Submitted by Thurston County Solid Waste Division
Thurston County Solid Waste Division is offering businesses the chance to win a $100 credit toward their LeMay (Waste Connections) garbage bill this year for those who complete a short survey on waste reduction. By taking the survey, businesses can also request free technical assistance from Thurston County that can help assess their hauler’s garbage or recycling service levels and costs, help to develop a waste reduction program, or to develop and coach an employee green team. To take the survey, business owners and employees can visit: www.surveymonkey.com/r/BizWaste
A Thurston County Solid Waste study from 2014 shows the commercial waste stream was the largest of all generators throughout the county, single-handedly accounting for almost 50%. This means that businesses in the county alone created over 77,000 tons of waste last year, most of which could have been recycled or composted instead. The Thurston County Solid Waste Division is gearing up in hopes to assist more businesses with waste reduction and recycling. Currently, the Solid Waste Division is seeking input from businesses throughout the county on their recycling and garbage management practices. Businesses are encouraged to take the Thurston County Solid Waste Business Assistance survey here.
The County’s 2014 waste study shows that businesses disposed of large amounts of paper, plastics, and organics, all of which can be diverted from landfills through recycling and organics collection systems (see figure 1). “Food waste alone made up over 19% of what businesses threw away last year. There are better and less expensive options than sending this to a landfill and we want to know more about what influences businesses and employees regarding their disposal choices,” said Greg Gachowsky, Waste Reduction Specialist for the county’s Solid Waste Division. “Donating edible food to places like a food bank instead of sending it to a landfill can help those in need and a business’ bottom line.”
The Solid Waste Division is not a regulatory agency and instead focuses on waste prevention and recycling assistance. Their hope is to help businesses reduce waste, maximize efficiency, and to potentially decrease disposal costs in turn saving businesses money and time.
If you have questions or would like assistance with waste reduction at work, contact Greg Gachowsky at Gachowg@co.thurston.wa.us or 360-867-2281.
For more information visit www.ThurstonSolidWaste.org/business.
