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According to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, half the waste landfilled in Oregon each year - about 1.3 million tons - comes from the commercial sector. Implementing waste reduction measures will reduce the amount of solid waste your business sends to the Dry Creek Landfill, which serves all of Jackson County.
In addition to commingled recycling programs, numerous opportunities are available to recycle other materials in Jackson County. From appliances, furniture and building materials, to scrap metal, wood and tires, a variety of local outlets help to reduce the overall waste stream in southern Oregon.
Jackson County Recycling Directory
The Jackson County Recycling Partnership is a consortium of representatives from regional solid waste companies (Rogue Disposal, Ashland Sanitary and Southern Oregon Sanitation), Jackson County, and municipalities. Working together, these groups sponsor waste prevention/reduction and education programs within Jackson County: www.jcrecycle.org
Ashland Sanitary and Recycling Service
www.ashlandsanitary.com
541.482.1471
170 Oak Street, Ashland
Rogue Disposal and Recycling
www.roguedisposal.com
541.779.4161
8001 Table Rock Road, Medford
Southern Oregon Sanitation
www.sosanitation.com/home/
541.826.5691, 800.922.1025
42 Ball Road, Eagle Point
Jackson County Waste Management and Recycling, a division of Jackson County Economic and Special Development: www.co.jackson.or.us/Page.asp?NavID=328
Northwest Materials Mart A web portal promoting material exchanges that benefit Oregon businesses: www.nwmaterialsmart.org
To receive less commercial advertising mail, you can register for Direct Marketing Association's Mail Preference Service, which allows you to "opt out" of national mailing lists: www.the-dma.org/cgi/offmailinglistdave
SMART Notes
Source reduction and recycling should allow you to reduce the volume and/or frequency of waste collection, saving your business money. Rogue Disposal officials report that Jackson County Businesses could save an estimated $180,000 in disposal fees every year simply by recycling corrugated cardboard!
Set up a system to recycle materials on an ongoing basis.
Commingled Recycling materials accepted in Jackson County:
Commingled Recycling service is provided by Rogue Disposal, Ashland Sanitary and Recycling and Southern Oregon Sanitation. Materials currently accepted for commingled recycling include:
- Mixed Waste Paper
- Corrugated Cardboard
- Magazines
- Phone Books
- Steel Cans
- Aluminum
- Brown Paper Bags
- Plastic bottles (neck is smaller than the base, remove lids)
- Newspaper
- Plastic Tubs (food grade) *
- Glass Bottles and Jars **
* Ashland Sanitary & Recycling Service customers only
**Recycling Service customers only; must be collected in separate bin!
Other items recycled or reused in Jackson County include:
Remember: Wasted materials are wasted money. Be innovative. Examine manufacturing processes for opportunities to increase materials-use efficiency; rethink product packaging; consider composting food waste; research recycling programs for unwanted electronic equipment. Encourage all employees to reconsider operations with reducing, reusing, and recycling in mind.
Additional Ways to Reuse and Recycle
- Reuse or recycle scrap input materials back into your production process.
- Recycle laser and inkjet printer toner cartridges, and replace them with remanufactured cartridges. This will keep the container and chemicals out of the waste stream.
- Reuse packaging (e.g. bubble wrap and cardboard boxes) or ask your local package/mail if they will reuse them.
- Set up a system for your customers to return packaging for reuse.
- Return or reuse wooden pallets and spools.
- Donate or exchange unwanted items (computers, furniture, supplies, scraps, magazines etc.) to schools, churches, hospitals, libraries, and non profit organizations.
- Participate in a waste exchange program. This can be especially effective when production processes result in a steady supply of a "waste material" that can be used by another company as a material input.
- Recycle yard and green wastes
- Use a mulching mower and leave grass clippings on the lawn;
- Compost grass, yard clippings and leaves yourself. Information on composting is available on the JCRP website at: www.jcrecycle.org/composting-methods.html;
- Rogue Disposal and Ashland Sanitary offer curbside yard debris collection service.
SMART Notes
Recycling aluminum cans saves 95% of the energy used in producing aluminum from raw materials. About 70% of all metal is used once and then discarded
Seek out environmentally preferable products. Identify opportunities to purchase recycled, refurbished, or reconditioned products that compete favorably in price, performance, and quality with new ones. When possible, use specific criteria for purchasing, for example: "paper must contain a minimum 30% post-consumer recycled material." Work with suppliers/vendors to identify opportunities to comply with your policy, or seek alternative suppliers. Help employees develop new practices to meet your environmental standards.
Purchase recycled content products, such as recycled copy paper, as available for your business. Examples of products and materials are available with recycled content are:
- business letterhead, envelopes, or cards
- pencils/rulers, and other desk accessories
- copy and computer paper, fax paper, folders, other paper products
- toilet paper, tissues and towels
- boxes and bags for retail use or shipping
- dumpster lids, utility bins and drums, garbage pails and garbage bags
- benches/playground and picnic equipment
- building fixtures & paint
- wood chips, compost and other soil amendments
- parking lot & loading dock bumpers/car stops
- retread tires/tire flaps
- carpet, carpet under-cushion or floor mats
- construction materials: building fixtures, ceramic tiles, drywall, insulation, paint, concrete, composite lumber/wood.
SMART Notes
Look for recycled paper with a minimum of 30% recycled content, with at least 10% post consumer (previously used not manufacturing scraps). Paper with 25% or higher post consumer content is preferable and readily available. An estimated 60% less energy is used to make paper when recyclable waste paper is used.
Additional Green Purchasing Opportunities
- Select products with the least packaging and/or which have easily recyclable packaging.
- Work with your vendors to minimize product packaging and to arrange for recycling of packaging, used products and damaged products.
- Work with vendors to minimize product packaging, use recyclable or reusable packaging and take back packaging, used or damaged products for reuse or recycling (Look for vendors who offer these services).
- Specify deliveries be shipped in returnable containers.
- Immediately remove small orders and give box/container back to the driver.
- Purchase reusable items such as mugs instead of disposable cups, rechargeable batteries, reusable dishes/silverware, cloth towels and rags, refillable pens, erasable wall calendars, reusable coffee filters, etc.
SMART Notes
If ten million people would use their own ceramic mugs in the office each day, we could eliminate as many as five billion paper and Styrofoam cups each year.
- Buy products that are bulk, concentrated, durable, repairable, and/or recyclable.
- Centralize purchasing to eliminate unnecessary purchases and to ensure all waste reduction-purchasing policies are followed.
- Track material usage to optimize ordering.
- Replace multiple similar products with one or two that serve the same functions.
- Negotiate cooperative buying agreements with your business neighbors.
- Find used products for your business needs. Buy used or excess materials or products from thrift shops, want-ad newspapers, etc.
Establish company-wide policies to reduce paper use.
Paper Reduction Methods
- E-mail reports and memos instead of making printed copies
- Use the blank side of printed material for printing drafts
- Photocopy on both sides of paper
- Use outdated forms and letterhead for in-house memos
- Post memos in central locations rather than distributing to all employees Saving documents on disks or hard drives rather than on paper.
- Eliminate duplicate mailings and magazine subscriptions by sending back mailing labels requesting all but one be removed.
- Purge your own mailing lists to eliminate duplication.
- Remove your name/company from junk mail lists by writing to senders requesting removal from mailing list (for first class mail only, write "refused" on it and it will be returned to sender). The following Direct Marketing Association website provides a registration form that will allow you to reduce the amount of unsolicited national advertising your business receives: www.the-dma.org/cgi/offmailinglist
- Ask employees to remove their names from junk mail lists.
- Identify and eliminate unnecessary forms. Double-side or redesign forms to use less space, or have forms on electronic media
- Reformat faxes to eliminate full-page cover sheets.
- Use software programs that allow you to fax directly from your computer, without printing.
- Use continuous circulation envelops within your business; open mail carefully and reuse incoming envelopes for inter-office circulation.
- Circulate reports, memos, newsletters, documents and periodicals rather than making/receiving individual copies.
- Use "central" or "master" hard copy files instead of multiple personal files.
- When ordering items such as new software, specify the number of manuals you need, arrange for employees to share manuals.
- Review employees' need for individual sets of telephone directories; make sure your annual order does not exceed actual needs.
- Order supplies by voice mail or electronic mail.
- Use voice mail, electronic mail or put messages on a chalkboard or central bulletin board.
SMART Notes
The average office worker discards more than 175 lbs. of high grade paper per year.Each ton of wastepaper reduced or recycled saves over three cubic yards of landfill space.
Inventory Procedures
- Look for products with longer shelf lives.
- Track time sensitive materials and use a "first in first out" policy.
- Work with vendors and waste exchanges to find users for excess, off spec, or expired stock.
- Control access to raw materials to reduce overuse.
- Maintain proper storage conditions to reduce material degradation (e.g. temperature, humidity, etc.).
- Arrange storage area/access to reduce potential for damaging stock.
Production & Product Packaging
- Design products with reusable or recyclable components.
- Eliminate unneeded packaging.
- Use lightweight, recyclable or reusable packaging.
- Print message on products encouraging consumers to recycle the packaging /product.
- Offer incentives to customers who bring their own shopping bags, coffee mugs, etc.
- Educate consumers about environmentally responsible purchasing.
- If you use catering services, you may be able to negotiate a discount for using your own dishes (encourage caterers to serve "family style" in reusable serving dishes).
- Provide in room recycling bins.
- Donate old linens and furniture to charity rather than sending it to the landfill.
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