Waste Minimization PDFs

Free Guidance Documents for How to Setup Waste Reduction Programs

Welcome to your ultimate resource for waste reduction! Below, you'll find a comprehensive list of free downloadable PDFs focused on waste minimization across various categories. Whether you're looking to reduce waste in corrugated materials, plastics, textiles, metals, wood, or multi-materials, we've got you covered. Start your journey towards a sustainable future today!

G1: Source parts, modules, and other products using returnable packaging.

G2: Build sustainable packaging requirements into part and product sourcing documents.

G3: Can plastic liner be added to prevent contamination?

G4: Reusing LDPE plastic bags.

G5: Material repurposing options for use within building industry.

G6: Incorporate bio based materials into product applications.

G7: Material repurposing options for use within building industry.

G8: Working with your supplier to correct contamination within your incoming product or package

G9: How corrugate fiber quality can limit your recycling and reuse options

G10: Methods to eliminate waste stream contamination.

G11: Proactively addressing package designs that have incompatible materials for recycling

G12: Separating contaminated corrugate from clean corrugate.

G14: identifying and correcting manufacturing plant locations that don’t conform to recycling standards

G15: Achieving the Highest Value for your Recycling Material Using a Holistic Approach

G16: Designing more sustainable corrugate packages

G17: Bailing material to improve continued use options.

G18: Increase material value by ensuring availability of necessary bailing infrastructure.

G19: How to leverage shredding and baling processes to increase material value

G20: Changing suppliers to accomplish sustainability initiatives

G21: How to Leverage Compacting Corrugate to Increase the Material’s Value

G23: Reusing containers in manufacturing operations to reduce plant costs and waste.

G24: Returning portions of containers to suppliers for reuse, financial credits and other benefits

G26: Building holistic business cases

G25: Donate or sell obsolete or gently used corrugate containers to local companies or NGOs for reuse

G27: Sending corrugate loads directly to a Mill to increase value.

G28: Sending Single Material Loads Compared to Mixed Materials to Recyclers to Gain Financial Value

G29: Analyzing contaminants in your corrugate to determine if it can be composted

G30: Analyzing Contaminants in Your Corrugate to Determine if it is Suitable for a Waste-to-Energy Option

G31: How to Work with Local MURFs (Municipal Recycling Facilities) to Determine Recycling Options for Contaminated Corrugates

G32: Using Corrugate Container Scrap Material to Make New Products

G33: Calculate the Carbon Footprint Impact of Waste Minimization Programs and Communicate the Findings to Plant Teams to Encourage Similar Actions

G34: Shredding and bailing your corrugate onsite to gain revenue and targeting it for building applications

G35: Developing a recycling and reuse infrastructure for your waste streams

G36: Leveraging information security systems to increasing second use applications for items containing sensitive company information.

G37: How laboratory testing can help you make informed decisions about your contaminated material

G38: Options for hard-to-recycle materials

G39: Identifying and eliminating contamination in your material

G40: Work with your supplier to return reusable packaging and product materials

G41: Send contaminated material to a waste-to-energy option.

G42: Implementing returnable packaging requirements and policies within your company to limit use of expendable packaging and reduce your carbon footprint

G43: Second-life uses for your corrugate material in the building industry

G44: Implementing policy changes within your company as part of your environmental management system to create product from your waste

G45: How to leverage cost savings and revenue generation by exploring internal reuse options within your company

G46: Exploring external re-use options for your post-industrial materials.

G47: How sending corrugate directly to a corrugate mill can increase revenue for your company.

G48: Exploring the benefits and challenges of composting corrugate and other cardboards.

G49: Importance of verifying whether your material can be recycled according to National, State, and local requirements.

G50: Material processing options that can improve transportation efficiency and increase value.

G51: Achieving product security through several material processing options.

G52: Repurposing plastic packaging materials for plant-based applications

G53: How plastic materials can be repurposed for use in the building industry.

G54: Wildlife habitat initiatives using plastic packaging materials.

G55: How reusing shipping materials can help your company achieve sustainability goals.

G56: How packaging foams can be repurposed for furniture manufacturing

G57: Repurposing packaging containers for Nature Based Solutions

G58: Repurposing plastic packaging containers for local urban farming initiatives.

G59: The Value of Creating a Holistic Business Case for Your Materials

G60: How sending your plastic material directly to a compounder can increase the value of your material.

G61: Exploring bio-based second life product applications for your materials

G62: Exploring petroleum based fibers for next life applications

G63: Analyzing contaminants within your materials during the plastic resin compounding process

G67: Identifying local companies, non-profits, and NGOs that might be interested in container reuse

G68: Finding manufacturers for material reuse as an alternative to recycling.

G69: Working with engineering and suppliers to create plastic products from plastic scrap generated at plants

G71: Repurposing small packaging trays for wildlife habitat applications.

G72: Leveraging your workforce to sort packaging related plastic parts for recycling

G73: Repurpose plastic bottles to enhance wetland and other water way ecosystems for wildlife, infrastructure protection and severe weather damage mitigation.

G74: Recycling plastic packaging shipping aids into baffles, conduits, and other functional black plastic applications

G75: Plastic packaging corrugate can be repurposed into nature-based solutions such as beehive media.

G76: Substituting nylon component material with PET resin

G77: Reutilizing obsolete expanded polypropylene (EPP) foam containers

G78: Repurposing polyurethane convoluted (egg carton) style and other flexible foam packaging

G79: Repurposing polyurethane egg carton style foam packaging.

G80: Using a chipper machine to cut banding into small pieces for densification

G81: Combining two or more waste streams to create a product of value

G82: Working with a suppliers to create building shingles/shakes from metal and plastic packaging and other product material.

G83: Working with suppliers to create wildlife habitats.

G84: Reprocessing Vehicle Seating Protective Film into New Seating Film

G85: Using Special Needs Groups to Process the Reuse of Protective Packaging Plastic Aids Such As Caps and Plugs

G86: Sending steering column lock pin assembly aids back to steering column supplier for reuse.

G87: Recycling PET Plastic for Social Justice Opportunities

G88: Creating a program to process PET water bottles that are collected from waterways into new bottles

G89: Repurposing Plastic Foams for Architectural Applications

G90: Making Your Containers and Components from Ocean-Bound Plastics

G91: Working with a supplier to create architectural building products from repurposed part trays

G92: Creating a program that utilizes thermoset plant part trays to manufacture building lighting shade mechanisms

G93: Reusing Scrap Polyurethane Foam in the Manufacture of New Foam Products

G94: Utilizing corrugate nesting structures to replace other nesting structures made from materials such as polystyrene, polyurethanes and wood

G95: Using clear or translucent plastic packaging instead of colored plastic component packaging

G96: Avoiding User of Glued Foams to Increase Recycling, Reuse and Repurposing Opportunities

G97: Using paper tape to secure corrugated containers instead of plastic tape

G98: Sourcing Paper Bags for Increased Reuse, Compost and Recycling Opportunities

G99: Using Corrugate or Cardboard Sheet Separators to Reduce Waste

G100: Using returnable decoupling dunnage and containers that break down after use

G101: Design bulk container dunnage to allow for multiple uses and dunnage pooling

G102: Separating PVC by product from other materials to increase recycling ease

G103: Using Vacuum Thermoformed HDPE Dunnage Spacers inside Returnable Totes for Parts that Might

G104: Repurposing Wood for Use in the Building Industry through Local Construction Companies

G105: Using rough sawn wood in rustic applications such as shingles, barns, sheds, recreation rooms.

G106: Second Use Applications for Wood Pallets

G107: Repurposing Pallet Planks into Rustic vertical wall shakes

G108: Using certain pallets for rough sawn wainscoting applications

G109: Repurposing structural lumber that was used in large pallets, crates and baskets.

G110: Using Heat-Treated Pallets Instead of Pallets Treated with Methyl Bromide when Repurposing Pallets.

G111: Repurposing Smooth Wood

G112: Using Pallet Recyclers to Rebuild Pallets for Reuse or Total Waste Reduction

G113: Removing contaminated portions of pallets to enable safe reuse

G114: Replacing Wood Packages or Portions of Wood Packages with Corrugated Parts

G115: Using Corrugate in Place of Wood Alternatives

G116: Shredding off-spec (non-conforming) pallets and utilizing them as landscape mulch

G117: Sourcing non-OSB pallet components rather than OSB pallet components

G118: Donate Wood Packaging and Other Scrap Wood to High Schools and Skill Centers for Student Education

G119: Using standard-sized pallets (45" X 48 or 40" X 48") to encourage reusability

G120: Balancing durability and cost of wood species in pallet manufacturing

G121: Using Pallet Manufacturers Pallet Banking Program - Sustainability Goal #11

G122: Enlisting Suppliers to Reduce or Eliminate the Use of Difficult to Use Materials

G123: Utilizing Hardwood Pallets for Landscape Chips and Mulch

G124: Working with hobbyists to use scrap pallets and wood for making crafts and hobby related items.

G125: Waste-To-Energy Options for Wood

G126: Replacing Wood Corner Supports with Cardboard Pressed/Formed Alternatives for Corrugate Recycling.

G127: Repurposing wood for community-based projects such as raised bed gardens and building fences.

G128: Seeking advice from external wood experts, builders, local woodworkers, and wood recyclers through online educational media to utilize your scrap wood in the most sustainable way.

G129: Seeking advice from plastic experts and recyclers through online and local educational programs.

G130: Repurposing/Reusing Small Packaging Wood Pieces for Construction Applications (Trim, Shims, Spacers, Etc.)

G131: Reusing Cradles and/or Designing Cradles with Different Materials (Wood, Corrugate and Plastic)

G132: Working with Suppliers to Have Packaging Easy to Breakdown for Efficient Material Management

G133: Working With Suppliers to Send Wood Sheeting Back to Suppliers for Reuse

G134: Reusing dunnage sheets inside your manufacturing operation.

G135: Exploring Options with Local Schools to Receive the Wood for Carpentry Education - Sustainability Goal #8

G136: Working with local NGOs to receive your materials for second review

G137: Utilizing your employees to receive sheeting for personal projects

G138: Working with local carpenters to receive your materials for second-life use after sheeting separation

G140: Repurposing Materials in Mini Home Building Applications to Address Homelessness in the Veteran

G141: Repurposing your polyester fleece and shoddy padding to create building insulation

G142: Using Alternative Building Envelope Materials for Mini Homes to Address Veteran Homelessness

G143: Using carpet remnants, cutoffs and padding from home construction projects in tiny homes

G144: Transforming shipping containers into raised bed gardens

G145: Donating Your Excess and Obsolete Paint for Reuse Activities

G146: Utilizing culled lumber yard wood for special farming projects.

G147: Using Biobased Packing Peanuts that can be Composted or Dissolved in Water to Eliminate Plastic

G156: Recycling single use manufacturing scrap plastic into pallets and containers

G157: In plant material processing options that can improve transportation efficiency and increase value

G158: Returning non-conforming parts to suppliers

G159: Selling your excess and obsolete paint for Reuse Activities

G160: Recycling metal grinding swarf

G161: Solvent Wiper Recycling

G162: Using your excess, obsolete, or expired paint for energy from waste programs

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