Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – Economy
Reduce
The theme of this section is environmentally conscience companies, and the three R’s go a long way in this regard. As far as reduction goes, you are seeing many companies focusing on this aspect.
Many are reducing overhead by cutting back on unnecessary middle level employees. By streamlining their companies, they cut back on cost, bureaucracy, and become more efficient machines. Many are reducing the amount of waste they are producing and also becoming efficient in their use of materials.
Packaging has also become a point of contention with many customers, so companies are try to use less wrapping when producing products, saving on both cost and waste. Some companies, on their own regard and some through government regulation, are reducing energy use and pollution output.
The benefits of these cut-backs can be huge- there are great money savings to be had and their environmental impact can be greatly reduced. How does this benefit the public? We can do our small parts to reduce our environment impact, but unless corporations see this as a global problem and acknowledge their role in the matter, we will not effect change on a massive scale.
Also companies that are forward thinking often times produce innovative solutions to difficult problems. Trying to find inexpensive and rapid solutions often drives creative and positive change.
Reuse
What started out as a cottage industry has become a booming business. Many companies are shifting their way of thinking, instead of waste management they now consider materials management.
They are recapturing would-be by-products and developing innovative uses for them. There are hundred of materials that are now reused instead of fed to landfills: Paint manufacturers reuse solvent for removing paint, shipyards use wastewater for irrigation, construction and demolition debris is being used as backfill. While there are many solutions and companies implementing them, there is still only a small percentage of reclaimable material that is put to good use.
The barriers to reusing materials include a lack of awareness, local and state regulations, and the initial cost of discovering, researching and adapting these processes.
Recycle
By perusing the internet, you can get an idea of the breadth and width of companies that are using recycled goods. You can find reusable bags made from recycled materials, scenic post cards made from recycled paper, recycled printer cartridges, jewelry made from recycled rubbish, office supplies, toys, and much more. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure has never been more true than now.
Companies are starting to see the value in using recycle materials. Often times these materials are processed in much the same way as original materials, except their cost is, in many cases, quite a bit lower than virgin materials.
Sometimes they are also more readily available in local areas as opposed to importing raw materials. Companies are doing themselves a solid by saving money in several instances, but also by acting in the environment’s best interest.
As a positive effect and most likely a driving force, they position themselves well in the current marketplace, which is starting to demand social responsibility from corporations.
