Beyond reducing waste, using reusable rags also keeps equipment cleaner. Rags are also great for cleaning office equipment and furniture. There are a number of strategies that businesses can employ to reduce the generation of toxic wastes. Soft-drink syrup is pumped directly from delivery trucks into tanks inside McDonald's restaurant outlets. Sturdy plastic crates are used to ship everything from soft drinks to car parts.
Empty containers can be back-hauled to suppliers to close the distribution loop.
Get off the one-way pallets track. Switch to sturdy reusable pallets, or save broken wooden pallets to be repaired. Ordering supplies in bulk will save on packaging and shipping costs and reduce the price of the supplies themselves. Use your buying power to encourage suppliers to send you products in less packaging or in reusable or more recyclable packaging. Switch to reusable dishes and flatware for special events and daily use.