North Carolina's State Government 
Joins Program to Reduce Waste

RALEIGH –  Governor Jim Hunt today announced that North Carolina state government has signed on to a program to reduce waste while saving money.

The program, WasteWise, was created in 1994 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a voluntary partnership program to help businesses, institutions and government agencies establish practical methods for reducing municipal solid waste.

WasteWise has become an important component of Governor Hunt's vision to make North Carolina state government operations environmentally sustainable. Participation in the North Carolina WasteWise program publicly demonstrates the state's leadership in reducing waste and increasing the cost-effectiveness of government operations. It also creates incentive for state agencies to embrace new opportunities to prevent waste, recycle, and purchase more recycled products.

“Being good environmental stewards is about taking positive action and working in partnerships to create a more sustainable environment for our children and future generations,” Hunt said. “I have challenged state government to provide leadership on environmental stewardship and WasteWise is an excellent step in the right direction for state government.”

North Carolina has committed to achieving five practical and measurable goals during a three-year period. These goals were selected by the North Carolina WasteWise Task Force, an inter-agency group representing the North Carolina departments of Administration, Agriculture and Consumer Services, Correction, Environment and Natural Resources, Health and Human Services, and Transportation; North Carolina State University; and Coastal Carolina Community College.

To meet program goals, state agencies are being asked to:

• reduce the amount of office paper wasted
• assess the amount of solid waste generated in offices and facilities
• purchase only recycled paper and paper products when feasible

Also, inter-agency working groups are collaborating to:

• improve the exchange among agencies of used, unwanted and surplus state property
• establish recycling opportunities for state offices and facilities outside Raleigh.

Although all agencies are voluntary partners in North Carolina WasteWise, 21 state departments, universities, and community colleges have formally announced their commitment to the program and its goals.

Research by EPA and other groups has shown that conserving natural resources through waste prevention and recycling saves energy and reduces pollution, including greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to global warming.

Reducing waste also makes good business sense - solid waste prevention can help organizations realize significant savings by reducing purchasing and waste management costs and increasing operating efficiency.

In fiscal year 1997-98, North Carolina state agencies spent nearly $14 million to dispose more than 90,000 tons of solid waste.

For more information on the North Carolina WasteWise Program, contact Sharon Gladwell with the Division of Pollution Prevention and Environmental Assistance at (919) 715-6514.

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