Annually, the U.S. generates 2.7 billion tons of industrial solid waste and more than 290 million tons of municipal solid waste. Organizations across all sectors are implementing innovative solutions and best practices to realize their ambitious waste reduction goals. More efficient use of materials and increased reuse can reduce the energy required for waste transport and treatment, leading to savings on operating costs, energy, and emissions, including those associated with waste stream transportation and disposal. To support waste reduction efforts, the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Better Buildings, Better Plants Waste Reduction Network brings industry-leading organizations together to demonstrate successful waste management solutions. This network complements the strides already made by Better Buildings and Better Plants partners, who have established waste reduction goals and diverted more than 1.8 million tons of waste from landfills.
Meet the group of organizations that are already working with DOE to prioritize waste reduction in their buildings and plants.
To facilitate waste reduction the Better Buildings, Better Plants Waste Reduction Network brings industry-leading organizations together to demonstrate successful approaches to waste management.
This page offers waste diversion and reduction resources organized by key topics. Click below to explore.
Featured Solutions
Credit Human adopted an Environmental Stewardship Policy, working towards Credit Human’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and energy use. Credit Human has furthered these ongoing efforts through the implementation of a solid waste management plan.
JBG SMITH set a goal to hit a waste diversion rate of 60% by 2030. Recognizing that the weight of organic material is a significant portion of the landfill waste stream, the sustainability team started a composting pilot program to divert organic waste from landfills at their North End Retail property in Washington, D.C.
The Better Plants partner formed a design-thinking workshop called “Hack the Pack," bringing together a cross-functional team to find ways to change, or “hack,” product packaging to benefit dealers, Steelcase, and the environment.
Montefiore developed a comprehensive recycling program using waste audits and source generation methods to reduce and divert waste in operating rooms and throughout their medical campuses.
The City of Beaverton, OR utilized a user testing process to develop waste signage that was effective and easy to understand.
Sprint's systematic approach to waste management has resulted in the company steadily increasing its waste diversion rate each year since 2008.
Shorenstein utilized three main components, policy, training and outreach, and auditing, to see success in their waste diversion program.
In an effort to reduce process waste and improve efficiency, staff at Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) leveraged the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) Principles of Green Chemistry to enhance their sustainability efforts.
Vornado Realty Trust diverted 1,988 tons of food waste from landfills portfolio-wide in 2023, thereby avoiding 13,598 MTCO2e emissions, through centralized budgeting for organics hauling at the building level, comprehensive training for janitorial staff, and equipped buildings with proper signage and waste storage areas.
Sherwin-Williams sought to improve efficiency and eliminate waste in its operations by building a project pipeline to meet its sustainability goals.
Other Resources
Calculator
The Waste Stream Energy Content Calculator is intended to quickly estimate the energy recovery potential of waste streams based on the values of waste generated annually. The calculator only considers two main pathways for energy recovery, direct combustion and anaerobic digestion. Based on provided input from Waste Reduction Network partners, the calculator also evaluates onsite GHG impact resulting from energy recovery from waste considering offset energy stream.
Fact Sheet
This resource shows the various ways to categorize waste, including solid (hazardous and non-hazardous) and non-solid waste types.
Through the Better Buildings Waste Reduction Pilot, Commercial partners participated in an outreach and engagement working group to share challenges and discuss solutions; this fact sheet summarizes some of the key best practices.
The Waste Reduction Pilot, which ran 2019 - 2021, engaged partners with published content, webinars, peer exchange and working group opportunities, and access to proven solutions and national lab experts.
This document contains relevant industry definitions to support partners in the Better Buildings, Better Plants Waste Reduction Network.
Webinar
This webinar for Waste Reduction Pilot partners included presentations from the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Plastics Innovation Challenge and covered the pilot’s waste data reporting form.
The webinar included a quick pilot update and focused on electronics waste recycling, featuring presentations from Jim Henry, Global Compliance Manager at Iron Mountain, and Ed Daniels, Project Engineer at the REMADE Institute.
The webinar included a quick pilot update and focused on the business case for waste reduction, featuring presentations from Brie Fulton, Sustainability Program Manager at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, and Heidi Frasure, Sustainability Team Leader at Steelcase.
Watch this webinar for resources and lessons learned from DOE's 2-year Waste Reduction Pilot, which involved over 40 Better Buildings and Better Plants partners.
Watch this 2021 Summit session for a look at the highlights from the first year of DOE's Waste Reduction Pilot, including new solutions and a panel discussion covering waste reduction and diversion topics such as data and measurement, engagement and outreach, and external support and frameworks.
This webinar features experts from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the EPA, who live demoed DOE’s Waste Stream Energy Content Calculator and various EPA tools to provide actionable insights for tracking waste data and finding opportunities for improvement.
Watch this Waste Reduction Network's Quarterly Webinar where outcomes and success stories were discussed from the completed Manufacturing Waste Reduction Virtual In-Plant (VINPLT) Training.
This webinar reviews these two key strategies and their adoption in different industrial sectors along with highlighting the key barriers faced by manufacturers in implementing these methodologies and possible solutions to them.
At this 2020 Summit session, Better Buildings, Better Plants waste pilot participants shared best practices for waste management, early results from the pilot, and relevant resources from DOE and beyond. There was also a moderated discussion with commercial and industrial partners to explore the waste and energy nexus and waste management lessons learned.
The webinar included a quick pilot update and focused on plastics recycling, featuring presentations from Amy Costello, P.E., Sustainability Manager at pilot partner Armstrong Flooring, and Jack DeBell, Recycling Program Development Director at University of Colorado Boulder.
This food waste-focused webinar for Waste Reduction Pilot partners included presentations from Samantha Kenny, Program Officer on the Food Waste Team at World Wildlife Fund US, and Lori Driver, Corporate Sustainability Manager at Flowers Foods.
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Waste Management Hierarchy: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created a hierarchy of 4 key waste management approaches: source reduction and reuse; recycling and composting; energy recovery; and treatment and disposal.
Waste Reduction Network's Tip of the Month: The Waste Reduction Network publishes a tip of the month on a bi-monthly basis that highlights best practices in the industry, and the latest innovations and emerging trends to facilitate successful approaches to waste reduction. View past tips below. To sign up for the Waste Reduction Network's emails, click here.
FEATURED ON THE BEAT BLOG:
Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Partners Combine Forces to Tackle Shared Waste Challenges
In a recent peer exchange, Better Buildings partners in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors discussed challenges and solutions related to waste reduction and diversion in the medical field.An Efficiency Case in Point: Sprint Improves Waste Diversion
This blog highlights Sprint's waste diversion efforts as well as the company's implementation model on its systematic approach to waste reduction.