November 1, 2002—U.S. EPA Deputy Administrator Linda Fisher has challenged leading business, government and other institutional leaders to think and act creatively on waste reduction.
Speaking at the WasteWise Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 10, Fisher noted that waste reduction has impacts far beyond traditional recycling and waste prevention programs. She pointed out that waste reduction not only improves an organization’s efficiency and saves money, but it also conserves natural resources, saves energy, prevents air and water pollution and affects climate change.
WasteWise, a voluntary partnership program launched by EPA in 1994, provides guidance and recognition to nearly 1,300 participating organizations working to find practical methods to reduce municipal solid waste and improve financial performance. The WasteWise program each year runs a highly competitive awards program, and this year’s winners range from huge corporations to small businesses to schools to tribes.
To reinforce the theme of expanded benefits of recycling and waste prevention beyond conventional program boundaries, the Awards Ceremony for the first time gave special recognition to groups launching the following initiatives:
- the charter partners in the new National Waste Minimization Partnership Program, which focuses on reducing hazardous waste chemicals;
- utility industry groups working with EPA in a new Coal Combustion Products Partnership, encouraging use rather than disposal of these valuable materials;
- the initial recipients of new WasteWise Climate Change awards, honoring their voluntary waste prevention and recycling activities targeted at greenhouse gas reduction;
- pilot state governments working with EPA in new waste reduction partnerships; and
- WasteWise partners who responded most successfully to a new Electronics Waste Reduction Challenge.
For further information about EPA’s WasteWise program, see the WasteWise Web site or contact the WasteWise Helpline at 800/EPA-WISE (372-9473).
