重新设计. 反思. 减少. 重用. Going beyond recycling—that’s what zero waste is all about. Although recycling is the first step in the journey, 实现零浪费远不止于此, 通过关注大局, businesses can reap impressive benefits.
This becomes apparent when examining the work that companies like 丰田 在过去的几年里做了什么. 十年前, 丰田 was saving millions of dollars by recycling their cardboard boxes in North America. 然而, the company looked upstream and realized that by redesigning its packaging and creating reusable shipping containers, 它可能会走得更远. Not only could 丰田 have a positive impact on the environment and become more efficient, but it could also go from saving millions of dollars to saving nearly half a billion dollars, 就从这一个动作.
自2002年以来, 丰田’s parts and accessories returnable container program has saved over 308 million pounds of wood and 185 million pounds of cardboard. 等于2.5 billion trees and $445 million in packaging cost savings—and all these savings equal more resources for the future and lower costs for 丰田’s parts and accessories. 目前, about 109 million parts and more than 65,000 reusable shipping containers travel through 丰田’s parts and accessories network.
The goal of zero waste is not only to eliminate your trash bin, but also your recycling and compost bins. 这似乎是一个很高的目标, but when you shift your mindset to reduce, 重用并提高效率, 你把所有东西都放在垃圾桶里, recycling and compost bins as a valuable commodity, 这个目标是可以实现的.
Here are some strategies to help you get started:
- Conduct a zero waste audit and analysis: Conduct an audit/analysis on not only your facility’s trash bin, but your recyclables and compostables. Many waste haulers and service providers will assist you with this, but it is also important to engage your employees. You can start by looking at your trash compactor or dumpsters, but having your employees analyze their own bins in their work areas takes you even further.
- 了解你的垃圾: Many companies dive deep into their trash to understand the process. Often, they start by having their employees identify and profile all their waste. 一个简单的方法, 而不是扔进垃圾桶, is to look at your purchasing agreements and your receiving log. 然后, you can identify every material coming in and highlight what could be reduced, 再利用或回收.
- Reduce the size and amount of product packaging: 在惠普, 例如, the company has been very innovative in finding ways to make its packaging reusable. It turns packaging into reusable handbags for people to carry their laptops. 除了, it also recycles inkjet cartridges and even uses these recycled cartridges to make new ones (new inkjet cartridges are made from 50 percent old inkjet cartridges and 50 percent recycled plastic bottles).
- 降低风险/提高效率: Waste is all about efficiency and reducing risk. Employing zero waste practices and policies can have a big impact on a number of different issues, from workman’s comp insurance to banking rates. 例如, by switching to packaging that can be easily disassembled, you can reduce the need for knives to cut packaging apart, 转而使用毒性较低的材料, you can keep employees and clients healthy. Zero waste practices such as source-separated recyclables can significantly increase your bottom line. A strong and verified zero waste program can provide a great corporate social responsibility platform, 减少负面宣传风险.
- Implement a tracking program for material flows: By tracking the flow of your materials and working with your vendors, you can increase your waste diversion while also saving both yourself and your vendor money. 理光电子, 例如, used to receive its chemicals in small cans, which took a lot of time to open and had to be placed in the hazardous waste bin after use. Ricoh went back to its vendor and worked with the vendor to design reusable drums for chemical delivery. This made it more efficient for the employees to open and use the chemicals and also eliminated the hazardous waste pickup Ricoh was paying for with the small cans. The vendor saved money, and so did Ricoh.
- 领导力和员工敬业度: This is one of the most critical strategies in achieving zero waste, because zero waste is about cultural change within the company. Part of understanding your employee engagement is knowing where they are. Conduct a survey on what motivates your employees, what their environmental understanding is, and then incorporate that into your employee program. Leadership involves engaging and rewarding employees for participating and offering solutions. 最终, it also means understanding local and global communities, and helping to create a zero waste economy for all.