Commercial and industrial businesses must play significant roles in achieving this objective. Fortunately, there is likely to be a payoff for actively pursuing source reduction. As waste disposal costs escalate, reduction of generated waste may yield significant savings. Disposal and raw material costs will decrease, and the workplace may become cleaner and safer. Reduction of hazardous materials can also reduce long-term liability costs.
Source reduction can benefit both business and the environment.
In the past landfilling such items has often been more expedient than trying to find a secondary use. The state goal is for generated wastes to be reduced 4 to 6 percent through waste reuse, virtually all of which must be provided by the business community. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, diversion of recyclable materials from landfills needs to be doubled. The goal is to recycle 20 to 25 percent of generated wastes. Much of this change must come from recycling post-consumer wastes.