Benefits of Waste Minimization

Waste minimization can protect the environment and often turns out to have positive economic benefits. Waste minimization can improve the following:

• Efficient production practices. Waste minimization can achieve more output of product per unit of input of raw materials.
• Economic returns. More efficient use of products means reduced costs of purchasing new materials improving the financial performance of a company.
• Public image. The environmental profile of a company is an important part of its overall reputation and waste minimization reflects a proactive movement toward environmental protection.
• Quality of products produced. New innovation and technological practices can reduce waste generation and improve the quality of the inputs in the production phase.
• Environmental responsibility. Minimizing or eliminating waste generation makes it easier to meet targets of environmental regulations, policies, and standards. The environmental impact of waste will be reduced.

Key Features: Industrial Environmental Management Process

An industrial environmental management process (IEMP) and roles of environmental managers:

• Serves as a tool or process to improve environmental performance and information mainly “design, pollution control and waste minimization, training, reporting to top management, and the setting of goals.”
• Provides a systematic way of managing the organization’s environmental affairs.
• Is the aspect of the industry’s overall management structure that addresses immediate and long‐term impacts of its products, services, and processes on the environment. IEMP assists with planning, controlling, and monitoring policies in the organization. Develops some detailed spreadsheets and compliance matrices.
• Gives order and consistency for organizations to address environmental concerns through the allocation of resources, assignment of responsibility and ongoing evaluation of practices, procedures, and processes.
• Creates environmental buy‐in from upper management and employees and assigns accountability and responsibility.
• Sets framework for training to achieve objectives and desired performance.
• Helps all who are involved in the processes to better understand legislative requirements to determine a product’s or service’s impact, significance, priorities, and objectives.
• Focuses on continual improvement of the system and a way to implement policies and objectives to meet a desired result. This also helps with reviewing and auditing the IEMP to find future opportunities.
• Encourages contractors and suppliers to establish their own IEMP.
• Facilitates record keeping and reporting/e‐reporting to federal, state, and local governmental environmental agencies through direct upload.