CHIPPIN' AWAY AT THE WASTE!

During a waste assessment at Ballreich’s the District discovered how well the facility manages the solid waste they’re generating.

The report showed, of the total waste stream volume (including reused and recycled materials), less than 1% of the waste stream is going to the landfill. The material that is going to the landfill includes restroom material (paper towels), break room materials (foam cups, used paper plates, microwaveable meal boxes/trays, etc.), busted potato chips bags and plastic strapping material. This material is collected in a 3-yard dumpster that is emptied weekly.

The remaining 99% of the total waste stream volume is reused or recycled. Components of this waste stream include potato peelings, wash water, broken chip pieces, shipping boxes, shrink wrap and office paper. In a recent tour of the Ballreich’s factory, Plant Manager, Steve Hoover, explained the stages of the potato chips from raw material to the final product.

Hoover explained that potato spuds are loaded from a truck to a conveyer belt to be washed, peeled, washed again, cut, deep fried, and cooled. During this process, wash water collects in a water tank, potato peelings and broken pieces of chips collect in a dump truck. The materials are sent to local farms where the wash water is applied to fields as a soil amendment and peelings and broken chip pieces are used as fee for hogs.

Reusing and recycling aspects are being utilized during the packaging phase of the potato chips as well. Ballreich’s has chosen to package sealed potato chip bags in a stronger and more durable corrugated cardboard box. Durability of the corrugated boxes are proven by their shipping life cycle as they are sent around trip approximately 20 times. A sticker with a number records the trip.

To emphasize the durability of the shipping boxes Don Grant, Production Manager hears from the customers about the durability of the boxes. “So many people have told be how they reuse our chip boxes by storing Christmas ornaments or garage sale items in them. They continue to be used outside of the factory”, said Grant. When boxes have reached their final distribution round, cardboard along with shrink wrap are collected for recycling.

Lastly, office paper, another generator of waste is being reduced. Ballreich’s administrative offices use reuse tactics to minimize paper waste entering their waste stream. They simply reuse the backside of scrap paper or irrelevant documents to write every day notes and messages. This reduces general office supply costs. Through the waste assessment, the District determined that the logistics were already in place for a paper recycling program. With the District’s help, office employees were provided information on what constitutes office paper and what is considered a contaminate. At that point, it was merely a matter of separating the reusable material from the trash at each desk.

The company stresses that all of these policies or methods were put into place because they made financial sense, not because they were good for the environment. It just happens to be a coincidence that what is good for the company is also good for the environment.

For more information about the Waste Reduction Assistance Program or if your business/industry is interested in scheduling a waste assessment see www.recycleoss.org.” Publication of the Ottawa*Sandusky*Seneca Joint Solid Waste Management District – Fall 2007