Stepping towards sustainable business: An evaluation of waste minimizationpractices in US manufacturing

Central to the movement of organizations toward environmental sustainabilit y is the financial viability and environmental effectiveness of the techniq ues for improving environmental performance. While waste-minimization pract ices (WMPs) have been touted as a key element in moving manufacturing organ izations toward sustainability, we know little about their utilization and effectiveness across a range of industrial and organizational contexts. Usi ng waste-minimization data collected as part of the Toxics Release Inventor y, we studied 250 manufacturing firms to provide empirical evidence to enab le plant managers to prioritize waste-minimization options. We found clear evidence of a corporate double bonus WMPs can provide through pollution red uction and enhanced operational efficiency relative to traditional end-of-p ipe solutions. In the array of ecologically sustainable business practices, it appears that WMPs provide immediate environmental and operational benef its and build momentum for further steps toward environmentally sustainable economic development.