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Commercial businesses in the United States generate waste equal to the weight of 1,125,000 elephants every year,[1] which is roughly 35 percent and 45 percent of the total waste stream. The bulk of commercial waste is paper, but also includes organic matter, metal, plastics, glass, electronics, and wood. Fifty-five percent of all waste in the US is generally discarded, 12.5 percent is incinerated, and only 32.5 percent is recycled.[2]

In 2006, almost 34 percent of the 251 million tons of municipal waste in the US was paper, by far the largest percentage of total waste.[3] Office workers use 10,000 sheets of paper each year, which when combined, is enough to build a wall 12 feet high from New York City to Los Angeles.[4] Some estimate that only 10 percent of this paper is being recycled.[5]

Even though paper makes up 90 percent of all office waste by weight,[6] it isn’t the only source of garbage. In an average year, most office workers throw out 500 disposable cups.[7] The average 2,500-person conference will produce waste to the tune of 75,000 disposable cups, 87,500 paper napkins, and 90,000 cans or bottles.[8] Offices can also reduce waste by providing recycling services for bottles and cans, plastics, electronics, and much more.

An equally important component of office waste is electronics—the fastest growing portion of the US waste stream, rising at rates around 8 percent annually.[9] According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), by 2005, 250 million computers in the US became obsolete.[10] The waste generated by these electronics will include 1 billion pounds of lead, about 2 million pounds of cadmium, 1.2 million pounds of chromium, more than 4 billion pounds of plastic, and almost 400,000 pounds of mercury. However, fewer than 10 percent of these outdated electronics are updated or recycled; the rest end up in landfills or incinerators where they can then enter the water or air supply and cause harm to human and ecosystem health. The toxic qualities of lead have been well documented and it is already banned from many uses. The toxicity of mercury is well known as well, and it is potent in acute quantities. Just 1/70th of a teaspoon of mercury can pollute and contaminate a 20-acre lake, rendering its fish unsuitable for consumption.[11]

By the end of 2007, the number of cell phone subscribers reached close to 3 billion, up from 2.5 billion the previous year.[12] On average, cell phones are retired every 18 months. Since 2000, less than 1 percent of phones have been recycled or reused,[13] and more than 500 million cell phones populate landfills now.[13] Fewer than 30 percent of used printers are recycled in the US every year, adding to a 50 million ton pile of trashed electronics annually.[14] Over 67 million laser printer cartridges are purchased by Americans each year, and the number’s rising all of the time. Of that number only 27 percent are refurbished.[15] As a result, more than 300 million cartridges from printers and copiers end up in the trash worldwide every year, close to 100 million in the US alone. This adds up to more than 1.7 million tons of waste annually, with components that take 450 years to decompose.[16]

Waste also has an impact on climate change. During every stage of a product’s life, energy is consumed directly or indirectly—for extraction, manufacturing, distribution, use, and disposal. Cutting consumption and reducing waste through recycling programs will have a significant impact of reducing America’s energy use. The EPA estimates that by simply increasing recycling rates by 5 percent, greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced by 10 million metric tons, or the same amount used by 4.6 million US homes.[17]

Another source of climate-changing emissions is organic waste. In America, more than one-quarter of all food is tossed every year, creating a waste pile that’s 96 billion pounds strong. This solid waste—which is approximately 12.4 percent of the total waste stream—racks up a disposal bill of $1 billion annually.[2][18] Food waste also contributes to the formation of leachate (a potentially toxic sludge seeping from dumps) and methane (a greenhouse gas much more potent than CO₂) in landfills.[19] Composting leftover food rather than trashing it can provide nutrient-rich fertilizing material while keeping landfills free of these detrimental substances.

Implementing business-wide waste reduction management systems have been shown to yield no negative financial impact, and sometimes positively affect the bottom-line, potentially boosting stock market and company valuations as well. By increasing recycling, businesses reduce disposal costs, receive income for recyclable materials, and conserve valuable natural resources. They also improve some intangibles, such as brand strength and reputation.[20] BellSouth Telecommunications (now part of AT&T) saved 16 million sheets of printout paper between 1994 and 1995 by opting for an electronic filing system instead, cutting their costs by $3.5 million.[21]

Questions to get you started...

1. Does your company track waste?
2. Do you know who your waste hauler is? If so, do they provide you with summaries of the amount of waste hauled and data on the amount of recyclables?
3. Have you or your waste hauler ever done a waste audit?
4. Do you have a recycling program in place for paper, cans, bottles, cardboard, plastic containers and bags, copier and printer cartridges, electronics, and organic matter?
5. Does each employee have an accessible recycling bin for paper?
6. When renovating or replacing old furniture and equipment, has your office made a clear effort to recycle used goods such as computers, printers, chairs, desks, carpeting?
7. Do you generally use disposable plates, cups, and utensils for office functions?
8. Do you procure food items such as coffee, sugar, soda, water, and snacks in bulk?

External links

• Urban Environmental Association - Waste Audit Form
• US Environmental Protection Agency - A Guide to Commercial Food Composting
• US Environmental Protection Agency - Environmental Management Systems (EMS)
• US Environmental Protection Agency - Volume-to-Weight Conversion Table Use this table to estimate the total weight of your office’s trash.