USA • Cape Environmental

Center for Applied Engineering •

Petroleum Corp. • Citizens Against

Market • The Clorox Co. • The Coca-Cola Co. • Cole-Parmer

Presbyterian Medical Center • Columbia/HCA Greenview

Commonwealth Edison • Compaq Computer Corp. • Cone

Laundry Service • Coors Brewing Co. • Copland

Agricultural Packaging • Crown Cork & Seal

Materials • Dan River • Deposit Guaranty

Direct Marketing Managers of Hawaii •

Head Brewings & Eats • Don Clay

DuPont Merck Pharmaceutical Co. •

Uniform and Linen Supply • Eastman

Chamber of Commerce • Educational

E. I. duPont de Nemours & Co., Inc. • Eli

Enserch Corp. • Environmental Engineering

E-Systems • Federal Express Corp. • Freddie Mac • Fannie

Commerce Corp. of Louisiana • First Virginia Banks • First

• Fleet Financial Group • Florida Power & Light • Florida Power Corp. • Ford Motor Co. • Fort Howard Corp. • For The Future 

Fovil Manufacturing Co. • Frigidaire Co. • Fuji Tru Color • Galey & Lord Industries • General Mills, Inc. • General Motors 

Georgia-Pacific • Gerster Farms • Getting to Know You Intl. • Houlihan’s Restaurant Group • The Gillette Co. • Gilroy Foods 

Goulds Pumps • The Glass Packaging Institute • Green Gables Inn & Restaurant • GreenDisk • ”Green” Hotels Association 

Grote Industries, Inc. • GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. • The Hall Chemical Co. • HASBRO • Haussner’s Restaurant • Hawke

Food Systems • Haworth • Helene Curtis Industries • Herman Miller • Hewlett Packard Co. • HIE Corp. • Hillenbrand Industri

Management • Celestial Harmonies 

Chrysler • CIGNA • CITG

Government Redundancy • Ci

Instrument Co. • Colonial Pipeline • Columb

Hospital • Commerce Bank of St. Louis 

Mills Corp. • Consumers Power Co. • Cooperati

Fabrics & Copland, Inc. • Courier Times • Creati

Co. • CSX Transportation • Cytec Engineer

National Bank • Detroit Edison Co. 

Fleetwood Photo • Dixie Yarns • Dogfi

Associates • Dow Corning • Th

Dyersburg Fabrics, Inc. • Eag

Kodak Corp. • East Wenatch

Development Specialists • EG&G, Inc

Lilly & Co. • El Paso Natural Gas 

Consultants • ESCOD Industries, Inc. 

Mae • Fidelity Federal Bank • Fingerhut Corp. • Fir

National Bank & Trust Co. of the Treasure Coast • Fleabuste
• Oryx Energy Co. • O’Sullivan Corp. • Pacific Gas and Electric • Parker-Hannifin Corp. • Passaic Beth Israel Hospital • Patri

Engineering • PECO Energy • Pennzoil Co. • Peoples Bank • Pepsi-Cola Co. • Perkin-Elmer Corp. • Perry Restaurant Group 

Phelps Dodge Corp. • Phoenix Home Life Mutual Insurance Co.• Polaroid • Powell Insurance Agency • The Procter & Gamb

Co. • Public Service Electric & Gas Co. • Pullman Power Products Corp. • Quaker State Corp. • Radio Flyer, Inc. • Recycled Offi

Products Co. • Recycle Resources Inc. • Redwood Falls Hospital • Regional Medical Center • Rehrig Pacific Co. • Republ

National Bank • Research Mental Health Center • Resource Strategies Corp. • Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital 

Rockwell International • Royal Crest Dairy • Rumarson Technologies, Inc. (RTI) • Russell Corp. • Rust Geotech • Safety-Kle

Corp. • Schlegel Corp. • S.C. Johnson & Son • Scott Paper • Seagate Technology • Searle & Co. • Sentinel Communications C

• Shell Oil Co. • Signet Banking Corp. • Sligo Adventist School • Society Bank/Keycorp • The Southern Co. • Southern Mills 

Springs Industries • Standard Register Equipment Plant • State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. • State Street Bank 

Trust • Steel Recycling Institute • Sterling Chemicals • Stewart Connector Systems • St. Louis Refrigerator Car Co. • St. Mary

Hospital • Stone Container Corp. • Stonyfield Farm Yogurt • Sunbelt Sportswear • Sonoco Products Co. • Target Stores • Teso

Petroleum Corp. • Texaco • Texas Instruments • Textile Rental Services Association • The Apparel Group • The Baldpate Inn 

The Body Shop • The Coeur d’Alenes Co. • The Duriron Co. • The Great A&P Tea Co. • The Lubrizol Corp.- Painesville Manu

Fac. • The Marquette Hotel • The Muralo Co. Inc. • The Sear-Brown Group • The West Bend Co. • Thomson Consum

Electronics • Tidyman’s • Total Petroleum, Inc. • Tunheim Santrizos Co. • Union Carbide Corp. • UNISYS Corp. • Unit

Technologies Corp. • United Technologies Carrier • United Scrap Metal, Inc. • University of Colorado • University of Missou

• University of MO Coop. Ext./4H Platte County • UNUM Life Insurance Co. of America • U.S. CoExcell USF&G Corp. • U

Steel Clairton Works • U.S. Steel Gary Works • UTC Carrier Corporation • VANEX, Inc. • Veryfine Products • Vir

Manufacturing • Virginia Power • Wal-Mart Stores • Walt Disney World • The Walt Disney Co. • Warner-Lambert • Washingto

Retail Association • WMX Technologies • Weirton Steel Corp. • Wellington Sears Co. • Western Resources • Weyerhaeuser 

Wilmot & Associates • Wilson Sporting Goods • Wisconsin Tissue • Xerox • Zurn Industries
Contents

Executive Summary 2

WasteWi$e —

Protecting the Environment Through 

Solid Waste Reduction 4

WasteWi$e Participants —

A Reflection of Corporate America 6

Measuring Success —

WasteWi$e: The First Year 10

WasteWi$e Services 20

What Does It Take To Be WasteWi$e? 24

Looking Ahead —

1995 and Beyond 25

BUSINESSES WIN WITH WASTEWI$E

IN ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP
and other membership-based organizations that champion the WasteWi$e program

to their members. WasteWi$e has 26 Charter Endorsers, which are demonstrating

their industries’ commitment to reducing waste. 

1994 Waste Reduction Achievements

In 1994, WasteWi$e partners conserved more than 240,000 tons of material

through waste prevention activities and collected nearly 1 million tons of material

for recycling—enough material to fill the Houston Astrodome five times! In addition, WasteWi$e partners helped strengthen the markets for collected recyclables by

purchasing products with recycled content. 

Waste Prevention

Waste prevention (also called source reduction) is a main focus of the WasteWi$e

program. Waste prevention offers the greatest environmental benefits and provides

substantial cost savings to businesses. Essentially, waste prevention means using

less material to do the same job—reducing waste before recycling. The waste 

prevention actions that conserved the greatest amount of materials were:

• reducing and reusing transport packaging, such as wood pallets and 

corrugated boxes;

• reducing primary product packaging;

• reducing or reusing materials in the manufacture of products;

• reducing the use of supplies, mainly paper; and

• donating or exchanging products and materials.

The materials conserved in greatest amounts by WasteWi$e partners were 

corrugated, wood, and ferrous metal.

2
g

For companies, participating in WasteWi$e makes good business sense. Solid waste

reduction can provide significant cost savings through reduced purchasing, operating,

and waste management costs. For example, Target Stores, a retail chain of more than

600 stores, saved $4.5 million in operating costs in 1994 by switching to packaging for

clothing that requires much less time to unpack and prepare for display. BankAmerica

saved more than $1 million through its WasteWi$e initiatives to reduce paper use,

including printing customer statements on both sides of a page. Many cost-saving 

examples are noted in this report.

Getting Involved

As WasteWi$e moves beyond its inaugural year, EPA invites all leading companies 

to join in this exciting effort. Working in partnership, EPA and the business community

are demonstrating that voluntary approaches to environmental protection yield tangible results. For participating businesses, those results can include real cost savings. 

The WasteWi$e program helps participating companies uncover waste reduction

opportunities and set waste reduction goals through a toll-free helpline, WasteWi$e 

representatives who provide assistance to partner companies, and a wide range of 

waste reduction publications, as well as other services. EPA also provides recognition 

for individual companies and program successes. For more information, call 

800 EPA-WISE (800 372-9473).

3
stration projects, and an array of voluntary programs for businesses [see box on

page 5] demonstrate EPA’s commitment to working in partnership with

American businesses and others to prevent pollution.

The WasteWi$e program exemplifies these new approaches to achieving environmental goals. Designed with extensive input from businesses and other

stakeholders, WasteWi$e was enthusiastically received by the business community at its launch in January 1994. The goal of the WasteWi$e program is to assist

businesses in implementing cost-effective actions to reduce municipal solid

waste. Solid waste reduction includes waste prevention, recyclables collection,

and the purchase or manufacture of recycled products. (The WasteWi$e program

does not involve hazardous wastes or most industrial process wastes.) Research by

EPA and others has shown that conserving materials through waste prevention

and recycling saves energy and reduces pollution, including emissions of gases

that contribute to global warming. Often, these benefits are achieved early or

“upstream” in a material’s life cycle. For example, each ream of office paper conserved through double-sided copying conserves resources and energy and reduces

pollution (including greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming).

For companies, participating in WasteWi$e also makes good business sense.

While other waste reduction programs for businesses emphasize recycling and

strengthening “buy-recycled” programs, the WasteWi$e program offers the first

opportunity for many companies to share, learn about, or implement waste prevention efforts. Waste prevention, also called source reduction, means using less

material to get a job done. Waste prevention methods help create less waste in the

first place, before recycling. Examples of waste prevention include reducing paper

use and switching to reusable packaging.

4
0

company WasteWi$e goals. Most importantly, the report provides many examples

of cost-saving waste reduction actions that are being successfully implemented by

companies. We hope readers who are new to business waste reduction will find

many ideas in this report to spark their interest in starting a waste reduction program in their own organization.

Selected EPA Voluntary Initiatives: 

• 33/50

• Green Lights

• Energy Star computers and other equipment

• Climate Wise

• Water Alliances for Voluntary Efficiency (WAVE)

• Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program

• Design for the Environment

“ WasteWi$e-type 

initiatives serve us, 

our shareholders, and

the environment.”

William Blackburn

Vice President of Corporate

Environmental Affairs and Chief

Environmental Counsel, 

Baxter International Inc.

5
0

nationwide and span 35 different industry sectors. Collectively, WasteWi$e part

ners employ more than 4.5 million people. 

WasteWi$e offers companies the flexibility to design waste reduction programs

that best meet their needs. While the program is designed for large businesses, all

U.S. companies are eligible to join. Large businesses in particular are in an excellent position to reduce solid waste because of the vast quantity of materials they

use and their ability to influence both suppliers and customers.

Aerospace

Airlines 

Banking, financial, and 

savings

Beverages

Building materials

Chemicals and 

pharmaceuticals

Communications

Computers and office 

equipment

Consulting and research 

services

Education

Electronics and electronics

equipment

Entertainment

Food and grocery stores

Forest products

Furniture

Hotels and restaurants

Industrial and farm 

equipment

Insurance

Medical services

Metals and metal products

Mining and crude oil 

production

Motor vehicles and parts

Petroleum refining

Printing and publishing

Religious organizations

Retail

Rubber and plastics products

Scientific and photographic

equipment

Soaps and cosmetics

Textiles

Toys and sporting goods

Transportation

Transportation equipment

Utilities

Waste management services

Industry Sectors Represented by WasteWi$e Partners

6
0

Partners

WasteWi$e was launched in early 1994. At the close of the charter period (May

20, 1994), the program had 281 Charter Partners. A total of 368 companies had

joined by the end of 1994. WasteWi$e partners include many of the country’s leading manufacturers and service firms, such as the Inland Steel Company, The

Boeing Company, and American Airlines. About one-third of companies participating in WasteWi$e are Fortune 500 manufacturing or service firms.

Many WasteWi$e partners participate in other voluntary initiatives, demonstrating that their environmental leadership goes beyond solid waste reduction.

These programs include EPA’s Green Lights and Energy Star programs, 33/50, and

Climate Wise, as well as private programs such as the National Recycling

Coalition’s Buy Recycled Business Alliance, the Coalition of Northeastern

Governors’ packaging challenge, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ National

Office Paper Recycling Project.

WasteWi$e allows companies to decide which of their operations participate in

the program. Some companies begin by enrolling selected departments, manufacturing facilities, or the headquarters office in the program, adding segments of the

company as the others realize results. The Battelle Memorial Institute, for example, enrolled its headquarters facility in the program the first year. According to

Eddie Swindall, Environmental Support Manager at Battelle, “During the course

of the next year, Battelle anticipates incorporating other Battelle laboratories and

7
Endorsers

To help spread the WasteWi$e message to more businesses, EPA launched the

WasteWi$e Endorser Program in December 1994. Endorsers are trade associations

and other membership-based organizations that champion the WasteWi$e program to their members. WasteWi$e endorsers commit to recruiting their member

companies to join WasteWi$e and providing their members with ongoing information about waste reduction strategies. Endorsers have complete flexibility in

designing these activities to best meet their industries’ needs. EPA provides assistance as needed to help endorsers plan and implement their efforts.

In early 1995, 26 Charter Endorsers signed on to demonstrate their strong commitment to reducing waste and helping their members save money. Together,

these organizations represent thousands of companies and a diverse mix of industry sectors.

Many WasteWi$e endorsers have stimulated extensive participation in

WasteWi$e among their memberships. The American Textile Manufacturers

Institute, for example, has 140 members, 22 of which are WasteWi$e partners.

The Edison Electric Institute also has encouraged its members to participate; 

21 utilities are currently WasteWi$e partners. The metals and metal products

industry is represented by three WasteWi$e endorsers—the American Iron and

Steel Institute, the Steel Manufacturers Association, and the Steel Recycling

Institute—as well as 21 individual WasteWi$e partners. Together, EPA and

WasteWi$e endorsers will help many more businesses find cost-effective ways to

reduce solid waste.

8
American

Iron and Steel Institute •

American Plastics Council • American

Textile Manufacturers Institute • Association

of Ohio Recyclers • Business and Institutional

Furniture Manufacturers Association • Direct

Marketing Association, Inc. • Edison Electric Institute •

Electronic Industries Association • Food Marketing Institute •

Foodservice & Packaging Institute • Glass Packaging Institute •

Green Hotels Association • Grocery Manufacturers of America •

Institute of Packaging Professionals • National Association for

Environmental Management • National Association of

Photographic Manufacturers, Inc. • National Automobile

Dealers Association • National Retail Federation 

• National Soft Drink Association • National Wooden Pallet

and Container Association • Newspaper Association of

America • Polystyrene Packaging Council • Steel

Manufacturers Association • Steel Recycling

Institute • Virginia Recycling Association

• The Vinyl Institute

9

Charter Endorsers
made from recycled materials. EPA congratulates all of the WasteWi$e partners

on these impressive achievements.

The materials conserved through WasteWi$e partners’ waste prevention efforts

could fill the Houston Astrodome, while recyclables collected could fill the

Astrodome nearly four times.

10
vention methods help create less waste in the first place, before recycling.

Reported waste prevention amounts may be lower because waste prevention

efforts are just getting under way in many companies, and systems for tracking

and measuring the amount of waste prevented are less developed than those for

recycling. Recycling programs, on the other hand, are well established and easily

measurable. Furthermore, in most cases recycling figures reflect total company

recycling efforts, while waste prevention figures reflect only a company’s three

WasteWi$e waste prevention goals.

Many of the materials that WasteWi$e partners recycle in large amounts could

be significantly reduced through waste prevention efforts. Waste prevention usually offers cost savings and environmental benefits even greater than those achieved

through recycling. For example:

c NYNEX saved $2.5 million in 1994 through its waste prevention activities,

which included printing customer telephone bills on both sides of the page. 

c Quaker State changed the shape of its motor oil bottle from round to rectangular. This alteration enabled the company to reduce the use of corrugated

material in its casing by 15 percent, which will save approximately $600,000

annually.

c LSI Logic Corporation saved $500,000 in 1994 by decreasing paper usage (by

using electronic mail and smaller data sheets) and implementing other

WasteWi$e activities.

EPA asked the 290 partners that joined

WasteWi$e before August 1, 1994, to report

their progress for the year. A total of 170

WasteWi$e partners submitted annual

reports. WasteWi$e partners that did not

report 1994 activities were unable to do so

1

El Paso Natural Gas reduced

the use of white office paper

by 100,000 pounds by promoting double-sided copies,

electronic mail, electronic 

bulletin boards, and company

newsletters for interoffice

communication.
gpp

prevention activities that conserved the greatest amount of materials.

12

Figure 1

Major Waste Prevention Activities by WasteWi$e Partners in 1994

All Figures in Tons

Number of companies reflects those reporting waste prevention progress for that activity.
1

Figure 2

Materials Conserved Through Waste Prevention by 

WasteWi$e Partners in 1994

All Figures in Tons

Number of companies in parentheses are those reporting waste prevention figures for that material.
pounds of corrugated. In addition, Navistar conserved 2.9 million pounds of

wood by collecting wood pallets and returning them to vendors, reusing them,

selling them, or repairing them at off-site locations. 

c By replacing one-way corrugated shippers with reusable plastic cases, the

Pepsi-Cola Company reduced corrugated use by 101 million pounds.

c A project to reduce the dimensions of lumber used to make two types of 

standard pallets conserved 5.6 million pounds of wood for Eastman Kodak

Company. Kodak also changed product stacking patterns and packaging to ship

the same amount of product on fewer standard pallets. This project eliminated

1.8 million pounds of wood that otherwise would have been used to make 

pallets. Kodak saved more than $380,000 implementing these projects.

c Perkin-Elmer, a manufacturer of analytical, environmental, and life science 

systems, instituted a return program to reduce and reuse corrugated boxes. 

The company found that it could reuse returned boxes and packaging up to

five times before recycling them, so they offered to pay for shipping if customers returned the packaging. Although the program is new, customers are

returning 28 percent of the packaging, and the company has saved $95,000

thus far.

Reduce or reuse materials associated with 

manufacturing products

Nineteen WasteWi$e partners reported that they reduced waste in their manufacturing processes. By reducing packaging weight (lightweighting), switching to

more efficient processes, and reusing materials, WasteWi$e partners reduced the

waste associated with product manufacturing by 77,300 tons (155 million pounds)

in 1994.

14
In 1994, 14 WasteWi$e partners reduced primary packaging by more than 9,500

tons (19 million pounds) by lightweighting the materials used or eliminating product packaging altogether.

c S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc., reduced primary packaging by more than 12 million

pounds by reducing both ferrous and plastic packaging of products by 25 percent. For example, the company lightweighted by 10 percent the 12-ounce and

2-liter plastic containers for a liquid cleaning product.

c Land O’ Lakes reduced primary packaging by nearly 500,000 pounds. The company achieved this reduction by eliminating paperboard sleeves on 16-ounce

margarine-spread tubs, converting foodservice and deli cheese overwrap to a

lighter weight material, and reducing the package length for a processed cheese

product.

c Procter & Gamble designed new packaging for cooking oil that will eliminate

2.5 million pounds per year of plastic and 1.3 million pounds per year of corrugated material. 

c Crown Cork & Seal Company, a packaging manufacturer, eliminated 48 million pounds of steel and aluminum by lightweighting the cans it produces.

Reduce the use of supplies

Thirty-eight companies reported taking steps to reduce their use of high-grade

paper, conserving a total of 3.4 million pounds of white paper. Seventeen partners

initiated actions to reduce their use of mixed paper (e.g., direct mail and interoffice envelopes), conserving an additional 9.9 million pounds of paper. Companies

estimated reducing the use of paper or other supplies by a total of 8,600 tons (17.2

million pounds).

1
Donate products/materials 

Donating not only helps reduce solid waste but also benefits the community.

Seventeen WasteWi$e partners reported donating products and materials, conservSavings Measure Up

Measuring the success of waste reduction efforts enables companies to identify which

actions are most cost-effective and to share successes with employees, management, and

shareholders. For example, Dow Corning Corporation used a simple calculation to estimate

that it conserved more than 1.7 million pounds of material through repair and reuse of wood

pallets, thus saving $530,000. “Measuring your efforts allows you to continuously improve your

waste reduction program. You discover further opportunities to cut costs and are able to share

your successes with others,” explained Dow Corning’s Senior Recycling Coordinator, Kim

Hohisel. 

When aggregated, as in this report, these company estimates demonstrate the magnitude of the environmental results that voluntary efforts can achieve and suggest the

enormous potential for other businesses to prevent waste, recycle, and increase the use of

recycled products.

While estimating the amount of materials collected for recycling is straightforward, waste

prevention measurement is a new and evolving area. Ease of measurement varies based on

each company’s waste prevention activities and existing tracking systems. To assist WasteWi$e

partners and other companies in measuring their waste prevention efforts, EPA is developing

case studies and practical methods that can be readily adapted to an individual company’s circumstances. EPA will be sharing this information through 1995 and beyond.

16
ing 800 tons (1.6 million pounds) of materials. Donations included furniture,

building materials, surplus supplies, and excess food.

c Tidyman’s grocery stores donated 208,000 pounds of leftover food to local

churches and food banks.

c State Street Bank & Trust Company salvaged two truckloads of carpeting,

lights, ceiling tiles, and cabinets from a demolition project and donated the

materials to a United Way agency for reuse in a housing project. The reuse of

these materials diverted 70,000 pounds of waste from disposal; the materials

were valued at approximately $20,000.

c Baxter International Inc. donated 950,000 pounds of surplus or short-dated

medical supplies and equipment, worth more than $11 million, to nonprofit

organizations.

Recyclables Collection

Of the companies reporting, 159 reported on efforts to collect recyclables.

WasteWi$e partners recycled more than 956,000 tons (1.9 billion pounds) of material in 1994. Much of this amount is attributable to ongoing company recycling

programs, which were expanded or improved as part of company WasteWi$e

goals. For example, partners expanded programs through employee education and

community outreach and by adding new materials where markets for them existed. Because WasteWi$e recycling goals took many forms and were often

integrated into overall recycling efforts, the amount of materials collected specifically as a result of WasteWi$e activity was difficult to extract from overall 1994

recycling figures. Many companies did not attempt to differentiate recyclables collected for WasteWi$e goals from total recyclables collected in 1994. Based on

1

Number below the bar is the number of companies reporting figures for that material. Percentages are based on a total

of 956,684 tons of material collected for recycling. (Due to rounding, the sum of individual material values may vary

from the total.) Non-ferrous includes aluminum; “other” materials include batteries, tires, and telephone directories.
partnerships within their communities:

c Opp and Micolas Mills helped a local elementary school start a recycling program and began hauling the school’s white paper to a recycling facility. The

company is working toward reaching an agreement with the local newspaper

office to transport its discarded newspapers, along with the company’s own

paper, to a recycling facility in a nearby town.

c Virco Manufacturing helped a local school’s recycling program raise money for

a trip to Space camp. Virco also allows vendors to deposit their corrugated

material at Virco for recycling.

c Bell Atlantic shared responsibility for recycling old telephone directories with

numerous local governments throughout the mid-Atlantic states. 

Purchase or Manufacture of Recycled Products

WasteWi$e partners helped stimulate the market for recovered materials by

expanding their purchases of recycled-content products. Eighty-five partners purchased new products made with recycled content, and 54 partners purchased

products with an increased amount of recycled content. (Some companies did

both.) Collectively, WasteWi$e partners purchased 23 different kinds of recycled

products. It was difficult for many companies to estimate the additional amount

spent in 1994 on recycled products. Many companies did report on their activities,

however.

To kick off their buy-recycled

efforts, many companies established corporate policies to

purchase recycled products wherever feasible. Safety-Kleen

Corporation set a goal to increase

the amount of money spent on

“The WasteWi$e program increased our

awareness of avenues for buying 

recycled products and showed us new

ways to minimize solid waste.”

Rod Rehwinkel, Corporate Executive Chef 18 Perry Restaurant Group 
c Rubber ground cover for playgrounds (Amgen)

c Concrete speed bumps (Amgen)

c Paper straws (Perry Restaurant Group)

Several WasteWi$e partners that also participate in the National Recycling

Coalition’s Buy Recycled Business Alliance made exceptional contributions by

devoting substantial resources to purchasing a variety of recycled products. These

companies and the total amount each spent in 1994 on recycled products are:

American Airlines ($79 million), Bell Atlantic Corporation ($41 million), DuPont

($80 million), McDonald’s Corporation ($309 million), and The Walt Disney

Company ($30 million).

Six WasteWi$e partners chose the optional goal

of increasing the amount of postconsumer material

in the products they manufacture. A few highlights:

c Stone Container Corporation increased the

amount of postconsumer material in its paper

and paperboard production from 36 to 38 percent. This increased its total use of

postconsumer material to over 2 million tons 

in 1994.

c Xerox Corporation used 25 percent postconsumer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in the

manufacture of transparencies.

c Coors Brewing Company used 85 million

pounds of postconsumer aluminum to manufacture cans in 1994. 

1

c Copier paper

c Printer/computer paper

c Stationery (letterhead,

business cards, envelopes)

c Paper towels

c Toilet paper

c Toner cartridges

c Folders

c Corrugated

containers/boxes

c Packaging material/filler

c Brown/mixed paper

envelopes (e.g., interoffice

envelopes)

Recycled Products Most

Frequently Purchased by

WasteWi$e Partners
0

pp

WasteWi$e Representatives

Upon joining the program, a new WasteWi$e partner is assigned a WasteWi$e

representative. WasteWi$e representatives are available to provide individual

assistance to partner companies. WasteWi$e representatives can help companies

establish their goals and complete their Annual Reporting Forms, and they are on

call to provide technical assistance.

WasteWi$e Workshops

Through early 1995, EPA sponsored 14 WasteWi$e workshops nationwide that

were attended by more than 500 participants. EPA plans to conduct additional

workshops through 1996 to share waste reduction experiences and advice among

WasteWi$e partners and other organizations interested in the program. The workshops typically feature presentations by partners on topics such as starting a

waste reduction team, getting employees involved, measuring results, and conducting waste assessments. Workshops also have an interactive component in

which small groups brainstorm waste reduction ideas based on actual company

case studies. Several WasteWi$e partners have generously shared their time and

experiences by making a presentation at a WasteWi$e workshop.

Presenters at Recent WasteWi$e Workshops: Advanced Micro

Devices, Allergan, Anheuser-Busch, Hallmark, Hewlett-Packard, NYNEX,

Pepsi-Cola General Bottlers, Perkin-Elmer, Polaroid Corporation, Target

Stores, Tidyman’s, Xerox.

20
c Tip Sheets. These provide succinct, practical information on the following topics: facility waste assessments, waste prevention, recyclables collection, and

the purchase or manufacture of products with recycled content. EPA develops

additional tip sheets as needed.

c Recycled Products Guide (RPG). To help its partners locate products made

with recycled content, WasteWi$e distributes a condensed version of the

Recycled Products Guide to all participating companies. This privately published guide lists hundreds of U.S. manufacturers and distributors of recycled

products. On-line information from this guide is also available via the

WasteWi$e Helpline. (WasteWi$e also distributes a separate listing of other

recycled-product directories.)

c WasteWi$e Update Newsletter and WasteWi$e Bulletin. EPA publishes the

WasteWi$e Update three times a year to showcase partner successes in preventing waste and tracking progress. The Update is distributed to all

WasteWi$e partners and endorsers and to thousands of interested parties outside the program. The WasteWi$e Bulletin, a single page of news published

bimonthly, is designed to inform partners and endorsers about current program

news. Both publications also provide referrals to other resources as well as

technical information.

WasteWi$e Peer Exchange Network

The WasteWi$e Peer Exchange Network is a new service in which WasteWi$e

partners can directly share information and experiences in implementing waste

reduction activities. To participate, partners complete a simple form indicating

the type of information they need or have to share. EPA then facilitates a match

between two or more companies. Thus far, more than 30 companies have

expressed interest in either receiving or sharing waste reduction information.

2
ing public service announcements in key business and trade journals.

22
2
Waste Prevention

Waste prevention (also called

source reduction) is a critical

element of the WasteWi$e program. Waste prevention offers

the greatest environmental benefits and provides substantial

cost savings to businesses.

Waste prevention means using

less material to do the same job,

cutting waste before recycling.

WasteWi$e partners commit to

implementing three significant

waste prevention activities of

their choice and report annually

on the amount of waste they

avoided.

Recyclables Collection 

WasteWi$e partners commit to

initiating, expanding, or

improving company programs

to collect recyclables. In some

cases, companies add new materials to an existing program, or

they increase program efficiency through activities such as

employee education or community outreach. WasteWi$e

partners currently recycle an

impressive array of materials,

including corrugated, aluminum, steel, paper, plastic,

wood, organics, and glass. 

Purchase or Manufacture 

of Recycled Products

Many products in the marketplace contain materials

recovered from the solid waste

stream. These products are

often priced competitively with

products made from virgin

materials.

Nonmanufacturing

WasteWi$e partners commit to

increasing the overall recycled

content in the products they

purchase, either by purchasing

recycled products in lieu of virgin products or by increasing

the recycled content in those

recycled products that they

already buy. Manufacturers

may either increase the percentage of postconsumer

content in the products they

make or increase the recycled

content in the products they

purchase.

Tracking Progress and

Reporting Results 

By March 1 of each year,

WasteWi$e partners submit 

to EPA a brief report on 

their waste reduction accomplishments for the preceding

calendar year. Partners are

asked to quantify waste prevented, materials recycled, and

the additional amount spent

(from the preceding year) on

products with increased recycled content. Manufacturers

also report the increased

amount of postconsumer content used in the products they

manufactured. WasteWi$e 

partners are encouraged to share

cost savings that resulted from

their waste reduction programs.

For more information call the

WasteWi$e helpline at 

1-800-EPA-WISE 

24
be conserved—by a single large corporation or a cluster of

companies—through waste reduction efforts. 

The WasteWi$e program will

continue to work with its endorser

organizations to help spread the

news of the benefits of waste reduction and to provide practical

information on starting or expanding solid waste reduction programs. Over the

next year, EPA plans to work with one or two endorsers to demonstrate in greater

depth the waste reduction achievements in their industry sector(s). This in-depth

look might focus on a specific practice that could be adopted on a wide scale

within a business sector (e.g., two-sided billing by utilities or telecommunications

companies), or it might highlight an array of cost-effective practices that a particular sector could implement. EPA invites any interested trade association to sign

on as a WasteWi$e endorser and work in partnership with EPA to increase waste

reduction practices among its membership. It’s easy to do, helps businesses cut

costs, and demonstrates an industry’s commitment to improving the environment. EPA will also continue to publicize the WasteWi$e program and the

accomplishments of individual partners and endorsers.

WasteWi$e will expand its focus on identifying the superior money-saving and

environmental benefits of waste prevention. We will do this by emphasizing

waste prevention tips and “how-to” information in workshops, case studies, and

other technical assistance, as well as by highlighting partner successes and cost

savings. Through the WasteWi$e Peer Exchange, we will expand the opportunities

for WasteWi$e partners to learn directly from each other about cost-effective

waste prevention and recycling practices. To help partners monitor their waste

prevention progress more effectively, EPA will share practical methods for measuring the results of waste prevention activities that have worked for other

companies.

EPA wants to work with more leading

corporations to demonstrate the enormous power of American businesses to

prevent waste, recycle, and strengthen

markets for recycled products through

voluntary action. 
26
❑ Other (Specify) ______________________________________________________________________________________

Section A

Company Name: _____________________________________________________________________________

Company SIC Code: _____________________________________________________________________________

Check if a ❑ subsidiary or

❑ division. Name of parent company (if applicable): _____________________________

Principal Contact: _________________________________________ Title: ______________________________

Address: _____________________________________________________________________________

City: _____________________________________ State:_____________ Zip: ________________

Phone Number: _____________________________________ Fax: ___________________________________

Section B

My company is ready to become a Waste Wise Partner!

Please send a membership packet.

Facilities to be included in initial waste reduction efforts:

(e.g., corporate headquarters only, regional facilities, all plants)

_____________________________________________________________________________

Approximate total number of employees in these facilities: ______________________

Signature of 

Senior Official: _____________________________________________________________________________

Print Name: __________________________________ Title: _____________________________________

Date: _____________________________________________________________________________

Please cut and mail to the WasteWi$e program at the address indicated. 

Or, fax to WasteWi$e at 703-308-8686

For more information call the WasteWi$e helpline at 1-800-EPA-WISE.
WasteWi$e (5306W)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

401 M Street, SW.

Washington, DC 20460

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

PUT 

STAMP 

HERE

2Recycled/Recyclable

Printed with vegetable oil-based inks on paper that 

contains at least 20 percent postconsumer fiber.