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Methods for waste reduction
The basic belief behind waste reduction for most business is, sadly, less than benevolent and is mostly a consideration for the bottom line of the company.While recent pressure to become green may have increased the desire of companies to waste less, they also want to decrease waste to ensure greater profit margins.If something is sold at the same price but less material, labor and effort is needed to produce it, then this is seen as a gain for the company.While waste minimization for a company often requires an investment of capital and time, it is almost always paid for with increased efficiency and more goodwill towards the company as well.
There are many different processes that can be used to reduce the amount of waste used in any organization or process.One of the most obvious ones is called resource optimization.This involves using raw materials more efficiently to decrease costs and the impact on the environment.One interesting example is the use of fabric and the way that a garment is designed using computers to make the most out of every piece of fabric that goes onto the production line.This is done by having a computer program arrange the various pieces of a pattern in such a way that it gets the maximum amount of use from a small piece of fabric as possible. Another aspect of resource optimization is the reuse of scrap material.This is only useful in some cases, but the most common use is that of scrap metal.The properties of most metals allow it to be melted and used again for the same purpose.This process can be challenging to implement and can also be costly, but should always be weighed against the alternative of purchasing more material.The decision to reduce the amount of material is almost always a conscious decision and there are numbers behind the idea to back up the actions. Improving quality control measures can also ensure that less material is wasted and ultimately the end consumer will be more satisfied as well.Process monitoring can quickly alert someone if there is a fault or defect that will compromise the quality of the product or cause it to fail prematurely.Many high tech processes have these kinds of measures in place and they are especially important in the manufacture of consumable goods as well. Other parts of the process, like product design, can also be improved resulting in lower costs.This may require a significant amount of time to be invested in the process and management of the system before it is actually implemented, but it will help give returns on the investment as the process is carried out.The design of the product and the process that will be used to produce it is very important in making the most of the manufacturing process. Improving the durability and quality of products can also reduce the amount of waste.Many consumers believe that this method is rarely if ever used because most companies are only interested in the short term profits that will come from producing materials to sell to the public.But, making a product more durable and making it last longer will use less material over time and require that people purchase less of the product or a similar product in the long run.It is rare to find companies with this view, but they are out there and many more are joining the cause to create less waste.
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