Operational Waste Program

Our goals for reducing our waste generation and disposal are fourfold: develop baseline generation data, optimize waste collection practices, increase recycling, and reduce overall generation—and we aim to achieve each through the operational waste diversion program that we’re currently developing.

To date, we’ve conducted nine waste composition studies across our branch network to identify opportunities for increased recycling and optimization of materials such as trash, wood, metal, and cardboard. Other strategies to reach our goals include reducing packaging, eliminating single-use products where feasible, increasing use of reusable materials, educating our employees on proper sorting, introducing consistent signage, and centralizing and optimizing our waste collection points. These efforts have led to us our sorting more than 10,000 pounds of waste and achieving a 13% recycling rate in 2023.

In search of ways to further our progress, we’ve begun establishing donation partnerships with community organizations for unused yet functional materials, applying a sustainability lens our purchasing practices to explore more sustainable, single-use alternatives, and working with our suppliers to create takeback and recycling programs for their products. The more we find ways to reduce waste generation through reuse, refurbishment, recycling, and aversion, the less waste will end up in scarce landfill space. This also helps reduce negative impacts from landfills by reducing the amount of emissions they produce.