Waste Management

Michael Porter, a business administration professor at Harvard Business School, and Claas van der Linde, a faculty member of the International Management Research Institute at St. Gallen University, wrote that “pollution equals inefficiency”. This statement is simple and concise, but is it understood well enough to encourage businesses to assess their procedures and daily operations? Americans make up about 5% of the global population but create about 30% of the world’s waste. This stark reality has led many to state that we live in a “throw-away” society. This unsustainable habit, however, extends beyond the consumer sector and into the business sector as well. Until recently, businesses viewed waste as a cost of doing business; attempts were made to be more efficient, but little effort was made to eliminate all forms of waste. Reducing waste can reduce unnecessary consumption and preserve renewable and non-renewable resources. Additionally, reducing waste can conserve energy and reduce the air, ground, and water contamination that is often caused by the production and transportation of those resources.

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