by Noah Scalin
ABOUT THIS GUIDE
This guide is designed to help managers of electronics manufacturing plants increase solid waste reduction and recycling. Smart organizations know that waste reduction is simply good business because it directly improves your bottom line by cutting materials and waste disposal costs. Waste reduction also helps you achieve:
Efficiency improvements in manufacturing (e.g., snap-in units),
Healthier workplace,
Cost-effective compliance with regulations,
ISO 14000 standards,
Cleaner local environment, and
Enhanced company image
Whether your company already has a waste reduction program or wants to start one, this guide’s practical techniques and examples will benefit you.
Electronics is the largest and one of the most competitive industries along the U.S.-Mexico border. Constant changes in technologies reduce product life cycles and increase customer expectations. Many companies, both large and small, have embraced waste reduction as part of their total quality management and continuous improvement programs.
Although this guide is intended to help electronic product manufacturers, many of the waste reduction strategies and techniques apply to all manufacturers.
Improving your bottom line through waste reduction
Recycling revenues from selected plants in Tijuana, Mexico
(1995 dollars)
Border Waste Wi$ e
This guide is part of the Border Waste Wi$ e Project, a solid waste reduction and recycling effort in the border region. The project is funded through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Environmental Technology Initiative, with substantial in-kind contributions by each project partner.
Border Waste Wi$ e focuses on providing technical assistance and training to U.S.,Maquiladora and Mexican National companies in the Tijuana, Baja California and the San Diego, California border region in order to help them take advantage of the economic and environmental benefits of solid waste reduction. Participation in this program is completely voluntary and nonregulatory.
Fact sheets, recyclers listings, industry case studies and other information that complement this guide are available from Border Waste Wi$ e’s Internet site (http://www.borderwastewise.org). Appendix A is a list of project partner contacts.
Review this guide and compare it to your program. If your company is not taking full advantage of the suggestions presented here, start implementing some simple changes. We guarantee that you will find opportunities to improve your company’s bottom line, image and local environment.
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