Waste Prevention and Reuse

Since the late 1980s, recycling and composting have captivated the public’s attention as a solution to environmental problems associated with solid waste. But the State of Oregon and many other organizations recognize that there’s an even higher priority than recycling and composting: waste prevention. In fact, Oregon law defines waste prevention as the number one priority method for managing solid waste in Oregon.

Waste prevention is an upstream activity that involves reducing waste through changes in the design, purchase, and use of materials. In its simplest form, waste prevention means using less stuff. Waste prevention has the potential for large environmental benefits because it typically reduces environmental impacts over all stages of the life cycle of materials: resource extraction, manufacturing, transportation and end-of-life management (such as recycling or disposal). For households and businesses alike, waste prevention can also typically save much more money than recycling or composting.

“Waste prevention” is sometimes associated with reuse because they both reduce waste generation. Waste prevention is very different from recycling. Recycling is a process for redirecting discards away from disposal and back into the flow of commerce, where they are transformed and used as feedstocks to make new products. In contrast, waste prevention is about not making waste in the first place – through changing what we use and how we use it.

• Recycling information is available on the Waste Recovery and Reduction Web page.

Current Waste Prevention Programs

These are current initiatives and services for local government, industry, and households:

• Consumption-based Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory
  DEQ has developed an estimate of the greenhouse gas emissions resulting from all consumption (not limited to materials) in Oregon.
• Single-Use Bags and Reusable Bags
  DEQ supports a ban on single-use plastic checkout bags and a fee on single-use paper checkout bags, with exceptions (see page for details).
• Waste prevention strategy
  DEQ has adopted a Waste Prevention Strategy to set priorities and define direction for its work in waste prevention.
  • Drinking water study
    A comprehensive environmental analysis demonstrating the benefits of prevention over recycling, and recycling over disposal.
  • Greenbuilding
    This project evaluates the environmental benefits of a number of building and design practices that are intended to prevent solid waste.
• Food rescue program
  Helping local food banks collect edible food from the commercial sector.
  • Food waste prevention case study, August 2010 PDF
• Household hazardous waste program
• Product stewardship
• Two percent credit programs
  The “2% Credit Program” encourages local governments to support local waste prevention, reuse and home composting programs. Qualifying programs earn local governments a “credit” towards their annual wasteshed recovery rates.

Other information resources

To learn more about waste prevention, including evaluation reports of recent DEQ waste prevention projects:

• Publications
  • Fact sheets
• Business waste prevention videos
  Author, Oregon State University Extension Master Recyclers. Series of three. Perfect for starting your waste prevention efforts at work.
• Commercial Waste Reduction Clearinghouse (CWRC)
  A web site for business waste prevention & recycling tools and information.
  • Success Stories of Oregon businesses saving natural resources and money.
    Includes searchable examples of waste prevention, as well as energy and water conservation.
• NWmaterialsmart.org
  Promoting material exchanges that benefit Oregon businesses.
  • NW Materialsmart Evaluation Report
    In 2002, a coalition of governments and business associations undertook a promotion campaign to increase the use of material exchange services in Oregon.
• Packaging waste prevention
  Case studies, best practices, and other resources to help users of packaging save money through changes that reduce packaging waste and the environmental burdens of packaging.
  • Life Cycle Inventory of Packaging Options for Shipment of Retail Mail-Order Soft Goods
    A technical study evaluating the solid wastes, energy, materials, and atmospheric and waterborne emissions associated with the entire life cycle (production, use, and discards) of a variety of packaging materials used to ship non-breakable items in catalog sales or e-commerce.
  • Packaging Waste Prevention Project Evaluation Report
    Evaluation of DEQ and Metro’s packaging waste prevention project for business users of packaging.
• Resource Efficiency Program (REP) report
  Program evaluation report of the REP pilot from 1996 to 1998. Contact DEQ for a copy, 503-229-5913.
• Rigid plastic containers
• Solid waste grants
• Waste prevention ideas for residents
  Part of DEQ’s “Beyond the Bin” resource.
  • What to do about all those phone books

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