In the 1960’s, the average person produced under 2 pounds of waste per day. Today, that number has skyrocketed and the average American produces close to 5 pounds of waste per day. Currently, Americans only recycle or compost about 30% of the waste materials that they produce.The old adage “reduce, reuse, recycle,” is more important than ever, and small businesses can be great champions for waste reduction. Small businesses can set great examples for the community on how to reduce waste and become more environmentally conscious, all while reducing wasted materials and increasing their profits.

Two-thirds of the waste that people produce ends up in a landfill. Over the decades, these landfills have become so huge in size that they produce enough methane that it damages the environment. In fact, due to the fact that Americans are consuming and throwing away so much material, space to hold trash is becoming more limited. It is becoming more and more expensive to dispose of trash. If a business produces enough trash, they may even be required to buy special permits for the amount of waste that they need to dispose of. Certain types of waste can even require permits if it’s particularly hazardous, so waste disposal costs for a small business can add up quickly! It is really important for small businesses to start cutting back on waste now before disposal and trash costs could have a serious impact on their bottom line.

On average, recycling creates ten times the number of jobs that landfills do. Recycling creates a massive job creating opportunity, and there have already been almost half a million jobs created in the recycling industry. That’s great for the economy! Plus, recycling and waste-reduction efforts can impact a business’ community image in a positive way. Small businesses waste less money on buying extra packaging or goods that would otherwise be turned into waste, and then they recycle (or compost) what they are able to reuse which continues to add jobs to the recycling industry. Talk about a win-win situation!

Representative Keith Ellison from Minnesota introduced a Zero Waste Development and Expansion Act in February 2017 which proposes establishing grant funding that would assist small businesses identify and get rid of wasteful practices. It would also help communities develop the technology and infrastructure to reduce waste. The bill is co-sponsored by Representative Barbara Lee, Representative Mike Quigley, Representative Matt Cartwright, and Representative Eleanor Norton. afeUSA wrote all five representatives letters of support because we believe that these efforts are not only good for our members, but good for our planet and will benefit future generations. Knowing that waste reduction efforts present a fantastic opportunity for our members, afeUSA would like to advocate for every opportunity to help our members take advantage of opportunities like this.