User:Snorreg/waste streams

The EPA estimates that commercial, non-hazardous waste represents an estimated spend of $22 Billion per year, of which the EPA estimates 42%+ can be easily diverted. Conservatively estimated, 10%+ of these materials also have additional market value. Each year according to the EPA, companies are paying to dump 214 million tons of commercial non-hazardous waste into landfills. Lastly, the EPA estimates that companies are spending $22 Billion each year to dump materials into a landfill. Most companies do not want their stakeholders to associate them with polluting, filling a landfill, or wasting materials. In addition, there is a lack of resources, people, and tools to address the problem. According to the 2009 Greening of Corporate America Report, 89% of companies say that waste reduction is a high priority – this was unthinkable five to ten years ago.

Walmart has publically set a zero waste goal for themselves and their 100,000 suppliers.