reduce waste and save money.
Providing the foundation for your developing waste reduction program.

Communicate the evaluation team's findings to the rest of the company. Communicating findings will:

Keep other employees and managers aware of your company's efforts and waste reduction goals.
Provide the opportunity for non-team members to supply additional input on the findings.

Process Identification

Instructions: Copy this form and use one sheet for each process in your business. This form is intended to help you identify and organize information on each process in your business.

Process: _______________________________________________

Documents; Available? Y - N - Not Applicable - Comments
______________________________________________________

Process Description
______________________________________________________

Process Flow Diagram
______________________________________________________

Process Flow Measurements
______________________________________________________

Process Stream Analyses
______________________________________________________

Piping & Instrument Diagrams
______________________________________________________

Plot and Elevation Plans
______________________________________________________

Work Flow Diagrams
______________________________________________________

Operating Manuals
______________________________________________________

Equipment List
______________________________________________________

Equipment Specifications
______________________________________________________

Batch Sheet(s)
______________________________________________________

Production Composition Sheets
______________________________________________________

Inventory Records
______________________________________________________

Operator Logs
______________________________________________________

Production Schedules
______________________________________________________

Material Safety Data Sheets
______________________________________________________

Hazardous Waste Manifests
______________________________________________________

Emission Inventories
______________________________________________________

Annual/Biennial Reports
______________________________________________________

Permit/Permit Applications
______________________________________________________

Raw Materials Identification

Instructions: Copy this form and use one sheet for each process in your business. This form is intended to help you identify the types and quantities of raw materials used in each process.

Process: _____________________________________________________

Chemical (Trade or Chemical name); Total Quantity Used; Purchase/Delivery Cost (per Unit); Storage Cost (per unit); Processes Used In; Quantity Used in each Process

Waste Identification

Instructions: Copy this form for each process in your business.

Process: ________________________________________________________

Raw Material: ____________________________________________________

Generation Rate (units per time); Disposal Cost* ($ per unit);

Solid Waste

Hazardous Waste

Air Emissions
Stack Releases
Evaporative Losses

Wastewater Discharges

Other Losses
Spoiled Batches of Products
Outdated Stock
Spills
Maintenance Losses
Other _________________

* Also use this for treatment, reclamation and recycling costs.

Process Flow Chart/Mass Balance

Instructions: Complete the following chart for each process in your business. Be sure to specify quantities of each raw material under product and wastes.

Cost Identification

Instructions: Copy this form for each process in your business.

Process: ______________________________________________________

Annual Operating Costs:
- Insurance
- Labor
- Maintenance
- Materials
- Utilities
- Total
Annual Capital Costs: (equipment, installation, planning, etc.)
- Total
Annual Disposal Costs:
- (Totals for this process from all forms)
- Total Annual Costs:

Walk-Through Schematic Drawing

Instructions: Draw a diagram of your facility, or a part of your facility, highlighting the waste generating processes.

Questions to Consider During Your Walk-Through

These general questions will help you focus your attention on possible waste sources in your company. Your initial impressions can provide vital clues about how your wastes are generated, and how they might be controlled. Keep this list of questions with you as you do the walk-through, and when you complete the rest of the forms in this section.

Does your facility show signs of poor housekeeping (cluttered walkways, upswept floors, uncovered material drums, etc.)?
Are there noticeable spills, leaking containers, or water dripping or running?
Is there discoloration or corrosion on walls, work surfaces, ceiling an walls or pipes? This may indicate system leaks or poorly maintained equipment.
Do you see smoke, dirt or fumes to indicate materials losses?
Do you smell strange odors, or experience eye, nose or throat irritation you first enter the workplace? These symptoms might indicate system leaks, etc.
Are there open containers, stacked drums, shelving too small to properly handle inventory, or other indicators of poor storage procedures?
Are all containers labeled as to their contents and hazards?
Is emergency equipment (fire extinguishers, etc.) available and visible to ensure rapid response to a fire, spill or other incident?
Do you notice waste being generated from processes in your facility (dripping water or steam, evaporation, drag-out, etc.)?
Do you notice any scrap or out-of specification parts lying around?
Check your inventory. Is there any out-dated stock, or materials that you no longer use still in storage? Is stock organized to allow "First In - First out" procedures?
Do employees have any comments about the sources of waste in the facility?br>
Is there a history of spills, leaks, accidents or fires in your facility? Which processes were involved?

Waste Reduction Options List

Instructions: Use this form to list all of the options thought of during and after your plant walk-through.

List Suggested Options; Remarks

Waste Reduction Option Description

Instructions: Make enough copies of this form to list and describe each option you have generated. This form is intended to show which waste stream, raw materials, and product the option influences. It also records if the option deserves further study or not.

Option Name: __________________________________________________

Process(s) Affected : __________________________________________

Briefly describe the option : __________________________________

Waste Stream(s) Affected: ______________________________________

Raw Materials Affected: ________________________________________

Product(s) Affected: ___________________________________________

Approved for Further Study? Yes - No - by: _________________

Reason: ________________________________________________________

Return to Table of Contents

Step 4: Evaluate and Implement Your Options

You have now done a walk-through of the processing area and created an extensive list of possible waste reduction options. It is time to:

Screen out those options that are obviously not practical.
Evaluate the remaining options for technical and economic feasibility.
Start planning to implement the options you feel are good for business.

Each business is unique. It has its own product or service, its own budget limitations, and its own people resources. Waste reduction options have to be considered under these restraints, but remember that any waste reduction effort your undertake will be beneficial to both you and the environment.

Task A. Screen the Preliminary List of Options

Have the evaluation team meet to screen and rank the waste reduction options. As you go down the list, it will become obvious that several options are not practical for one reason or another. Eliminate them.

Next, rank the remaining possible options in this suggested order of environmental preference:

Reduce waste generation at the source.
In process recycling.
Out of process recycling.
Treat or process to reduce volume or toxicity, or to enhance recyclability.

Remember that only source reduction and in process recycling are true waste reduction options. Some treatment technologies are desirable because they reduce the volume or toxicity of wastes, but they do not bring all the benefits of true waste reduction. Treatment technologies usually require more monitoring and permitting by regulatory authorities than do source reduction activities.

Other points to consider:

Track record of the option: Has it been successful before? Be skeptical if it is very new and untried. High tech, complicated technologies are not necessarily the best solutions. Contact other businesses that have tried using this technology to get reliable, firsthand information about it.
Benefits: What is its main benefit (save money, reduce liability, comply with law, better workplace safety, etc.)?
Problems: What difficulties can be expected (product quality changes, new production methods required, long held attitudes require changing)?
Implementation: Is it simple or complicated? Is this option cost effective for your business? What is the annual incremental operating cost? Will it help avoid future waste disposal costs or reduce raw material costs?

Task B. Evaluate the Remaining Options

Some waste reduction options will stand out as simple, low cost, and easy to do. Good housekeeping and waste segregation practices are typical examples. Do them first.

Three forms are provided at the end of this section to help the evaluation can be used as an indicator that the option is feasible from a technical and/or economic basis. The more "yes" responses, the greater the probability that the option will be cost effective and technically feasible. Additional research must be conducted if the "not sure" response is checked. These forms should be used as general guidance. The evaluation team is encouraged to contact the Pollution Prevention Program or DELWRAP for additional assistance.

Task C. Implement Your Options

Cost is a primary concern for most businesses. Low-cost, low-technology waste reduction options are usually the earliest to implement. They bring significant, cost-effective immediate results. Costlier, more difficult options can be done a time and budget allow. Some examples of low-cost options are:

Good housekeeping to prevent spills.
Inventory control so that you buy and use only what you need.
Segregating wastes to permit recycling (for example, don't mix solvents and oil).
Repairing all sources of leaks.
Educating employees about what waste reduction and hazardous materials control.

Review Steps 2 and 3 for other possible reduction and hazardous materials control.

Higher cost, more difficult options need to be implemented similarly to any larger business project with thorough, carefully done technical and economic justification.

Task D. Evaluate and Follow-Up

After a waste reduction option has been implemented, it is important to document what you did and then continue to track performance. This before and after data will be helpful when evaluating the success of your program. It also might help someone else to solve a similar problem if you can share your experiences with them. Form 4-4 is provided to assist in program review.

It is important to realize that sometimes new produces and operating practices take a little getting used to. Both employees and management might need some time and follow-up to make a new process or procedure work as planned.

Another reason for continued follow-up is that a successful waste reduction program cannot be a one shot affair. Lower priority options need to be planned for and implemented. The program must be able to respond to changing circumstances such as changes in raw materials, higher waste management costs, new regulations, new technology, or accidents such as a major spill.

A waste reduction program should be reviewed periodically, at least every year.

To be truly effective, the philiosphy of waste reduction must an integral part of the business's daily operations. The most successful waste reduction programs to date have all developed this philosophy within their companies, making it an integral part of every day decision, plan, and operation. Most importantly, don't forget to continue to communicate your progress throughout the company.

Technical Evaluation Form

Instructions: Check the appropriate response. Ship over questions that do not apply. Copy this form so that you have one form for each option you are evaluating.

Waste Reduction Option: ________________________________________

______________________________________ Yes - No - Not Sure

Have you determined that this option has a proven track record?
Will this option maintain product quality?
Will this option adversely affect productivity?
Will this option require additional staff?
Are you certain that this option will create less waste?
Are you certain that this option will not simply move waste problems from one form to another (e.g. from solid wastes to air emissions)?
Is your plant layout and design capable of incorporating this option?
Will the vendor guarantee this option?
Have you determined that this option will improve or maintain worker safety and health?
Does this option reduce wastes at their source?
Are materials and parts readily available?
Can this option be easily available?
Are other businesses using this option?
Does this option promote recycling?

Economic Evaluation Form

Company:
Date Completed:
Person Completing Form:

Instructions: Check the appropriate response. Skip over questions that do not apply. Copy this form so that you form for each option you are evaluating.

Waste Reduction Option: ________________________________________

______________________________________ Yes - No - Not Sure

Is this option within your price range (consider both capital and ongoing operations costs)?
Does this option have an acceptable payback period (under one year is considered excellent)? See form 4.3 for assistance.
Does this option reduce your raw materials cost?
Does this option reduce your utilities costs?
Does this option reduce material and waste storage costs?
Does this option reduce regulatory compliance costs?
Will this option reduce the costs associated with worker injury or illness?
Will this option reduce your insurance premiums?
Will this option reduce your waste disposal costs?

Profitability

Instructions: Use this form to calculate the simple payback period of an option under consideration.

Capital Costs

Purchased Equipment
Materials
Installation
Utility Connections
Engineering
Start-up and Training
Other Capital Costs
Total Capital Costs

Incremental Annual Operating Costs

Change in Disposal Costs
Change in Raw Material Costs
Change Utilities Costs
Change in Other Costs
Annual New Operating Cost Savings
Payback Period (in years) = Total Capital Costs
Annual Net Operating Costs Savings

Waste Reduction Program Review

Company:
Date:
Date of Last Evaluation:
Person Completing Form:

Instructions: Check the appropriate response. Keep this form to compare with future annual reviews. Use the forms provided in Step 3 for process-specified annual review.

Have you implemented all of the previously identified options?
_____ Yes ______ No
Does waste reduction remain a priority for workers and management?
_____ Yes ______ No
Have your waste reduction efforts reduced costs through:
Reduction of raw material cost ____ Yes (estimate $ ____) __ No
Savings on pollution control equipment. __ Yes (estimate $ ___) __ No
Reduced compliance costs __ Yes (estimate $ ____) _____ No
Reduced disposal costs __ Yes (estimate $ ____) _____ No
Reduced disposal costs __ Yes (estimate $ ____) _____ No
Improved safety and health __ Yes (estimate $ ____) _____ No
Other _________ Yes (estimate $ ____) _____ No
How effective have your efforts been at reducing the following types of wastes:
Type of Waste: Amount Reduced per year
____ Air Emissions
____ Evaporative waste
____ Hazardous wastes (reactive, ignitable, corrosive, toxic)
____ Heat or energy losses
____ Maintenance and clean-up stock
____ Overspray
____ Solid waste (paper, boxes, trash)
____ Spills and container leaks
____ Spoiled production runs
____ System leaks (pipes, joints, etc.)
____ Wastewater
____ Other __________________________

Return to Table of Contents

Appendix A: Some Common Business Process and Waste Reduction Options

This section highlights more business processes and associated waste reduction opportunities. It is limited in scope and covers only a few common options. The primary goal is to heighten awareness by providing specific examples and techniques. This information demonstrates that waste reduction does not have to be expensive or high-tech. Companies can make major strides in reducing waste by simple improvements in purchasing, materials handling and storage, regular equipment maintenance, and other standard procedures. Major capital expenditures are not always necessary. You can put waste reduction to work in your business immediately.

Remember that wastes are best controlled and reduced at the source in the production process. Efforts should always focus on source reduction first -- then consider other options such as in-process recycling and waste exchange. Treating your wastes prior to disposal is helpful, but does not provide all the benefits associated with waste reduction.

And finally, make certain that your waste reduction efforts do not result in other problems for your business. For example, you may decrease the volume of waste you produce by choosing an alternative process. But if that process uses a more toxic material, your efforts may produce greater expenses from health problems, regulatory pressure, and expensive storage requirements. In short, be sure to look at all the ramifications prior to implementing an option.