WASTE MINIMIZATION AND RECYCLING AS PART OF AN

ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS STRATEGY

Erik Bichard and Mary Parkinson
National Centre for Business and Ecology, Manchester, UK
Keywords: waste, waste minimization, resource efficiency, eco-efficiency, sustainability,
sustainable development, recycling
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Networking for Sustainable Business Practices
3. Waste Exchange Networks
4. Community Initiatives for Sustainable Business
5. Building Sustainable Products
6. Putting It All Together
7. Conclusion
Related Chapters
Bibliography
Biographical Sketches
Summary
Inefficient resource use and subsequent waste generation are key sustainability issues. In the
development of solutions, waste minimization and recycling are seen as options, but there are
many approaches. This article provides examples of different approaches to waste
minimization and recycling to illustrate how sustainability may be achieved. The initiatives
include business networks to share experiences and successes, community programs in which
businesses participate in programs to simultaneously improve sustainability and bring about
community benefits, initiatives that promote waste reuse and recycling, and initiatives that
consider the use of resources by society to reduce waste and facilitate recycling.
1. Introduction
1.1. Crisis? What Crisis?
World consumers use and waste large amounts of resources, resulting in major environmental
and social impacts. This statement, while undoubtedly true, is not having the necessary impact
to prompt positive action to reverse these trends. The so-called "developing" nations are
producing vast numbers of new consumers every year. Each individual aspires to the same
standard of living currently being enjoyed in the "developed" economies. If everyone on the
planet achieved the same standard of living as the average American, however, we would
need 4.5 more Earths to accommodate the resources and environmental capacity they would
need.
The situation is being addressed in some quarters. There has been an increased awareness of
the issues by politicians, which resulted in more environmental protection legislation in the
1990s. There are also ever-increasing financial penalties for those organizations that continue
to use large amounts of resources to make waste. The European Packaging Waste Directive is
the first of what is likely to be a whole range of measures (under the banner of "producer
responsibility") aimed at forcing companies to take responsibility for their products and to
consider a move to more sustainable waste management practices, including reuse and

recycling of materials. Such measures have an impact on the whole chain of suppliers, from
mining and harvesting of raw resources through to the ultimate end user and beyond, and in
future, all those in the chain will need to consider more carefully their burden on the
environment.
Legislation, taxes, and increasing costs for resources and waste disposal will continue to
prompt organizations to adopt more sustainable practices in the future. In addition, corporate
reputation can be an important motivator for many companies. Many companies are keen to
be seen to be doing the right thing. Many have made commitments to sustainability, and are
devising innovative ways to take greater responsibility for the whole life cycle of their
products.
1.2. New Ways to Tackle Old Problems
In developing more sustainable business practices, companies must first appreciate the need
for sustainability. For many organizations, sustainability is still viewed as something slightly
altruistic; a common view is "it would be nice to protect the environment if we had enough
money or time, but we have to get on with our business." But being sustainable is about the
capacity for continuance into the future. All businesses have aspects of their operations that
are currently unsustainable; aspects causing obstacles or pressures that will ultimately
destabilize or kill the business. The key to successful business operation is to recognize which
aspects of the business are unsustainable, and to plan for change as soon as possible. The
focus, historically, was on financial sustainability, but more forward-thinking organizations
now understand that financial sustainability is linked to acting in an environmentally and
socially responsible manner.
1.3. Knowing the Problem is Part of the Solution
The way in which companies use resources and produce wastes is key to this understanding.
The first step is an appreciation of inputs and outputs used in a process/product: that is, the
resources used and the wastes generated. This mass balance approach is based on the fact that
the quantity of material used as resources equals the amount of material ending up in the
waste and the product (see Figure 1). Companies should be able to calculate the inputs and
outputs from their processes. In putting this data together, they are often surprised by the
inefficiencies in the process; usually only a relatively small percentage of resources are
converted to product, and relatively high percentages end up as waste. Such data is useful in
focusing waste minimization and resource conservation activities onto key resource flows.

Figure 1. Mass balance approach to resource flows

The second step is a fuller appreciation of how resources are converted to product and waste
in the various processes involved. This enables companies to focus on the least efficient
processes, that is, those that generate most waste.
If life cycle thinking is applied to manufacturing processes, many products produced today
could be viewed as a transitional state for valuable resources destined to be inefficiently
burned or buried in the ground. As the concept of producer responsibility obligations grows,
the ultimate fate of products will gain greater importance to companies that do not want their
brands associated with environmental damage.
Many companies are proud to describe a commitment to eco-efficiency, the collective title for
a range of initiatives including waste minimization, process improvements, and recycling
initiatives. It is certain that in the shift to a more sustainable future we will need to "do more
with less." In 1997, the Factor 10 Club (an international body made up of senior government,
nongovernment, industry and academic leaders centered on the Wuppertal Institute in
Germany) predicted that a tenfold increase in production could be achieved with one-tenth of
the current resource consumption using current technology and knowledge. Weizsacker,
Lovins, and Lovins provide compelling examples of how this might be achieved in their book,
Factor 4. For many companies, becoming more resource efficient has brought the added
benefits of improvements to bottom-line financial performance as well as the environmental
improvements. By becoming more efficient, using fewer resources, and generating less waste,
companies are able to save money on resource purchases and waste disposal costs.

However, eco-efficiency can only be regarded as part of an overall strategy for moving
towards sustainability. A growing number of businesses, involved in defining what
sustainability might mean for them, have determined that it cannot be attained in isolation.
This is where partnership approaches to solving environmental problems win out. The
partnership approach provides positive advantages in access to shared resources and exchange
of ideas. In some areas it is essential, for example, when companies have to work with
suppliers to develop mechanisms and technologies for environmental improvements to be
made. Many of the sustainability initiatives also incorporate other community stakeholders,
for example, Local Agenda 21 type initiatives. Local Agenda 21 arose out of the 1992 Rio
Earth Summit (where most of the worlds governments committed to sustainable
development) and is a sustainability action plan for the twenty-first century.
The problem with sustainability, as Weiszacker et al. ably point out, is not the intellectual
acceptance of the worlds plight. Rather, it is the effort required to break down inertia, and
move companies in a new direction. One of the best ways to make inroads into this inertia is
to show how others have achieved worthy, and sometimes startling, results. In the course of
our work at the National Centre for Business and Ecology (NCBE), we have come across a
number of collaborative initiatives that show how organizations are beginning to work
together to move towards sustainability. It is our belief that real social and environmental
benefits can only be achieved by using a varied basket of collaborative approaches.
The following sections provide examples of the range of approaches to addressing these
issues. The list is by no means exhaustive, but the examples share the common theme of a
partnership approach. We have provided examples of "green business networks," in which
businesses share experiences and help each other to reduce waste and at the same time save
money. There are also a number of initiatives aimed at promoting waste minimization in a
specific region or city, including the large number of projects for defining and implementing
local authority Agenda 21 commitments for regional sustainability. A number of schemes
provide a focus for the exchange of materials on the principle "one organizations waste is
anothers raw material."
We have grouped examples into a number of categories:
Networking through clubs and Best Practice programsin which a number of organizations
participate in reducing waste;
Waste exchanges and recycling guidesdesigned to stimulate flat recycle markets;
Community initiativesLocal Agenda 21 type initiatives in which businesses work locally
in the community to assist sustainability objectives; and
Building sustainable products, describing how some businesses are now ensuring that their
products are more sustainable by leasing.
Putting it all togetherit is unlikely that any one initiative will work in isolation.
2. Networking for Sustainable Business Practices
There are many examples of business networks involving companies working together on
waste management and other environmental and sustainability-related issues. The advantages
of such projects are the provision of advice and support on waste issues and the capabilities
for sharing experiences.
The benefits of such projects are well documented in numerous case studies. In many cases,
the driving force for companies to collaborate in such schemes has been the potential to save

money. Case studies show that many companies were able to demonstrate that environmental
improvements can bring about associated benefits in bottom-line performance.
Although a large number of companies have taken on board this message and are working
towards reducing environmental impacts, a greater number, particularly SMEs (small to
medium-sized enterprises) have not. Given the number of programs and case studies to drive
home the message, this is somewhat surprising.
The UKs Business and Ecology Demonstration Project (BEDP) attempted to determine why
so few companies were engaged in the sustainability agenda. It appears that many smaller
companies do not see the relevance of such programs and are unable to recognize the potential
benefits. They feel that participation in such programs would lead to a drain on resources that
are already stretched to the maximum to meet other business objectives.
In addition, many of the programs offering environmental assistance to small companies in
the United Kingdom suffer from the lack of consistent, high-quality advice, the lack of
coordination of effort, and the lack of a unifying vision of achievement.
Despite these real and perceived problems, business networks have delivered some impressive
results in reducing environmental impacts and increasing business efficiency, as demonstrated
by the examples provided below.
2.1. Environet 2000
In the Environet 2000 project, over 80 SMEs from 10 manufacturing sectors in the northwest
of England worked together to identify potential savings in excess of 2.6 million. The project
was supported through the European Regional Development Fund. Participating companies
were located in the Objective Two areas of the region, and employed fewer than 500 people.
Companies came from one of the following sectors:
food and drink
foundries
textiles
chemicals
engineering
paper
board and printing
pharmaceuticals
rubber and plastics
electrical and electronics
or were based in the Trafford Park area of Manchester.
The project focused on demonstrating that such companies can bring about improvements in
environmental performance, which deliver added benefits to the bottom-line performance.
The project overcame the usual lack of company resources by providing companies with a
project officer who was able to spend, on average, one day a week working with the company
to identify and bring about environmental improvements. The project also provided grants to
subsidize purchases of equipment to bring about environmental improvements. The
companies had to demonstrate commitment to the project by agreeing to pay a nominal
amount to cover the costs of the worker, and by nominating a company champion to take
forward the project.

The Environet project generated around 150 case studies, many of which are available
through the web site <http://www.environet2000.org.uk>. One case study involved Tonge &
Young, an independent dyeing and finishing works, processing approximately 3 million
meters of fabric each year. The company was concerned that its trade effluent volume, as
estimated by the water company, did not represent true discharge to drain.
The project officer assigned to work with the company undertook a program to monitor trade
effluent and water use associated with particular processes. Logging of daily water meter
readings was also initiated. These activities revealed a number of issues, including:
measured trade effluents were lower than calculated by the water company;
water use was identified out of production hours; and
high and variable levels of water were used to operate liquid ring vacuum pumps.
Action taken to address these points included the installation of measurement devices,
replacement of an ineffective ball valve in a boiler, and use of flush limitation devices in
company urinals. Yearly savings of over 7000 were identified, with further substantial
savings likely following investigations into the pumps. A payback time of six months was
envisaged for the expenditure on equipment.
There are many other such examples.
2.2. BEDP
The Business and Ecology Demonstration Project (BEDP) involved a two-year collaboration
between the four Greater Manchester universities and SMEs. The project aimed to help SMEs
in the Manchester region improve their competitive position and cut costs by focusing on
ecological issues.
BEDP was supported by grants from the European Regional Development Fund, the BOC
Foundation, the Environment Agency, and the Co-operative Bank. In accordance with the
funding requirements, each of the participating companies had fewer than 250 employees, and
was located in the European Regional Development Funds Objective II area of Greater
Manchester.
Nine postgraduate students from departments across the four universities worked on key
environmental projects, while undertaking research and taught Masters courses. Using their
particular areas of expertise, the students carried out detailed investigations for 43 small
companies on a range of environmental issues.
The project sought solutions to problems in nine key areas:
Design for the environment;
Internet opportunities;
Waste management licensing;
Waste minimization;
Environmental management systems;
Environmental purchasing;
Environmental training;
Environmental improvements in industrial minerals, waste recycling and waste disposal;
and
Water pollution control.

Solutions were provided through a number of mechanisms, including:

1. SME "Assists": approximately 200 companies received short-term assistance through the
provision of relevant environmental advice or practical support.
2. Targeted environmental reports: students worked with over 40 companies, carrying out indepth projects in one of the nine key areas. Each company received up to six weeks of work,
plus a detailed report on the project.
3. Demonstration projects: BEDP supported a small number of innovative initiatives that
helped demonstrate the role of environmental measures in improving business performance,
or enhancing the environmental performance of businesses in Greater Manchester.
One of the many case studies involved Horwich Castings, one of the largest producers of iron
in the northwest, which manufactures castings for all types of rail rolling stock, flywheels,
pulleys, and other components. A waste minimization audit carried out by one of the
postgraduate students revealed that changing the paint spray gun system could make
immediate substantial savings. Potential further savings could be made through a variety of
other modifications. The work identified potential savings of over 16,000 per year.
2.3. Wastewi$e
Another excellent example of a networking initiative is the US Wastewi$e scheme. Wastewi$e
is a US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) sponsored initiative to help organizations
reduce waste and use resources in a more sustainable manner. The scheme provides technical
assistance to companies to reduce solid waste through waste reduction, recycling, and
increasing the purchase or manufacture of recycled products. Participants set their own waste
prevention, recycling, and purchasing goals, and must monitor and report progress.
In 1995 Wastewi$e partners conserved nearly 344 000 tons of materials through waste
prevention activities. This represented a 40% increase over 1994 figures. In addition, partners
quadrupled the reported amount of materials collected for recycling to more than 4 million
tons. Wastewi$e partners demonstrated significant cost savings (the amount of waste reduced
represents a potential saving of more than $143 million).
The scheme was established in 1994, and by 1999 had a membership of over 900 partners
spanning more than 35 industry sectors. Over the five years from 1994 to 1999, the partners
reported a cumulative reduction in municipal solid waste of more than 26 million tons. The
reduction in waste disposal had added benefits. Since the programs inception, WasteWi$e
partners estimate that they have prevented the emission of an estimated 19 million metric tons
of carbon equivalent.
Wastewi$e provides many case studies demonstrating the benefits to bottom-line performance
of environmental improvements. For example, one partner, AIRPAX, conserved more than 10
tons of paper and saved $5500 in 1998 by removing the names of people who no longer
worked for the company from mailing lists, and by eliminating duplicate mailings. Another
WasteWi$e partner, Alcatel USA, reused 10 tons of polystyrene shipping containers, saving
$550 000. By using CD-ROM based rather than paper-based manuals, the company saved
paper and an additional $1.2 million.
The program was able to identify waste prevention actions that conserved the greatest amount
of materials. These included:
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 program also had a knock-on effect in stimulating the market for recycled products.
Many of the Wastewi$e partners increased their purchases of recycled products. The program
also saw an increase in the establishment of corporate policies to purchase recycled products,
with many partners set goals to increase the total amount spent on recycled products, and
working with their suppliers to identify recycled products that met their specifications. In
1995, Wastewi$e partners purchased more than 2 million tons of recycled-content products.
2.4. Shared Savings Programs
Traditionally, business success is measured on company turnover and therefore the amount of
resources used and sold on to the customer. In this system, both the environment and the
customer pay for the inefficiencies in the manufacturing process.
In the "shared savings" model, the supplier and the customer have financial incentives to
minimize resource use and wastage. A number of companies are working with subcontractors
and suppliers to reduce the amount of materials used (and waste generated) in manufacturing
using this "shared savings" approach:
In the United Kingdom, the telecommunications company Nortel applied the shared savings
approach to operations at its plant in Monkstown, Northern Ireland. The plant, which makes
public network telecommunications equipment, contracted with a consultant to help reduce its
water consumption. The savings were to be split evenly between the company and the
consultant. Within the year, the company had reduced water consumption by 46% by
employing simple measures such as low-flow taps and low-flush toilets. The company is now
extending the scheme to cover waste management.
In the United States, a General Motors (GM) assembly plant was buying 348 chemicals
from 35 suppliers. After embarking on a shared savings program, these numbers were cut to
200 chemicals supplied by 12 companies. The resulting savings amounted to more than
US$750 000 per year, excluding benefits that were not readily quantified, according to GM.
Engine manufacturer Navistar International worked in a shared savings relationship with
Castrol Industrial to develop ways of reducing cutting and grinding fluid waste. Castrol
identified a process to clean and reuse the fluids, cutting the use of new fluids by half and
waste management costs by 90%.
3. Waste Exchange Networks
A second type of approach to improving resource efficiency is that of waste exchange
networks (WENs). WENs provide a forum for the exchange of wastes on the basis that "one
persons waste is anothers raw material." Such initiatives promote recycling and reuse of
materials. This is a key area if we are to move away from our current linear use of virgin
resources to make waste, and to stimulate cyclical processes of resource use. It is essential
that we stimulate markets for recycled materials and promote the use of recycled materials.
Some of the US-based networks are making an attempt to offer a worldwide service, although
the feasibility of exchange of wastes across continents or even country boundaries is
questionable due to the large transport costs. The most effective networks are more likely to
be those that are regionally based. Some WENS are restricted to one particular material (for
example, plastics or paper); many are internet-based.

We prove a few examples below.

3.1. The Indiana Materials Exchange
The Indiana Materials Exchange provides a service for Indiana (US)-based traders in wastes
to facilitate recycling and reuse of industrial and commercial waste. The service maintains and
distributes listings of materials available and materials wanted. The Exchange is operated by
Waste Alternatives Inc. and is funded by the Indiana Department of Environmental
Managements Office of Pollution Prevention and Technical Assistance. It is an internet-based
listing service provided free of charge to users.
Materials are listed by category, and each category contains a number of entries (listings). The
materials are listed under a number of different categories, such as acids, alkalis, construction
materials, containers and pallets, solvents, organic chemicals, and inorganic chemicals.
The information provided in the listings appears comprehensive. For example, in the solvents
listing the specification of the material is provided. Unfortunately, it is difficult to ascertain
how successful the scheme is, as there are no reported success stories or case histories.
3.2. WES (Waste Exchange Services)
Waste Exchange Services (WES) is a Stockton-on-Tees based company aiming to offer a UKwide service to companies wishing to exchange wastes. A company can list its waste on the
WES database free of charge, and potential purchasers of the waste can interrogate the
database for free. A fee is charged by WES to the waste supplier on successful transfer of the
waste.
The company occasionally publishes a catalogue containing a selection of the materials
available at that time. The publication serves merely as a demonstration (or brochure) of how
the scheme operates and the types and categories of materials listed on the database.
Examples of success stories include the following:
1. WES helped a company to transfer some off-spec detergent to be used in the manufacture
of car shampoo. They also sourced reconditioned drums as part of the project.
2. WES arranged for quantities of titanium dioxide slurry, a waste produced by a chemical
company, to be sold to a paint manufacturer.
WES is also involved in establishing routes for recycling of materials. This is effectively
opening up new market opportunities, and will ultimately lead to more materials recycled.
4. Community Initiatives for Sustainable Business
Another approach to bringing about sustainability is to develop initiatives that bring together
communities and businesses in partnership to realize sustainability objectives. There are a
large number of initiatives worldwide that take this community approach. We have provided a
few examples in this section.
4.1. Center for Neighborhood Technology
The Center for Neighborhood Technology, based in Chicago (USA), is one such initiative,
working towards sustainable communities by linking economic and community development

with ecological improvement. The center has determined a set of activities, which define the
more successful programs. These include:
Creating a task force that brings together resources and skills from various organizations to
develop a strategy that promotes recycling as a means to further economic development rather
than as a "green movement."
Monitoring the effects of developing recycling/reuse initiatives on economic activity and
job creation. This is particularly important in selling on the idea and in demonstrating benefits
to potential backers (bankers, insurers, and so on).
Surveying existing industries to determine if they can convert from virgin to recycled
materials, as a means of increasing efficiency and saving money on raw materials purchase, as
well as waste disposal.
Providing information on the quality and quantity of recyclable materials available to
businesses, for example, via a waste exchange network.
Ensuring that collection programs and processing systems yield recyclable materials that are
competitive with virgin materials in terms of quality and quantity, thus meeting the needs of
local manufacturers.
Developing technical assistance programs for new recycling companies.
Promoting a partnership approach between organizations involved in developing a waste
management strategy.
Initial funding support may be required for new recycling ventures. Often recycling is not
economic given the (relatively) cheap costs for disposal. This is unlikely to remain so in the
future as disposal costs increase.
4.2. Earth 911
The "Earth 911" program operates a telephone hotline and website offering advice, in the
form of a database, to organizations and individuals on geographically specific environmental
information, which includes recycling, household product waste information, and location of
recycling centers. "911" is the telephone number used in the United States to reach the
emergency services.
Earth 911 is a public/private partnership between the US EPA, all 50 US states. and several
organizations and companies. The service is sponsored by industry, for example, Microsoft,
Ford, and others.
As an example, California established the California Integrated Waste Management Board as
part of the program. It has two aims:
To oversee efforts to reduce the amount of waste going into landfills by 50% by the year
2000, and
To ensure that environmentally safe landfills are available to dispose of wastes that cannot
be reused or recycled.
Participants in the California program have to develop plans that they will follow to reduce
their waste by half. The program also:
assists businesses that use recycled materials to manufacture new products;
provides information to government, businesses, the waste industry, and the general public;

 provides funding for local governments to cleanup old landfill sites;

helps communities provide recycling centers for used motor oil;
promotes safe disposal of household hazardous waste; and
works with other state agencies to set the standard for recycling and buying recycled-content
products.
4.3. Newcastle-upon-Tyne Schools Project
This is an example of a local community project in which recycling and recovery of materials
provides extra funding for school-based initiatives. The scheme involves a partnership
between schools and a local recycling company in Newcastle-upon-Tyne (UK). The schools
are paid for waste collected and segregated, and the recycling company also gives
demonstrations at the local materials recycling facility.
The schools recycling project is part of a wider Local Agenda 21 program to which it adds
value by:
contributing to environmental education and awareness raising;
involving a cross-section of the local community;
involving the private sector in partnership;
contributing to recycling targets; and
offering environmental spin-offs such as nature conservation benefits to schools.
4.4. ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives)
The International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) is the international
environmental agency of local governments, which aims to provide a focus for exchange of
ideas and solutions to the Local Agenda 21 commitments. It is a membership association
whose members currently include more than 275 cities, towns, counties, and their associations
around the world.
The greater municipality of Mumbai, India, is a member of the ICLEI. Mumbai has
undertaken numerous solid waste management programs in the hopes of both improving the
cleanliness of the city and diverting waste from landfill. Community groups began to divert
biodegradable waste to vermiculture and to separate recyclable waste. For those communities
that do not have sufficient space for vermiculture, the city will pick up biodegradable waste
and divert it to nearby municipal gardens.
Another example of community partnerships is in Johannesburg, South Africa, where the
local authority and residents of Kliptown joined together to clean the area of waste. The
project involved setting up waste management for the area, together with voluntary action by
community groups to clean up the area and create public amenity spaces. It has also provided
added benefits by generating jobs in a high-unemployment area.
4.5. Global Action Plan (GAP)
GAP (an environmental charity) has developed a program to encourage individuals to take
action to improve the environment both at home and at work. The UK Environment Agency is
one of the first organizations to pilot the scheme, known as "Action at Home," with over 600

of its employees. The intention is to determine whether a transition in the way employees
manage their home affairs can translate into making improvements at work. GAP is interested
in "communities" of participants. The program has now been rolled out to four major
employers in northwest England.
5. Building Sustainable Products
A common problem encountered in all the examples above is that in attempting to overcome
sustainability impacts, companies will need to change the current patterns of linear resource
flow and to develop cyclical processes. This will ensure that resources are not lost as waste,
but are recovered and recycled or reused. This is difficult enough when a project is restricted
to the manufacturing site boundaries, but becomes even more fraught when the full "producer
responsibility" obligations are taken on board, and companies must deal with the impacts of
their products in society. For example, how do companies retrieve and deal with their waste
when their products are used and discarded by millions of households?
Some companies are overcoming this by leasing rather than selling their products. Leased
products have a number of benefits, both for the company and sustainability. These benefits
include:
Allowing the company to disengage itself from the historical reliance on the linear process
of selling resources to achieve successful business performance.
Facilitating the reuse and the recycling of resources.
Allowing the company to develop more long-lived products.
Allowing the company to develop customer loyalties.
One of these more forward-looking companies pursuing the product leasing strategy is
Interface (the international carpet manufacturer). The company has introduced carpet products
that are leased rather than sold. The company aims to maintain the carpet throughout its life,
and will take back and recycle the carpet at the end of its useful life. The company is taking its
commitment to sustainability seriously, and has an impressive sustainability action plan which
includes actions such as:
Commit to taking back products at the end of their lives.
Rent only the service component of products, for example, warmth and light, not electricity.
Redesign products to use fewer raw materials while delivering the same or greater value.
Replace nonrenewable materials with more sustainable materials, such as:
organic materials, for example, products of nature such as wood,
cotton, hemp, flax, vegetable oils, and so on
organically grown and sustainable harvested materials, for
example, organic cotton and produce, and certified wood products
locally produced and abundant materials
recycled and reclaimed post-consumer or post-industrial waste
materials
materials consuming lower embodied energy.
Design products to be repaired, or selectively replaced, when only a portion wears out.
Develop products out of easily separated components, or out of one material to facilitate
recycling.

 Consider the entire life cycle of the product, including how it will be recovered and made
into another useful product.
Adopt a zero waste mentality; design processes to create no waste or scrap.
Adopt a zero defect mentality; most material defects become waste.
Be conscience about the extent and strategy of external communications to avoid
"greenwash."
In another example, Dow (the large international chemical company) is also looking at ways
to lease rather than sell resources. The company introduced a scheme, "SafeChem," in
Germany, which involved a local recycling company. Dow is responsible for the chemicals it
supplies throughout their life and merely "rents" the chemical to its customers. Chemicals are
supplied in special containers that reduce the amount of chemical released to the environment
and provide improved protection to handlers of the chemical. The system allows the chemical
to be recovered and reused more than 100 times and has proved successful in:
improving materials use efficiency, and
reducing environmental emissions of potentially harmful chemicals.
This approach of selling a service, rather than the materials in the product, is likely to be a
model that will be adopted by more companies in the shift towards sustainability.
6. Putting It All Together
The summary of initiatives outlined above shows what is possible with some inspiration and a
bit of organization. However, the dissemination of best practice alone will not achieve the
results needed to reduce the impacts currently being made on Earth today.
Real results are likely to come from comprehensive strategies that take the best from the many
active initiatives being piloted around the world. An example of this type of approach is the
Trafford Park Sustainable Waste Management Strategy. The feasibility study was carried out
by the NCBE for a representative group of businesses from the 1300 strong Trafford Park
Industrial Estate on the western flanks of the Manchester conurbation. The strategy combined
many best practices, and wove them together to form a unified plan that could be achieved
within a five-year period.
The strategy contained the following elements:
A full survey of waste arisings in Trafford Park, in order to provide a baseline against which
to monitor improvements, and to provide data to assess the potential for waste management
strategies.
The rationalization of waste disposal providers (there were over 60 serving the estate)
through collective renegotiation of contracts. New criteria including the maximum tonnage
sent to landfill would be introduced.
The development of a collective strategy for sustainability and subpolicies for waste
management, incorporating targets for specific materials.
The funding and implementation of a waste exchange facility on the Park as a means of
stimulating reuse and recycling of wastes.
The instigation of specific initiatives, including the potential for reuse/recycling of
vehicles/vehicle parts (given the high level of road transport use in Trafford Park) and the
potential for community projects (as demonstrated by the Newcastle Schools Project).
The promotion of the benefits of resource efficiency to all Park tenants through exhibitions
and campaigns showing practical examples of ways to reduce waste through resource

efficiency. An internet/intranet system would support a best practice bulletin board and a
paper-based supplement would inform employees through regular mailings.
The implementation of a collective transport policy that would link the Parks logistics
companies with manufacturing facilities to reduce voids on the road.
The organization of an employees "sustainability at home" initiative.
Regular reports to a representative committee and documented evidence that the initiatives
are reducing volumes of waste to landfill or incinerator.
Each of these initiatives was incorporated into a Strategic Action Plan. The plan prioritized
the activities into short, medium, and long-term aspirations (see Table 1).

m targets (building a consensus)

Medium-term strategy (collective

programmes in action)

Long-term strategy (current action

solutions)

Waste Strategy Steering Committee

Establish a Waste Exchange Facility for

Trafford Park

Construction of a hotline linked to a

of new and emerging waste conservat
techniques

Set up a Resource Efficiency bulletin

board for the exchange of best practice and
benchmarking schemes

Extension of relevant initiatives to loc

Development and conversion of other

worldwide experiences into a Trafford Park
context (such as "rent-a chemical" schemes,
vehicle materials recycling programs and
collective "goods for transportation"
strategies)

Provision of a competition fund for lo

universities encouraging solutions to i
waste problems

n study to establish communication

ination infrastructure to assist
and facilitate exchange of
n

Agreement on the commercial criteria

required to encourage a rationalization of
waste companies serving the Park

Park-wide analysis service to interpre

environmental legislation and the like
proposed economic instruments for th
of waste on industry

Trafford Park Strategy for

ity as context for the Waste Strategy

Preparation of incentives for waste

operators to find alternative destination for
waste currently bound for landfill

of waste survey developed during the

study

n of waste operators survey

n employees programme to become

ntally sustainable in the home

versity research bodies for relevant

r long-term development of
waste management practices
Table 1. Sustainable waste management strategy for Trafford Park.
Table.1 Sustainable waste management strategy for Trafford Park
The achievement of a sustainable future will depend (initially) on collective and small actions
that demonstrate that reducing social and environmental impacts is both practical and
necessary. Political will, through legislation or economic instruments, will help this process.
However, evidence will also be crucial to convince those who still believe sustainability is a
passing fad. A combined strategy of collective actions is the most likely route to success. This
should include top-down strategic commitments from industrial and commercial leaders, and
the means by which ordinary employees can be empowered to act alone or together for the
common aim of establishing and maintaining sustainable practices.
7. Conclusion
In considering our impacts upon the environment, waste is often cited as a problem for which
we need a solution. This attitude is typical of the manner in which we have traditionally dealt
with environmental issuesthe "end of pipe" approach. The future is in sustainable solutions
and these require us to look "upstream" to the source of the problem. The source of our waste
problem is an inefficient use of resources. In an ideal world there would be no waste. Maybe
this is achievable in the longer term, but in the short to medium term we have to minimize
waste, through more prudent use of resources, and at the same time reuse and recycle the
wastes we do generate. The initiatives described above provide active examples of how
different approaches can be brought to bear on these issues.
Related Chapters
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Bibliography
Weiszacker Lovins and Lovins (1997). Factor 4: Doubling Wealth, Halving Resource Use, Earthscan.
Biographical Sketches
Erik Bichard B.Sc., M.Sc., MCD, has been academically and professionally involved in environmental
assessment and pollution control for over 10 years. He had an extensive and varied academic career, which
included four higher degrees in environmental sciences, noise control, and land use planning disciplines before
becoming Cheshire County Councils first "Environmental Planner." At Cheshire he dealt with hazardous
industry and contaminated land issues, and co-wrote the County guidelines for the implementation of the
Environmental Assessment Directive. In 1987 he joined the prestigious chemical engineering firm Cremer &
Warner where he became Technology Leader in both Environmental Assessment and Noise Control and
Assessment. In January 1992 he was appointed Operations Manager for the companys new Hong Kong office.
In addition to being responsible for all aspects of the business, he acted as environmental coordinator for the
Kowloon Density Study, a pioneering investigation into prospects for one of the worlds most populous areas as
a result of the relocation of Kai Tak Airport in 1997. In January 1993 he joined ERM (Asia) where his prime
responsibility was to act as joint coordinator for the Lantau-Airport Railway Environmental Impact Study for the

Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTRC). In May 1993 he returned to the United Kingdom to
become Manager of the new ERM office in Manchester, where he worked on a series of high profile projects for
companies and organizations, such as the Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive, North West Water,
Zeneca, Kelloggs, and the Environment Agency. In September 1997 he was appointed Director of the Cooperative Banks National Centre for Business & Ecology, which is currently located in the Peel Building of
Salford University. The Centre was set up to advise businesses on adopting environmentally sustainable
practices.
Dr. Mary Parkinson B.Sc., Ph.D., MCIWEM, C.Biol., MI.Biol., has been a Project Manager at the National
Centre for Business and Ecology since early 1996. Prior to this she was Operations Manager at UMIST
Environmental (a consultancy within the department of Chemical Engineering at UMIST). She has a B.Sc. in
Biological Sciences (Manchester Polytechnic, now Manchester Metropolitan University) and researched
microbial foaming problems in wastewater treatment systems for her Ph.D. at UMIST. Her work has included
research into novel biotechnologies for water and wastewater treatment and consultancy in environmental issues
relating to water, wastewater and environmental management. Her project experience has included acting as
project manager and water specialist on a project for Biffa, which resulted in the publication of Great Britain plc,
and project management and review of a waste management strategy for Trafford Park. Mary has worked closely
with The Natural Step UK in the Pathfinder Projects for the Co-operative Bank, Yorkshire Water, Tarmac, and
Dupont and is an experienced trainer for The Natural Step and EARA (Environmental Auditors Registration
Association) foundation courses in Environmental Auditing.

To cite this chapter

Erik Bichard and Mary Parkinson, (2004), WASTE MINIMIZATION AND RECYCLING AS PART OF
AN ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS STRATEGY, in Waste Management and Minimization,
[Eds. Stephen R. Smith, and Nick Blakey], in Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), Developed under
the Auspices of the UNESCO, Eolss Publishers, Oxford ,UK, [http://www.eolss.net] [Retrieved April 12, 2007]