Waste Reduction

Waste reduction or minimization is a set of processes and practices intended to reduce the amount of waste produced. By reducing or eliminating the generation of harmful and persistent wastes, waste minimization supports efforts to promote a more sustainable society. Waste reduction involves redesigning products and processes and/or changing societal patterns of consumption and production.

The most environmentally resourceful, economically efficient, and cost effective way to manage waste often is to not have to address the problem in the first place. Managers see waste reduction as a primary focus for most waste management strategies. Proper waste treatment and disposal can require a significant amount of time and resources; therefore, the benefits of waste minimization or reduction can be considerable if carried out in an effective, safe and sustainable manner.

Traditional waste management focuses on processing waste after it is created, concentrating on reuse, recycling, and waste‐to‐energy conversion (also see Appendix G). Waste reduction involves efforts to avoid creating the waste during manufacturing. To effectively implement waste reduction the IEM requires knowledge of the production process, cradle‐to‐grave analysis (the tracking of materials from their extraction to their return to earth), and details of the composition of the wastes.

The main sources of waste vary from country to country. In industrialized and developing countries, most waste comes from various manufacturing industries, followed by mining, construction and demolition of buildings, and commerce. Industrial waste is often tied to requirements in the supply chain. In the 1980s, the term supply‐chain management (SCM) was developed to express the need to integrate the key business processes, from end user through original suppliers (Oliver and Webber 1992). Original suppliers are those that provide products, services, and information that add value for customers and other stakeholders. The basic idea behind SCM is that companies and corporations involve themselves in a supply chain by exchanging information about market fluctuations and production capabilities.

For example, a German paper factory receives its daily supply of 100 tons of recyclable paper as its raw material. A company handling a product may insist that it should be shipped using particular packing because it fits downstream needs. Another example, a Brazilian scrap metal recycling company receives over 50 tons of used aluminum cans to reprocess and recycle. Brazil recycles 90.4% of its aluminum can production, equivalent to 14.5 billion beverage cans per year, ranking first in the world, more than Japan’s 83.2% recovery rate. Brazil has topped the aluminum can recycling charts eight years in a row (AFG 2018).

Reuse and Recycling Processes

• Reuse of scrap materialScraps can be immediately reincorporated at the beginning of the manufacturing line so that they do not become a waste product. Many industries routinely do this; for example, paper mills return any damaged rolls to the beginning of the production line, and in the manufacture of plastic items, off‐cuts and scrap are reincorporated into new products.
• Improved quality control and process monitoringSteps can be taken to ensure that the number of reject batches is kept to a minimum. This is achieved by increasing the frequency of inspection and the number of points of inspection. For example, installing automated continuous monitoring equipment can help to identify production problems at an early stage.
• Waste exchangesThis is where the waste product of one process becomes the raw material for a second process. Waste exchanges represent another way of reducing waste disposal volumes for waste that cannot be eliminated.
• Ship to point of useThis involves making deliveries of incoming raw materials or components direct to the point where they are assembled or used in the manufacturing process to minimize handling and the use of protective wrappings or enclosures.
• Zero wasteThis is a whole systems approach that aims to eliminate waste at the source and at all points down the supply chain, with the intention of producing no waste. It is a design philosophy which emphasizes waste prevention as opposed to end‐of‐pipe waste management (Das 2005).