Page 174 - Solid Waste Analysis and Minimization a Systems Approach

152 THE GENERAL APPROACH FOR A SOLID WASTE ASSESSMENT

8.8.1 GENERATING ALTERNATIVES

The alternatives are based on the existing records review, the waste audit results, and
the analysis phase. Various methods and tools are available to develop the initial list
of alternatives. The environment in which these alternatives are created should be done
in one that encourages creativity and free thinking by the team. Following is a sug-
gested list of methods to identify and create these alternatives:

■ Discussions with trade associations
■ Discussions with plant engineers and operators
■ Internet and literature reviews
■ Information available from federal, state, or local governments
■ Discussions with equipment manufacturers or vendors
■ Discussions with environmental or business consultants
■ Brainstorming
■ Benchmarking

Trade associations generally provide assistance and information about environmen-
tal regulations and the various tools and techniques to address these issues. The infor-
mation is usually industry specific and at times is free of charge. The National
Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the National Association of Purchasing
Management (NAPM), and the American Plastics Council (APC) are some very good
examples of trade associations.
Discussions with plant employees are often very low cost and reliable method to
develop alternatives to minimize solid waste. Employees are very familiar with a facil-
itie’s processes and operations. In addition to generating feasible options, it also aids
in fostering employee buy-in for the program and increases support. Establishing
focus groups, town hall meetings, service talks, facility postings, or one-on-one inter-
views are methods to gather feedback from employees.
Literature and Internet reviews are another low-cost method to generate waste min-
imization alternatives. These include Internet searches, journal reviews, technical
magazine reviews, and government reports. These sources describe similar waste com-
ponents that other organizations have successfully minimized and the methods, tools,
and equipment used. Often a company does not need to reinvent the wheel if another
company successfully minimized a similar waste stream and reported the results.
Many articles also provide contact information of the authors to gather further infor-
mation. Some examples of popular environmental magazines and journals are
Resource, Recycling and Conservation, The Journal of Solid Waste Technology and
Management, Resource Recycling, and The Journal of Cleaner Production.
The government is also a great source of no-cost information and guidebooks. The
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and local governments have developed pro-
grams that include technical assistance and information on industry-specific waste
minimization tools and techniques. The EPA has published the Waste Minimization
Opportunity Manual and the Business Guide for Reducing Solid Waste. Both of these
are available at no cost.