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WasteCare Corporation
WASTE REDUCTION & RECYCLING TIPS
FOR MANUFACTURING FACILITIES
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Manufacturing facilities have long gotten a bad rap for the low number of nationwide recycling and waste management programs. While a number of manufacturing businesses haven’t yet taken advantage of recycling their materials, studies show that this trend is on the rise for the industry. So how do you encourage recycling at your manufacturing plant? Instead of watching large manufacturing companies throw out valuable trash, a dedicated approach to recycling and waste reduction can bring dollars and value to the organization. Materials that are commonly generated in the manufacturing industry such as paper, plastics, and metals can all be recycled and recovered.
Recycling Tips
- The first thing you can do is start a recycling program at your manufacturing plant. Take a good look around the plant, and have management and employees to do the same. What is being thrown away? Can anything be salvaged and used somewhere else?
- Find the target recyclable materials and figure out where they can be used. Target materials that are specific to your company.
- Reward the doers. Have the plant manager institute a contest for the best recycling program slogan, give away prizes, have an environmental fair and get all staff, employees, supervisors and managers motivated to do the work necessary to facilitate a recycling program. This will get the ball really rolling and give your employees a reason to start recycling. After a while it may just become habit for them.
- Get the tools you need to succeed. After you have your program somewhat established you can begin placing recycling bins around the work place in different areas so employees notice that there is a place to throw their recyclable material. Label the bins so that they do not get mistaken for garbage. Since there are different manufacturing plants that produce different materials, then your labels will be different. For example, "Recycled Metal Here", or "Recycled Plastic Here." You decide how you want to word it; the important thing is that there is a place to put the material.
- Educate supervisors and manufacturing employees. This is half the battle. If staff knows about the recycling bins and they are placed in the same area or next to garbage cans, then employees are more likely to use them.
- Trainings. This might be the best way to get the word out about a new manufacturing recycling program. Bring in recycling specialists if you have to, but make sure you let your employees and co-workers know what recycling does for the earth; how it affects them, their families, and the environment. When people can see the effects it has on them, or those close to them they are more likely to want to help with the problem. Show them where the waste goes and if possible what happens to it. The results of not recycling can be devastating on the environment. Bring pictures, slide shows, videos; whatever will help get the point across.
- Make it worthwhile and fun. Just because you work with adult employees does not mean that they don't like to have fun and be rewarded for good things. Don't you remember in Kindergarten when you did something good that your teacher rewarded you? Well, try the same thing with adults and they tend to enjoy what you are asking them to do.
Waste Reduction Tips
Approach waste reduction in the “lean” way of thinking. Many manufacturing facilities are familiar with the “lean manufacturing” or “lean production” approach to business. Looking at a waste reduction program for a manufacturing facility the same way gives you a head start. The difference between the approach to a similar waste program is not the goal but the key start to achieving it.
The best way to manage your waste is to not create any, so consider these things as you try to encourage recycling in your manufacturing plant:
- Use non-hazardous materials instead of hazardous and toxic substances. This creates a healthier environment for employees and gets a manufacturing facility on the fast track to waste reduction.
- Reuse parts of your old equipment before purchasing new parts. This is especially true on the plant floor. Machines, depending on the industry, can be incredibly large and difficult. Start a recycling center for parts to streamline processes in waste management and time management. This saves money and keeps production in line.
- Encourage your employees to come up with creative ways to dispose of their own waste. Have “brainstorming” sessions to come up with ideas. Again, as in implementing a recycling program, incentives for staff and employees go a long way. Reward those who think and dream big.
- Call the local university engineers to help get started. Recently in Ann Arbor, Michigan owners of small and mid-size manufacturing facilities were offered pro-bono work by University of Michigan student engineers. These engineers gave free consulting on how to improve efficiency, create less waste and gain higher profits. So what are you waiting for? Give the college near you a call and see if their engineering department’s graduate students are interested in using your site for a master thesis? The benefits could be great all at a low cost.
Again, recycling and manufacturing programs can seem daunting to implement but the benefits to business and the environment as well as huge cost savings through government incentives and general bottom line gains are well worth the effort.