Page 70 - Solid Waste Analysis and Minimization a Systems Approach

48 BACKGROUND AND FUNDAMENTALS OF SOLID WASTE ANALYSIS AND MINIMIZATION

transaction. Overall, waste exchanges have very minimal fees—just enough to cover
the administrative costs. The American Plastics Exchange, for example, is the most
expensive waste exchange, with a $360 per year membership fee and $0 per exchange—
still, a very cost-effective exchange. The typical per exchange fee, for exchanges that
did charge, was $5 to $10.

2.6.4 SUCCESS STORIES

Waste exchanges have played an important role in assisting companies identify and
implement recycling and reuse opportunities. These efforts result in lower operating
costs, reduced purchasing costs, reduced storage costs, enhanced corporate images,
diminished demand for landfill space and incinerator capacity, and, ultimately, a
cleaner environment.
“It is estimated that, by promoting the reuse and recycling of industrial materials
through waste exchanges, the industry currently saves $27 million in raw material and
disposal costs and the energy equivalent of more than 100,000 barrels of oil annually,”
as determined by the National Materials Exchange Network operating in Silver
Spring, Maryland. These savings often translate directly to the companies’ bottom
lines with stronger financial performance.
In 1998, its first year of operation, the Ohio Materials Exchange (Columbus, Ohio)
exceeded initial expectations by exchanging over 2600 tons of waste and saving Ohio
businesses $103,000 in disposable costs. According to Dale Gallion, manager of quality
assurance at Diamond Products (Elyria, Ohio), the company used to pay to have leftover
metal powder scrapped. After joining the waste exchange program, Diamond Products
sold 8000 lb of metal powder for $14. Additionally, the company accumulates about
1000 lb of metal powder each month, and plans to continue using the exchange.
Another good example is the Massachusetts Materials Exchange (Pittsfield,
Massachusetts). In the past 4 years, the Massachusetts Materials Exchange has moved
over 2000 tons of materials, saving participants more than $100,000 in avoided dis-
posal and purchasing costs.
Waste exchanges are a cost-effective means of helping businesses save money, as
well as helping them divert waste into usable raw materials. Advances in information
technology over the past decade have served as a catalyst to promote the exchanges,
and further allow exchanges to provide current information on both the materials
available for use and the materials wanted, which helps business make better environ-
mental and financial decisions.
These exchanges also play an important role in assisting waste generators in iden-
tifying and implementing recycling and reuse opportunities. For example, since the
inception of the Ohio Materials Exchange, businesses using the service reported sav-
ings of over $13.5 million in disposal costs and diverted over 340,000 tons from land-
fills. These efforts result in lower operating costs, diminished demand for landfill
space and burning capacity, which all lead to a cleaner environment. Natural resources
are limited, and resources need to be conserved as much as possible. The fewer raw
materials used, the greater supply for future generations, and waste exchanges are
helping achieve this goal.