Zero Waste BHAGs

BHAG: big hairy audacious goal

Is your company looking to reduce costs? Increase revenues? Looked in your waste stream lately? Many companies are exploring opportunities to save money and increase revenues through waste reduction strategies. The E4S Zero Waste NEO Network invites you to set a BHAG.

Having a good BHAG turns good companies into great companies! Below are details about local businesses who have set a BHAG of working towards zero waste. The Zero Waste NEO Network invites you to set a BHAG. The network does not expect businesses to be at zero waste today or even by the end of the year. By declaring the goal, however, your company can inspire innovation and ideas that help work towards this goal!

Do you have a zero waste goal? Join us and share the work you are doing!

Adams Automatic, Inc.: A full scale manufacturer of custom screw machine parts. Based in Olmsted Falls, Adams Automatic is working towards a goal of zero waste by 2012.

Americhem: Americhem is a global organization that brings polymer products to life with custom-crafted color and additive solutions. Their goal is to be sending zero plastic to landfill by the end of 2010.

BeeDance, LLC: BeeDance is an online experience where anyone can reclassify waste into a viable asset for the community. They believe in the concept of zero waste(d) where waste from one industry can be used as inputs for other industries. They have set a goal to be zero waste(d) by Earth Day 2011.

Berea Printing Company: Berea Printing is a full service printing company. From idea to ink on paper they are aware of their responsibility to and their impact upon people, planet and prosperity. They use a chemical free plate making process, computer assisted ink reuse program and a growing use of vegetable oil based inks. Today, you won’t find a dumpster in use and they are a community recycling location. Their 43 years of industry expertise ensures their customers receive high quality products that will meet or exceed their highest expectations. They are at near zero waste today and the goal is to be zero waste by 2019.

Cell Phones for Cancer, LLC

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

Cleveland State University Art Gallery: Goal is to be at zero waste by 2019.

Countryside Conservancy: Countryside Conservancy's Waste Not Project Kicks Off May 14th , 2011 at Howe Meadow in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The Countryside Conservancy's Waste Not program was designed to help our market walk the talk of sustainability and get our markets as close to zerowaste by 2012. Currently we throw away about 2 tons of potentially recyclable and/or compostable materials annually at the farmers' market. Using the information from CUESA's Waste Wise program as a model and the assistance of a grant awarded by the Summit/Akron Waste Management Authority,(SASWMA) our goal is to divert 90% of the current waste by 2012. The first phase will kick off on May 14th at Howe Meadows in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Phase I, is focused on educating the 1200+ shoppers that we interact with on a weekly basis. We will reinforce our projects goals by educating the consumers on how to properly recycle and/or compost with the use of our waste not stations, providing weekly tips and information at our waste not booth, encouraging use of re-usable bags & mugs as well as demonstrations and on how to shop and cook wisely,  and monthly newsletters posted on our blog and facebook page. The goals of the project are 1. Decrease our dependency on land as a use for waste, 2. Divert 90%-100% of our waste by 2012, 3. Become a more sustainable and responsible market by reducing waste at our markets, 4. Educate customers and vendors on the importance and process of reducing waste 5. Serve as a model for other markets in Ohio.

Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District: The Solid Waste District office recycles almost all waste and even composts all food scraps and coffee grounds. The office has ceramic coffee mugs, plates and silverware instead of disposable items, which reduces its waste.

E4S: E4S has set a Zero Waste by 2019 BHAG. In order to work towards zero, the office utilizes the building recycling program (those items that are not accepted are taken to the nearest city drop off container for recyclables). In addition, food waste/organic waste is composted either outside in an onsite compost or inside in a worm bin (vermicomposting system). Most of the remaining waste is from food packaging. Currently, the office of 4-5 people produces less than one 13-gal bag of waste each week.

Ely Enterprises Inc.

EZ Brite Brands: EZ Brite, a manufacturer of soaps and cleaning products, is already operating at zero waste. In 1991, the company canceled its trash pickup and removed its dumpster. Since then, they have found ways to eliminate waste that also improves their products and process. Over the years, the company has eliminated unnecessary materials; purchased slightly used equipment for processing needs; encouraged staff to recycle all office paper and equipment cartridges; reused leftover, residual production materials throughout production and warehousing operations; donated leftover materials to other organizations locally (e.g., residual packaging cartons are donated to the Cleveland Foodbank for their shipping needs, and are used over and over again); and returned drums to his suppliers for reuse.

Filtrexx International

Garick: A leading manufacturer and distributor of natural resource products servicing the landscape, recreation, lawn, garden and construction industries. They have a goal to be at zero waste by 2020.

Giant Eagle (Bedford Heights): The facility in Bedford Heights has set a goal to be zero waste by 2014.

Great Lakes Brewing Company: GLBC is working towards zero waste. They already divert a significant portion of waste from landfill and are looking to put no waste into landfill, and to find higher and better uses for all of its byproducts.

Great Lakes Design Collaborative: At our present location, Great Lakes Design Collaborative has already begun a comprehensive recycling program. Our office & personal waste has been reduced to a small bag of garbage every three weeks. With the addition of composting this has been stretched to four - five weeks. We try to reduce our travel, walk and use bicycles, and conserve water and electricity as much as possible. In our upcoming new location we will be implementing many more waste elimination programs. We will be installing over 1,000 square feet of solar panels which is 3x the average amount of our estimated use (the overage will be sent back to the grid). The stormwater runoff from the property will be managed on site through innovative landscaping, and the runoff from the roofs will be diverted to a very large water storage system which will be used for flushing toilets and for any irrigation needed. Stormwater management is necessary for this location as it is near one of the largest and most taxed combined sewer/stormwater routes in the city. If, by 2019, Cleveland has not begun curbside recycling for the area, we will continue to take all our recycling across the street to the Zone Recreation Center's recycling bins. I do not see many barriers preventing us from becoming a zero waste facility and I sincerely hope we can actually be a negative-waste facility by 2019, by producing electricity & clean water. There is a lot of very inventive and innovative thinking here in Northeast Ohio; who knows what wonderful things may be created to reduce or eliminate waste by 2019?

Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity

Greenhouse Tavern: Greenhouse Tavern has a goal to be zero waste by 2019.

Herschman Architects, Inc.

InkCycle: InkCycle has a goal to be a zero waste plant by 2012.

Keep It Green Recycling, Inc. 

Kurtz Bros., Inc.: Initiatives currently in place for employee awareness include separating all paper, plastic, cardboard recyclables. We've brought in flatware, mugs and dinnerware for our kitchen and we're using vermicomposting as a method of disposing our food waste. Overall as a company, we've been gearing up and are very close to accepting food waste once again in NEO (we did food composting in the '80's). We currently have a food composting program in place in our Columbus offices.

Minshall Development Co. / Galleria

PCX Energy Services LLC: Virtually near zero now, this start-up considered how to reduce waste when they opened for business. To reduce waste, they work virtually (either at home or coffee shops) and use web-based software to share and store documents. They are paperless, opting for electronic correspondence in all cases.

Plymouth Church of Shaker Heights

ServiceMaster by Ameristeam: ServiceMaster Clean by Ameristeam is a disaster restoration company that will recycle as much as possible in the event of a disaster at a home or commercial building. When possible we re-use building materials. Also, we are reclaiming carpet for recycling. We take used, clean, dry carpet in at our Brook Park facility.

Talan Products: Talan is a metal stamping company on the East Side of Cleveland which has been implementing sustainability since its green team graduated from the E4S SI Group process. Jeff Millis is their champion. Through the sustainability lens, he has discovered opportunities beyond just waste. They are now implementing sustainable business strategies in energy efficiency, products, markets and company culture. As of November 09, they were already at 84%.

The Taylor Companies: The oldest operating business in Ohio, The Taylor Companies are working towards zero waste. Their waste reduction initiatives have reduced the trash bill to $800/year, which equates to cost avoidance of about $20,000. Taylor has diverted 90% of its waste in 3 years.

The Euclid Chemical Company As a member of the RPM Building Solutions Group, Euclid Chemical advocates environmental policy. The Euclid Chemical Company practices Coatings Care as part of the National Paint and Coatings Association. Programs within the company have been implemented to reduce waste. Recycling programs have been instituted by employees to have a more favorable effect on the environment. Product development has taken aim at providing more sustainable products, through the use of recycled content, water conservation and low VOC content. An extensive line of green products has been developed to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) guidelines. Many of the Euclid Chemical products contribute points toward environmentally friendly, “green” building construction in the areas of water savings, energy efficiency, materials and indoor environmental quality. An icon is used in the Euclid Chemical Product Catalog and on product literature to indicate products that have sustainable content.

Tower City Center

Trinity Episcopal Cathedral and Trinity Commons