Step 2: Reuse
The programs highlighted below are simple examples of how reuse has been successfully applied in a variety of large office and laboratory settings.
Binder Exchange:
For offices that rotate through many records and binders, the Binder Exchange was created in order to reduce the number of binders purchased each quarter, as well as provide an avenue for reuse of clean, unneeded binders as opposed to throwing them away. The Binder Exchange is intended to be a grassroots effort by local office workers to establish an area for their department to stash away quality binders for free reuse by anyone at anytime. To help establish and identify the binder reuse areas, these instructions and a poster were made available. |
Toner & Ink Exchange:
This program was set up to deal with excess printer supplies of all types being generated by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). Departments would accumulate small to large quantities of extra supplies, only to replace the printer if it became too old or broke. The Toner & Ink Exchange website was established to bring together all the excess supplies and readvertise them to the worker populace. By encouraging the use of this website prior to ordering new printer supplies, in less than three years Sandia has avoided purchasing approximately 1,800 items valued at $150,000. SNL won a Department of Energy P2 Star Award for creating this program in 2005.
|
Chemical Exchange:
This program, being redeveloped and launched this year, is designed to be an electronic advertising board for excess unused chemicals to be shared between laboratories onsite at SNL. The objective is to reduce the volume of unused laboratory chemicals that end up being sent for disposal, and decrease the need for purchasing new chemicals. |
Lead Bank:
Lead is a regulated material for SNL and controls must be in place for when a particular process no longer requires some or all of the lead it has in its possession. When a process is done with its lead, it is submitted to the Lead Bank where it is documented and made freely available to any other onsite process that might need it. When a certain amount of lead is accumulated, it is sold to a metals dealer and the proceeds are used to fund the continuance of the Lead Bank. |
Office Supplies:
When departments find that they need certain office supplies or have too many, there are two reuse options. The first is to use a "Gives/Gets" classifieds section of a bi-weekly secretarial electronic newsletter. The second is to send material or to forage through material at the office supply reuse area at our Reapplication Yard. Both options are free to all participants onsite.
|
Packing peanuts:
Anyone onsite that receives a shipment with packing peanuts is able to bag up the clean peanuts, mark them for reuse and put them out for pick up along with their other recyclables. The onsite shipping department will reuse the packing peanuts in outbound shipments. |
|
