Page 231 - Solid Waste Analysis and Minimization a Systems Approach

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THE ROLE OF CREATIVITY,

INVENTION, AND INNOVATION

IN SOLID WASTE MINIMIZATION

Creativity, invention, and innovation are necessary skills within an organization to create
a sustainable and continuously improving waste minimization program. The executive
team must create an environment that fosters these skills and rewards employees who
exhibit them. A culture of innovation may also have positive effects of the organiza-
tion in other ways and lead to competitive advantages in terms of cost reduction and
product or service offerings. This chapter gives ideas and concepts regarding the creation
of a culture and infrastructure that foster creativity.
Creativity is defined as is a mental process involving the generation of new ideas or
concepts, or new associations of the creative mind between existing ideas or concepts.
Invention is the creation of new and useful things. Innovation is transforming an inven-
tion or idea into a profitable good or service. EPA has placed a huge emphasis on the
need for innovation. In 2002, EPA laid out a strategy for achieving better environmental
results through innovation. This important framework recognizes that environmental
problems are becoming increasingly complex, and that new ways of thinking and
doing are needed to fully address them. Developed by EPA’s Innovation Action
Council, the strategy is based upon previous experiences with innovative approaches,
careful consideration of recommendations from outside policy groups, and discussions
with the states and a variety of stakeholders about the best ways to achieve environ-
mental progress. It focuses EPA on finding solutions to a set of priority problems,
developing new tools and approaches that can enhance problem solving, strengthening
the innovation partnership with states and tribes, and fostering innovation through
EPA’s culture and organizational systems.
There are numerous methods to enhance innovation at any organization and to
improve processes and products or services. The two areas that an organization has
control over when it comes to creativity are creating an environment that fosters cre-
ativity and hiring creative employees.

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