What do we mean when we say "A Waste Reduction Guide for Anchorage Businesses"? What is waste reduction? How can it help your business? How can Green Star help you? This guide will help to answer all of these questions.

Waste reduction includes numerous activities designed to help save money, increase efficiency, and reduce the quantity of waste, in the form of trash, air emissions, energy, or water, that may be generated during normal business activities. Waste reduction of solid waste, includes waste prevention, which is eliminating waste at its source before it is generated, as well as recycling, which reduces the quantity of waste disposed, but not the quantity generated.

Waste reduction also includes reducing the toxicity of the waste generated. In addition to reducing solid and hazardous wastes, waste reduction includes reducing energy waste through energy conservation and energy efficiency measures. This also helps to reduce air emissions and improve air quality. Finally, waste reduction encompasses water -- both reducing the quantity of water used and improving the quality of water by reducing pollutants.

This guide is designed specifically for businesses in Anchorage. It provides instructions, tips, examples, and resources for implementing a comprehensive waste reduction program in the workplace. If you are looking for a specific resource or are concerned about one particular area, go directly to that section to find answers. Using the entire guide, you can develop a facility-wide comprehensive waste reduction program. This guide also can be found on the Web at http://www.greenstarinc.org/guideindex.