The EPA’s WasteWise Program had another banner year in 1997. In its fourth year, partners (participating businesses and government agencies) eliminated more waste, recycled more materials, and purchased more recycled materials than ever before. There are 779 partners and 73 endorsers.
Compared to 1996, partners reported an 80 percent increase in waste prevention. More than 816,000 tons of waste were prevented, saving an estimated $26 million in waste disposal fees. Avoided paper purchasing costs could be as high as $60 million.
43 percent more material was recycled – a total of 6.8 million tons – saving an estimated $217 million in waste disposal fees, and yielded revenues too. Partners purchased $3 billion worth of recycled content products – more than 900,000 tons.
WasteWise recognized several partners for outstanding achievement. In the Very Large Corporation category, BankAmerica, Bell Atlantic, and Target Stores received awards. BankAmerica, for example, switched to ATM envelopes made from 20-pound paper to lighter ones made from 15-pound paper. This one move saved 228 tons of paper and $500,000. The website is replete with other examples.
WasteWise: 800-EPA-WISE;
Tumarkin.Jeff@epamail.epa.gov
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FROM Waste Reduction Tips
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