Filed under: Going Green | Tags: dealership, E-waste, enviroment, environment, Green, landfill
Pollution Prevention (P2)is defined as preventing or minimizing waste generation, or the environmentally sound reuse or recycling of those waste that cannot be prevented. Common examples of P2 include:
- Replacing hazardous organic solvents with non-toxic aqueous cleaners
- Recycle metals, solvents, oils, cardboard, wood pallets and office paper
- Replace standard motor, pumps and lighting with high efficiency versions
- Stopping leaks, drips and spills and instituting preventive maintenance practices
P2 can not only help to meet environmental goals, but also reduce waste, improve efficiencies and save money as well as reduce liability and hazardous exposures. P2 offers important economic, regulatory, environmental and social benefits that can often result in a more competitive business. Being “green” provides a competitive edge and opens up a new markets to others that share the same concerns.
What we find is that the resolution for one source of pollution is far different than another. A good starting place is to research one of the many P2 related websites to identify a local solution for a dealer’s particular issue. From these source documents you will find that a pollutions solution for dealing with pesticide issues is far different than dealing with the waste created by Styrofoam. Here are a couple of links that you might use as your initial source documents:
http://www.epa.gov/region5/waste/solidwaste/p2pages/toolbox.htm
http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,1607,7-135-3585-17316–,00.html
In addition to finding a technical solution following a P2 plan is a way to insure success for the business we are working with. Here is a high level plan:
Step 1 | Get management’s commitment and support |
Step 2 | Develop a company P2 policy statement |
Step 3 | Gain ongoing companywide commitment |
Step 4 | Establish a P2 team |
Step 5 | Select a P2 coordinator |
Step 6 | Establish reduction goals |
Step 7 | Establish priorities and procedures for conducting assessments |
Step 8 | Designate an assessment team |
Step 9 | Conduct a waste assessment |
Step 10 | Identify potential pollutions prevention opportunities |
Step 11 | Perform technical and economic analysis of potential P2 opportunities |
Step 12 | Develop an implementation plan |
Step 13 | Implement the selected projects |
Step 14 | Evaluate project results periodically and document results |
Step 15 | Create positive results and learn from failures |
Step 16 | Modify plan as needed and select the next steps |
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