Waste Cutter Marquee Gives Manufacturers A Stamp Of Approval

WORLD WASTES STAFF

The 90s version of the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval has arrived.

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) has initiated the Waste Cutter Recognition Program, designed to raise consumer awareness of manufacturers' waste reduction efforts.

Packages and products meeting prescribed standards will be allowed to display the SWANA Waste Cutter Marquee. This symbol will identify non-durable consumer packages that have reduced the total weight per unit of use and products that have reduced heavy metals content.

The package or product must achieve, respectively, a minimum reduction in weight of the unit package greater than or equal to 25 percent without exceeding the Council of Northeast Governors' standards for heavy metal considerations or a minimum reduction of heavy metals in the unit product greater than or equal to 25 percent.

The program also will recognize manufacturers who improve the recycling rate of non-durable consumer products and packaging, extend the life-span of durable and non-durable consumer products and improve the compatibility of discarded materials with processes such as biodegradation and/ or combustion to minimize emissions to the environment.

SWANA's Waste Prevention Program, a cooperative effort with packaging and product producers, aims to strike an optimal balance between economics, environment and resource use in integrated solid waste management.