Requirements for Successful Programs

There is a continuum of activities that individual workers, groups within a plant, and the plant as a whole can engage in to reduce health and environmental risks. But in order for these activities to take place, an effective, well organized risk reduction program is essential. 

To create a successful program, attention must be paid to the following steps o Planning and Organization 

Assessment of a company s waste minimization needs includes examining the content of and volume of hazardous waste streams it generates, and the processes or operations that generate them. The object of this step is to prioritize the needs of the company, based on environmental risk, liability, and economic criteria. 

Selection of the program s goals is done through analysis of the technical and economic feasibility of the waste minimization options identified. Technical evaluation determines whether a proposed option is possible to implement (i.e., is the necessary equipment and/ 

Successful implementation of waste minimization methodologies depends on several factors, most notably obtaining the necessary funding. Waste reduction is generally accompanied by process efficiency improvements and cost reductions. Nevertheless, the company s capital resources may be tied up elsewhere. It is essential to know the level within an organization that has approval authority for capital projects, and to have a team that can present the financial, technical and environmental benefits in such a manner as to sell the project to management. 

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