Lean Waste Stream Reducing Material Use and Garbage Using Lean Principles

The Garbage Can
Looking Inside the Magic Box
     Garbage and Wealth
Garbage as Embodied Process Costs
Garbage vs. Material Waste
Endnote

Getting Rid of Our Waste
Landfilling
Energy Recovery
Recycling
Downcycling and Upcycling
Recycling as a Last Resort
Waste Avoidance Strategies
Reuse
Minimization and Prevention
Endnotes

Garbage Auditing
Planning the Audit
Safety for the Audit
Dumpster Diving Safety
Conducting an Audit Autopsy Style
Include Recycled Material in Your Audit
Vacuum Hoses
Hazardous or Sensitive Materials
Garbage Audit Data Collection
Conducting a Live Audit
Ongoing Garbage Monitoring
Endnote

Interrogating the Garbage
Garbage Interrogation Worksheet

Making Improvements
Improvement Teams
Project Selection Criteria
The Project Team
The Project Charter Tool
Value Stream Mapping
Capturing Garbage on a Value Stream Map
     Garbage and Material Waste Data Box
Building a Baseline Value Stream Map
Mapping Time
Mapping Improvements
Process Mapping Presentations
Making Improvements That Stick
Endnote

Effective Recycling Programs
Design for Recyclability
The Psychology of Effective Recycling
Sharing the Rewards of Recycling
Waste Sorting and Segregation
Making Garbage Transparent and Accountable
Postconsumer Recycling vs. Material Recapture
Endnotes

Composting Programs and Organics
Food Waste
Plant Waste from Landscaping
Municipal Compost Yards
Plant Waste from Operations
Biodegradable Materials
Edible/Consumable Landscaping
Endnotes

Transportation and Storage of Garbage
Process Improvement and Spaghetti Diagrams
Garbage Compaction
Small-Scale Compactors
Styrofoam Densifiers
Reducing Dumpster Pulls—External Waste Handling Costs
Water in the Garbage
Dewatering Slurry
Endnotes

Reuse and Repurposing
Reusable Containers
Relationship with the Supplier
Repurposing and Reusing Containers
Specialty Markets for Materials
Material Exchange Programs
Virtually Any Waste Product Can Be Reused for Something
Endnotes

Waste Prevention through Design
Source Reduction Efforts
Simplify Suppliers
Purchasing Controls
Compressed Gas Leaks
Preventative Maintenance Practices
Biomimicry
Endnotes

Paperwork Reduction
Why Do We Use Paper?
Advantages and Disadvantages of Paper
     Advantages
     Disadvantages
Active Processes vs. Records Retention
Analyzing Paper Use with a Paper Audit
Records Retention Policies and Document Destruction
Build a Robust Electronic File System
Common Sources of Office Waste Resulting from Paper Use
Reducing Toner Use
Paperwork Reduction vs. Paperless Office
Endnote

Regulated Waste Segregation
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
Defining Hazardous Waste
Measuring Hazardous Waste
Exploring Nonhazardous Alternatives
Regulated Medical Waste
Confidential Paperwork
Waste Hoarding
Training and Information
Endnotes

Afterword: Maybe Don’t Call It Green
Appendix A: Conducting a Garbage Audit at the University of Oklahoma
Appendix B: Norman, Oklahoma, Municipal Compost Facility
Appendix C: Regulated Medical Waste at St. John Medical Center

Index

Biography

Marc Jensen

Garbage is something to which most people pay little attention. When companies like Walmart have focused on their waste they have discovered new profits. Heightened awareness of solid waste in virtually every setting can result in lower costs. Jensen explains the importance of paying attention to garbage and provides the methods for organized evaluation. His work is an excellent resource for anyone devoted to improving an organization’s environmental and financial performance.
—Fenton Rood, Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality