Resource Spotlight

EPA’s WasteWise Program

WasteWise helps organizations and businesses reduce waste and practice sustainable materials management through the prevention and recycling of municipal solid waste (common household and business waste) and select industrial materials. Launched in 1994, WasteWise has become a mainstay in environmental stewardship and continues to evolve to address tomorrow’s environmental needs.

Organizations can join WasteWise as a partner, endorser or both. Partners demonstrate how they reduce waste, practice environmental stewardship, and incorporate sustainable materials management into their waste-handling processes. Endorsers promote enrollment in WasteWise as part of a comprehensive approach to help their stakeholders realize the economic benefits to reducing waste. All U.S. businesses, local governments and non-profit organizations can join WasteWise. WasteWise partners range from small local governments and nonprofit organizations to large, multinational corporations.

The WasteWise Endorser Program engages state and local government agencies, trade associations, nonprofit organizations, and businesses to help educate their members and constituents about the benefits of reducing solid waste.

Benefits of Joining

By joining the WasteWise program, partners or endorsers receive:

Reporting

The WasteWise Data Management System is a data management and reporting system for WasteWise partners to collect, organize, analyze and report their municipal solid waste information. WasteWise partners may log into the WasteWise Data Management System to view and edit organization information, track waste reduction activities, and generate summary reports, including the WasteWise Climate Profile report.

Resources Available

WasteWise partners can use the resources below to develop and sustain a waste reduction program:

  • Plan Your WasteWise Program: Tools and recommendations for planning an effective waste reduction program.

  • Measure Your Progress: Data sources and calculators to determine the environmental and economic benefits of your waste reduction program.

  • Report Results: Baseline (for new partners) and annual (for all partners) data reporting forms, instructions and sample forms.

  • Announce Your Achievements: Sample press releases, articles and WasteWise logo guidelines.

  • Get Expert Help: Free, tailored technical assistance from the information specialists at the WasteWise Helpline. Answers to questions frequently asked of the Helpline.

Technical assistance resources for the development and implementation of organizational solid waste reduction programs include:

  • Publications and Forms: Contains forms, the Online Resource Directory, industry sector pages, success stories and annual reports.

  • Industry Sector Resources: Contains additional resources, organized by industry sector.

  • Waste Prevention: Provides background information, sample waste prevention goals and results, and links for more information.

  • Recycling: Provides background information, sample recycling goals and results, and links for more information.

  • Buy/Manufacture Recycled: Provides background information, sample buy/manufacture recycled goals and results, and links for more information.

  • WasteWise Updates: Find new waste reduction ideas in WasteWise’s technical assistance periodical.

  • General Links:Offers resources about waste prevention, recycling, recycled products and other environmental information.

For more information, visit www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/smm/wastewise/index.htm. To join WasteWise as a partner, register at http://my.re-trac.com/NewWasteWisePartner.pm. To join WasteWise as an endorser, register at http://my.re-trac.com/NewWasteWiseEndorser.pm.

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