In cities and suburbs across the United States, commercial and industrial waste contributes a significant percentage of all solid waste generated and collected. In contrast to most residential or domestic waste, commercial garbage is usually collected by contracting with a hauler in the private sector, and local governments have been slow to target this waste stream for recycling and reuse. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed several online resources to help communities managers effectively address commercial and industrial waste generated in their municipality and successfully meet recycling and recovery goals.
These specific materials and information resources that are provided include:
- Industrial Waste Guidelines to help community decision-makers with recommendations and tools to better address the management of land-disposed, non-hazardous industrial wastes.
- Best practices and policies for handling the recycling of construction and demolition materials
- Resources for handling specialized waste products including: cement kiln dust, crude oil and natural gas, mineral processing and mining waste, medical waste, and carbon dioxide streams.
WasteCare Wants You to Remember: While you don’t have to be an expert in industrial waste recycling to effectively run your business, having an understanding can help you to discover ways to reduce your overhead and perhaps generate income.