Waste Reduction Pilot

Waste Reduction Pilot

Annually, the U.S. generates 2.7 billion tons of industrial solid waste and more than 260 million tons of municipal solid waste. By reducing waste, organizations may also save energy. Manufacturers, companies, schools, and governments across the country can strengthen their competitiveness and sustainability by setting and realizing robust waste reduction goals. In 2019, DOE announced the Better Buildings, Better Plants Waste Reduction Pilot. Over a 2-year period, DOE will work with organizations to determine the appropriate metrics, goals, and opportunities to reduce waste in different sectors.
The Summit returns May 17-20, 2021: Click Here to Learn More.
Explore Market Solutions Resources: Break Energy Efficiency Barriers
Check out findings from the Waste Reduction Pilot: Click here for the 2020 Progress Report
Energy Secretary Announces Waste Reduction Pilot: Read More Here
Waste Diversion & Reduction Resources

This page offers waste diversion and reduction resources organized by key topics. Click below to explore.

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View Pilot Partners

Meet the diverse group of organizations who are already working with DOE to set, track, and meet a waste reduction goal. 

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More on the Waste Reduction Pilot

Learn about the Better Buildings, Better Plants Waste Reduction Pilot and how you can participate. 

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Featured Solutions

Sprint’s Systematic Approach to Waste Management Implementation Model
Sprint's systematic approach to waste management has resulted in the company steadily increasing its waste diversion rate each year since 2008.
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Shorenstein Properties: Improved Waste Diversion with Training and Audits Solutions at a Glance
Shorenstein utilized three main components, policy, training and outreach, and auditing, to see success in their waste diversion program.
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Bristol-Myers Squibb: Application of Principles of Green Chemistry Leads to Significant Reductions in Material Waste Solutions at a Glance
In an effort to reduce process waste and improve efficiency, staff at Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) leveraged the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) Principles of Green Chemistry to enhance their sustainability efforts.
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Other Resources

Fact Sheet

Taxonomy of Waste Fact Sheet
This resource shows the various ways to categorize waste, including solid (hazardous and non-hazardous) and non-solid waste types. 

Webinars

Early Best Practices from the Waste Reduction Pilot Webinar
At this 2020 Summit session, Better Buildings, Better Plants waste pilot participants shared best practices for waste management, early results from the pilot, and relevant resources from DOE and beyond. There was also a moderated discussion with commercial and industrial partners to explore the waste and energy nexus and waste management lessons learned.
Better Buildings, Better Plants - Waste Reduction Pilot – First Quarterly Call Webinar Webinar
This webinar for Waste Reduction Pilot partners included presentations from the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Plastics Innovation Challenge and covered the pilot’s waste data reporting form.
Better Buildings, Better Plants - Waste Reduction Pilot – Second Quarterly Call Webinar Webinar
This food waste-focused webinar for Waste Reduction Pilot partners included presentations from Samantha Kenny, Program Officer on the Food Waste Team at World Wildlife Fund US, and Lori Driver, Corporate Sustainability Manager at Flowers Foods.
Better Buildings, Better Plants - Waste Reduction Pilot – Third Quarterly Call Webinar Webinar
The webinar included a quick pilot update and focused on plastics recycling, featuring presentations from Amy Costello, P.E., Sustainability Manager at pilot partner Armstrong Flooring, and Jack DeBell, Recycling Program Development Director at University of Colorado Boulder.
Better Buildings, Better Plants - Waste Reduction Pilot – Fourth Quarterly Call Webinar Webinar
The webinar included a quick pilot update and focused on electronics waste recycling, featuring presentations from Jim Henry, Global Compliance Manager at Iron Mountain, and Ed Daniels, Project Engineer at the REMADE Institute.

Additional Information

Waste Management Hierarchy: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created a hierarchy of 4 key waste management approaches: source reduction and reuse; recycling and composting; energy recovery; and treatment and disposal.

FEATURED ON THE BEAT BLOG:

An Efficiency Case In Point: Sprint Improves Waste Diversion
This blog highlights Sprint's waste diversion efforts as well as the company's implementation model on its systematic approach to waste reduction.

Sector Priorities