Page 90 - Solid Waste Analysis and Minimization a Systems Approach

68 BACKGROUND AND FUNDAMENTALS OF SOLID WASTE ANALYSIS AND MINIMIZATION

the Business Waste Reduction Assistance Program. The primary purpose of the Project
is to provide no-cost solid waste assessments to Lucas County manufacturers and busi-
nesses. Since the inception of the project, over 70 waste assessments have been com-
pleted, over 109,000 tons of solid waste has been identified for reuse, reduction, or recy-
cling and over $3.1 million have been identified as potential cost savings for Lucas
County business.
The first and foremost goal of the project is to provide a valuable service to the Lucas
County community. The project uses the knowledge and expertise of The University of
Toledo’s faculty and students to identify cost savings for local businesses through waste
minimization and process efficiency solutions. The project’s objectives are

■ Increase manufacturing competitiveness through reduced solid waste disposal costs
and optimize use of raw materials, packaging and floor space.
■ Improve corporate image.
■ Decrease reliance on landfills for disposal.

The University of Toledo graduate and undergraduate students majoring in indus-
trial engineering perform all assessments. The district oversees all assessments.
Typically, assessments consist of

■ An analysis of the company’s process and overall waste generation.
■ Recommendations designed to maximize process efficiency and reduce solid waste
disposal costs.
■ Detailed reference list of vendors that complement recommendations.

All waste assessments are provided on a confidential basis and at no cost to businesses
residing within Lucas County. Funding for the Project’s assessments is provided by a
grant from the Lucas County Solid Waste Management District with support from The
University of Toledo. Much of the data collected for the cases studies presented in this
book were gathered from this research project.

Comparison to similar university projects Throughout the United States there
have been several programs and research studies linking colleges, government agen-
cies, and businesses involved with environmental improvement. This section provides
an overview concerning some of these research studies and programs and compares
them to the WAMRP. Table 2.3 provides a snapshot comparison between the university-
sponsored programs. This includes a study conducted by the National Wildlife
Federation titled “State of the Campus Environment” which critiqued U.S. colleges’
environmental performance (1), the U.S. Department of Energy’s Industrial Assessment
Centers (2), Youngtown State University’s Industrial Waste Minimization Project (3),
Cornell University’s Waste Management Institute (4), Indiana University’s Institute on
Recycling (5), and Iowa State University’s Total Assessment Audits (6).

State of the campus environment (National Wildlife Federation) In 2000,
the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) conducted a survey of 891 institutions of